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There are two things on planet Earth that overwhelm us with their power, inspire awe, delight in immensity, but at the same time amaze us with their endless, delightful beauty. One of them is the sea.
But there are people who are practically indifferent to the sea. They are much more impressed and inspired by another grandiose natural phenomenon – mountains. Tall, powerful, with sparkling snow caps on the peaks, with sharp, sharp arrows of rocks rushing to the sky. Or low, green, sometimes as if “velvet”, with smoothed, smooth lines. Wild and deserted, or, on the contrary, carefully sheltering neat houses, “walking” clean and well-groomed cows and melancholic lambs in bright meadows. Any mountains are wonderful. Any mountains are charming. Have you seen the sunset or sunrise in the mountains? It’s fantastic! So let’s get acquainted with the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world.
Let’s make a reservation right away – this “ten” does not claim to be the ultimate truth. As they say, the taste and color – all felt-tip pens are different. Of course, you may not agree with our choice (they say: “Where are the Himalayas? And the Andes? And the mountains of Iceland, similar to Martian landscapes? Where, after all, are our Urals and Kamchatka with its volcanoes?”). But on the other hand, it is shared by millions of tourists who annually visit these beautiful natural sites.
10 Altai
Anyone who has ever been to Altai, seen the turquoise waters of the swiftly running Katun and the beautiful Biya meandering between the mountain ranges, drove along the picturesque Chuisky tract, climbed the Chike-Taman or Katu-Yaryk pass and admired the snowy mountain peaks from there, in some places covered with thick clouds, he will definitely come back here again. Altai is located on the border of four countries at once: Russia, Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan.
The name “Altai”, according to the most common version, means “Golden Mountains”. There are several reserves here (where there are animals and plants that are not found anywhere else in the world), dozens of marals, as well as the famous Ukok plateau – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – it is in these places that a huge number of ancient archaeological sites have been discovered (at one time Altai was “crossroads” of movement of various nomadic tribes). The heart of Altai is Belukha (height 4509 m) – one of the most beautiful peaks on our planet, which people from all over the world come to conquer.
9. Pyrenees
The Pyrenees are located on the territory of France, Spain and small but proud Andorra. They stretch from the Bay of Biscay of the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea for a distance of 450 km. These are not the highest mountains (the highest peak of the Pyrenees – Aneto – rises “only” by 3404 m), but they are one of the most inaccessible. There are only a few more or less convenient passes here (and all of them are at an altitude of 1500-2000 meters). Therefore, there are only 4 railways from France to Spain, two of which go around the Pyrenees along the coast, and two more pass through a system of tunnels along the lowest region of the mountains.
However, tourists who prefer outdoor activities – rock climbing, mountaineering, speleology, skiing, etc. the Pyrenees are very fond of, because in these mountains there is a huge variety of beautiful waterfalls, picturesque gorges, deep caves and ancient glaciers, and their climate is not too harsh.
8. Tatras
The Tatras are sometimes considered a separate mountain system, but more often they are called the highest part of the Carpathians. In fact, these are really the same mountains stretching through a good half of Eastern and Central Europe: from Ukraine through Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Serbia to Austria itself. It’s just that part of them, which is called the High Tatras (length – 26 km), differs markedly from the neighboring mountain ranges in appearance – they are more rocky, more severe. The climate of the Tatras is similar to the Alpine one – the weather here also often changes, there are sharp temperature changes, in winter there is a lot of snow that does not melt until May-June, and in some places it lies all year round. The highest point of the High Tatras is the peak of Gerlachovski-Shtit, which rises to a height of 2655 m.
The Tatras are located on the border of Poland and Slovakia. On both sides, national reserves are organized here, protecting unique landscapes, as well as rare animals living in this territory. Nevertheless, since there are 85 fabulously beautiful lakes in the Tatras, many waterfalls, as well as hot thermal springs, and many peaks “polished” by glaciers have a very bizarre shape, tourism is well developed here. The most famous mountain resort of the Tatras is Zakopane (Poland).
7. Dolomites
This mountain range is part of the Eastern Alps and is located in northeastern Italy (the length is about 150 km). The attractions of the Dolomites are not only the most beautiful landscapes – picturesque peaks, cozy valleys, fragrant pine forests – but also medieval castles, popular ski resorts and even an open-air museum dedicated to the battles of Italians and Austrians that took place here during the First World War. In these places, festivals are often held with folk songs and dances, as well as tasting of national dishes.
The highest peak of the Dolomites is Mount Marmolada (3342 m), but the most popular are the 3 mountain peaks of Cime di Lavoredo, the highest of which reaches 2999 m. From there, the most breathtaking views open.
By the way, more than 50 species of orchids bloom in the Dolomites in spring. Just imagine this beauty!
6. Caucasus
Quite deservedly, the Caucasus, which separates Europe from Asia, is among the most beautiful mountains in the world (but, of course, no one will show you the exact place where Europe ends and Asia begins). The Caucasus Mountains are conditionally divided into two mountain systems – the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus. Several countries are located here (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and part of Russia), and there are more than 50 peoples who speak Caucasian, Indo-European and even Altaic languages. There are several climatic zones in the Caucasus (which depend on both altitude and latitude and the location of a particular area). And here is very rich flora and fauna.
The Caucasus Mountains have a significant height: 8 peaks rise more than 5 thousand meters up, the largest of them is Elbrus (5642 m). Therefore, you can always meet professional climbers here. And, by the way, among them, not Elbrus, but Koshtantau peak (5152 m) is recognized as the most dangerous and difficult to conquer. It was he, among all other Caucasian mountains, who took the most lives.
5. Titon
The Teton (or Teton) mountain range is part of the American Rocky Mountains, stretching for 4830 km from the northern point of British Columbia (Canada) to the state of New Mexico in the southwestern United States. Most of the Teton Range is located in Wyoming, its length is more than 300 km, and its width is 162 km. The highest mountain – Grand Teton – rises to 4199 m above sea level.
A significant part of these picturesque mountains is occupied by the national park, which also bears the name of Grand Teton. (By the way, if anyone is wondering what the word “Teton” means, this is the name of a once very large group of Indian tribes, they are also Lakota Sioux, who lived in these places until the “white people” came.) On the territory of the national park there are numerous lakes (the largest of them – Jackson – stretched 24 km long), rivers, streams and waterfalls. Its nature has been preserved almost intact. It has an excellent tourist infrastructure (320 km of convenient hiking trails, more than 1000 campsites, etc.). By the way, just 16 km to the north is another national park – the famous Yellowstone.
4. Bernese Alps
To the southeast of the capital of Switzerland – the city of Bern – stretches a mountain range of rare beauty – the Bernese Alps. They occupy the territory of the canton of Bern, as well as part of the cantons of Valais, Fribourg, Vaud, Lucerne, Nidwalden and Uri (almost 8 thousand square km). We can say that this is the real “ice heart” of the Alps. There are about 300 glaciers of various sizes here. In winter, these places, of course, are a traditional place of pilgrimage for ski lovers (by the way, for more than 100 years). But in general, you can relax here all year round – in addition to the glaciers in the Bernese Alps, there are many other beautiful landscapes. For example, in summer, crowds of tourists visit the Constance and Brienz lakes, the Staubbach waterfall, etc.
The highest peak of the Bernese Alps is Finsteraarhorn (4274 m), but three picturesque mountains located nearby are more popular among tourists and climbers – Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau (respectively, 3970, 4107 and 4158 meters). On the Jungfrau there is an observation deck with a circular view of the mountains and the Aletsch glacier.
3. Southern Alps
No, these are not the Alps that many are now thinking about – not a ski area on the border of France and Italy. These incredibly, simply unbelievably beautiful mountains stretch across the entire South Island of New Zealand (more than 500 km). You could already admire them without even knowing it. Here’s a hint: The cult film trilogy The Lord of the Rings. There are about 360 glaciers in these mountains, many high-mountain lakes with turquoise or emerald water (some of which even icebergs float – just imagine this sight!). Most of the Southern Alps are occupied by national parks. The highest peak is Mount Cook (3754 m) or, in the Maori language, Aoraki.
By the way, the climate to the west and east of this mountain range is completely different: on the west coast of the South Island it is cold and humid, and on the east coast it is one of the warmest and sunniest in the country. The mountains are to blame for this.
2. Sierra Nevada
The name Sierra Nevada means “snowy mountains” in Spanish. This mountain range, stretched across the entire eastern part of the state of California, is a fragment of the North American Cordillera and stretches for about 750 km. The most important peak is Whitney Peak (4421 m). On the territory of the Sierra Nevada there are the most beautiful national parks Yosemite and Sequoia, as well as the picturesque alpine Lake Tahoe (located at an altitude of 1897 m, area – 489 square km), Kings and Kern canyons, the Hetch-Hetchy valley, etc.
Another famous attraction of the Sierra Nevada mountains and Yosemite Park is the granite monolith mountain El Capitan (2307 m). Climbing to its top is a matter of honor for many professional climbers. This is a difficult task – El Capitan has almost sheer walls with a small number of ledges. However, it was from this mountain that the founder of base jumping Carl Boenisch and his team made their first jumps. And on its eastern side is the famous “fiery” waterfall “Horse’s Tail” (whose height is 650 meters).
1. Canadian Rockies
As some tourists write in reviews about these places: “Don’t forget to breathe!”
The Canadian Rockies are the northernmost part of the Cordillera. They stretch across the western part of Canada from north to south for more than 600 km. The flora and fauna here are not very diverse (due to the rather harsh climate), but in the mountains you can easily meet a grizzly bear (yes, this is not at all an artistic fiction of filmmakers). The highest peak is Mount Robson (3959 m).
There are 5 national parks in the Rocky Mountains. One of them – Banff Park – is perhaps Canada’s most famous and truly stunning glacial lake – the turquoise Moraine. In general, there are many hundreds of lakes, rivers, waterfalls, thermal springs, etc. here. Jasper National Park is famous for another attraction – the huge snow-white Athabasca Glacier. And on the border of the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, you can admire the “Matterhorn of the Rocky Mountains” – one of the most beautiful peaks in the world, Assiniboine (3618 m), which received this nickname for its pyramidal shape, which is very similar to the Matterhorn.