Salt lake Baskunchak, located in the north of the Astrakhan region is a natural phenomenon, the same as the Dead sea in Israel. The lake is located 21 meters below sea level. The salinity of the lake reaches 300 grams per liter. Swimming in its waters, you cannot drown; you can lie on the water and read the newspaper.
Salt mining on Baskunchak lake has been conducted since the 8th century. In the Middle ages, salt was an extremely valuable commodity, so along the Great Silk road, salt from lake Baskunchak was transported by caravans to various regions of Europe and Asia. In 1884, a railway was brought to the lake. It still functions today, as the lake is actively developing salt. Today, most of the salt consumed in Russia is extracted from Baskunchak lake.
Salt lake is a depression (below sea level), which is filled with water sources and a small river Gorky. In fact, we are talking about a salt mountain. Its dome goes several kilometers deep into the earth. The salt of Baskunchak lake is recognized as one of the cleanest in the world. The solution that is formed on the surface of the lake when the water of the springs is mixed with the salt itself is called brine. It has the most healing properties for the human body.
The climate on lake Baskunchak is very similar to the microclimate of the Dead sea in Israel. There is low humidity, and the air contains a high content of useful chemical elements, including bromine. One liter of water contains 300 grams of salt (99.8% sodium chloride). The same concentration of salt in the waters of the Dead sea.
Unfortunately, the tourist sphere on lake Baskunchak is now almost not developed. In addition to salt in different places of the lake, there are deposits of therapeutic mud. There are two sanatoriums: Baskunchak and Bussol. They were built in Soviet times, and so far, the level of their service cannot be considered high.
As for infrastructure for individual tourists, it is absent. At least it is necessary to organize here shower cabins. After bathing in water with such a concentration of salt, it is absolutely necessary to immediately take a shower to wash off the salt solution from the skin. But on lake Baskunchak, everything is focused on the industrial development of salt, and the tourist potential is not yet used. Unfortunately, the transport accessibility of the lake is also not optimal. It is 200 km from Volgograd and 300 km from Astrakhan.
In the 60s, a ring racetrack was created on the surface of Baskunchak lake to set speed records. A similar racetrack exists only in the United States on the similar salt lake Bonneville in Utah state. The smooth salt surface allows cars to develop huge speeds. Nowadays, jet cars accelerate at lake Bonneville to a speed of over 1000 km/h. In the 60s, the maximum speed record on Baskunchak lake was 311 km / h. Then this route was eliminated, as salt mining required the development of new areas.
