Adventure enthusiasts won't be bored during their stay in Russie. The country boasts numerous natural sites and fabulous landscapes perfect for hiking, encountering local wildlife. In total, Russie has 19 national parks spread across an area of 225 000 km² : plenty to feast your eyes on !

Losiny Ostrov National Park

Losiny Ostrov National Park is the country's oldest park, established in 1983. The site is located north of the Russian capital and covers a large part of Moscow Oblast. It spans approximately 116.21 km², with nearly 90% of this area consisting of extensive forest. Muscovites visit mainly on weekends to enjoy some relaxation, with activities such as cycling or hiking. Admission to the site is completely free.

Add it to your list of places to visit during a stay in Moscow, to enjoy nature without traveling far.

Vodlozero National Park

This park is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast. Since 2001, Vodlozero Park has been designated, along with a few other natural sites worldwide, as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The site is under the watchful eye of the country's Ministry of Natural Resources.

Vodlozero National Park surrounds Lake Vodlozero to the south and, to the north, the Ileksa River basin. The climate in this reserve varies across different parts of the park. In the north, temperatures are typical of the taiga, and quite extreme during the winter period, with a record of -45 °C. In the southern part of the park, the climate is milder.

This vast park is home to several lakes renowned for their fish, the largest being Lake Vodlozero itself. Among the fish species inhabiting these bodies of water are crucian carp, bluefin tuna, European smelt, whitefish, pike-perch, bream, roach, pike, dace, and grayling.

Birds are also abundant in Vodlozero National Park. In total, nearly 176 bird species, including about forty migratory specimens, have been recorded on site. Among the birds frequently observed in the lakes and marshes of the park are the black grouse, common crane, whooper swan, willow ptarmigan, brant goose, white-tailed eagle, golden eagle and osprey.

As for mammals, they generally find refuge in the taiga, also known as boreal forest. Brown bear, forest reindeer, badger, wolf, American mink, fox and lynx are animals you might encounter during a walk through the park's vegetation. For forest excursions, it is always wiser to be accompanied by a guide.

The flora of Vodlozero National Park is also very rich and varied. More than 500 vascular plants have been recorded there, approximately 100 lichen species and nearly 150 moss species. Most are plant specimens found only in the taiga, such as lobelia dortmanna, isoetes lacustris, and others.

Taganay National Park

This park was founded in 1991 in the southern Urals, north of the city of Zlatoust, in Chelyabinsk Oblast. Vegetation covers more than 90% of the site: notably birch and conifers. In the park's forest, nearly 687 plants have been recorded, including about ten endemic species to the Urals region.

Taganay National Park particularly appeals to visitors thanks to its rich fauna and flora, and especially thanks to its lake, Turgoyak, nicknamed "the blue pearl". This lake is located near the eastern slope of the Urals mountains.

A walk through the Taganay forests will be a wonderful opportunity to observe mammals such as muskrat, lynx, moose, brown bear, beaver, and wolf. Furthermore, approximately 126 bird species have been recorded in the park, including rare specimens like the golden eagle and the peregrine falcon.

The Russian Arctic National Park

This is one of Russie's most recent natural parks, founded in 2009. The Russian Arctic National Park covers a desert area of the region and also occupies the northern part of Franz Joseph Land and Novaya Zemlya.

In its early days, the park extended over approximately 14 260 km² of land and sea. In 2016, its size was revised and now the park covers nearly 74 000 km². It is the largest national park in Russie.

Arctic fox, polar bear, walrus and various seals are encountered quite frequently in this park. If you're lucky, you may have the opportunity to see a bowhead whale swimming in the icy waters of the site.

The administrative headquarters of the Russian Arctic National Park is based in the port city of Arkhangelsk, and to access the site, you will need to obtain a special permit issued by the site's managers.