Travel

Mongolia is a huge land three times the size of France located in northeast Asia bordering with China in the south and with Russia in the north. The territory has been far greater during the mongole expansion led by Ginghis Khan and Kublai Khan, which included up to the XX-th century an important part of Siberia and a region that is now located in China.
The countrys name is often associated with the lonely tuaregs wondering on the camels through the great Gobi desert, and the mercyles mongol riders galloping through the plains.
Mongolia is also known as the country of “blue sky” and is one of the highest countries as altitude, the average altitude being 1580 km.
The capital city of Mongolia is Ulan Bator situated along the river Tuul and surrounded by superb mountains. Although in most of Ulan Bator you can still see the former communist regimes scars, the city is in full economic development. Tourism is also flourishing because of the beauty of the area. Ulan Bator is situate between four mountains considered sacred: Chingeltei, Bayansurkh, Tsetseegum and Songino Khairkhan.
Other popular tourist destinations are the many monasteries here. One of the most beautiful is Amarbayasgalant Khiid. Few people get permission to enter the monastery, but those who do get to see the beautiful paintings, splendid arhitecture and the 30 monks living here isolated from the troubles of the world. The monastery was built by the manchurian king Kansu in 1737.
Khustain Nuruu National Park was established to protect the steppe regions and to protect the famous takhi horses, a true symbol of Mongolia, which became an indangered species recently because in the 60’s locals started hunting them for meat.
Khövsgöl Nuur, an alipine lake situated in the mountains is another popular pilgrimage place. It is the deepest lake in Asia and it is considered sacred. It is surrounded by 2000m high mountains and has water so clean you can drink. The place can be seen in its natural beauty whit all the green forests and wild life because as it is considered sacred and the locals never kill an animal or destroy nature in this palce. The place is huge, the total size of the lake being of 2760 square km.
The remains of the former capital that Ginghis Khan built at Karakorum in 1220 is also a popular tourist destination although most of it has been destroyed by the savage tribes along the years.
Gurvansaikhan is the most popular place in the Gobi desert. From here tourists can go visit the local tribes that still live in isolation, see the hundreds of species of birds here, leopards and wild camels and they can go on hiking trails in the superb surrounding mountains where ancient dinosaur remains can still be found.
Mongolia is just one of the many countries stagnated by the communist regime to evolve and show the world its beauties but it is quickly catching up and becoming an important country economically and many tourist now choose destinations here.