Introducing The Urals
The Ural Mountains - the celebrated division between Europe and Asia - stretch 2000km from the arctic Kara Sea in the north to Kazakhstan in the south.
The physical reality of the Urals is not as dramatic as it sounds. The Urals are as low as famous mountain ranges go, failing to top 2000m anywhere. Nonetheless, for outdoorsy types the mountains provide endless opportunities - from hiking and biking to skiing and spelunking. Rafting in the Urals is a spring tradition, when the melting snow augments the river waters. Adventurers will appreciate the undulating hills covered with birch and pine forest, and vast stretches of taiga dotted with mountain lakes and rocky outcrops.
While the Urals are a goldmine for outdoor adventurers, it is difficult to organise such expeditions independently, which explains why the region is still relatively undiscovered by foreign travellers. A few agencies in Yekaterinburg offer active excursions.
The Urals have been vital to Russia for centuries as a major source of metals and minerals, which gave rise to industrial cities such as Perm, Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk. Today, these cities are vibrant economic and cultural centres, each with its own intriguing - and sometimes dark - history.
Yekaterinburg is on the east side of the Middle Urals - the lowest part of the mountains - which is why many travellers miss the mountains entirely. The highest peaks are in the far north, culminating at Mt Narodnaya (1894m).
Activities in The Urals
Yekaterinburg
From the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family in 1918 to the high-profile Mafia killings in the 1990s, Yekaterinburg is notorious for its bloody history.
Perm
Dominated by heavily trafficked avenues and concrete blocks, Perm is a modern, industrial city that most travellers could bear to miss.
The Urals destination guides
Ufa
Ufa is capital of the self-consciously autonomous Bashkortostan Republic.
Hotels in The Urals
Budget Hotels & Hostels in The Urals
Chelyabinsk
Chelyabinsk, 200km south of Yekaterinburg, is another city of contrasts - a sprawling industrial town set amid the gentle hills and inviting lakes of the Urals.
Need to know
Entertainment in The Urals
Beloretsk
Shopping in The Urals