Freezing cold winters?!

Nowadays most of us spend tons of their time in front of the laptops working, listening to music, playing games and even communicating with people online via social media. And we easily forget about the real things – sun, water and snow, adventures, real life communication  –  that are around us and that can be even more and more exciting and bring lots of good vibes to our lives.

From time out of mind Russian people knew how to entertain themselves and have fun. They had many outdoor activities that could even top the modern ones. Many of them still preserve in daily lives of Russians together with the trendy activities. Let’s stick to winter ones and learn about the opportunities the Volga region provide.

Imagine, picturesque frosty drawings appear on the window panes, snow crisps underfoot and snowflakes fall on hands like in the fairy tale. Your cheeks slowly turn red while you deeply breathe fresh and clean air. Perfect time for winter activities begins! Please note that the Russian winter is not as severe as it is believed.  The average winter temperature in this area is about -8 degree Celcius with lots of crispy snow and very comfortable weather for being outdoor. This season is amazing for travelling not only for adults but also for children due to numerous entertainment winter opportunities.

The Volga region has several resorts that would surely satisfy your expectations: “Khvalynskiy” ski resort, “Assol” ski resort and “Cherry mountain” ski park and hotel.

Khvalynskiy ski resort is a unique area on the territory of the Khvalynskiy National Park located 4 hours drive from the city of Saratov on the bank of the Volga river with picturesque panoramic views from the slopes. It is open all year round, but it’s most widely known for its winter activities: skiing down the longest slope in the Volga region(1200m) with the perfect crisp velvet, sledging, figure skating, snow-tubing, Ski-Dooing, Airsoft, etc. After all these thrilling activities you can rest in Khvalynskiy thermae (outdoor swimming pool with warm spring water) and Russian banya, dine in the cafe or the brewery which provides local craft beer.

“Assol” ski resort is smaller than Khvalynskiy but it doesn’t mean that it’s not worth visiting. It is located about 2 hours drive from Saratov in Volsk. This ski area is a compact hill (one lift high) with steep, exciting glades. When in Khvalynskiy you’ll find terrain with widely and evenly spaced trees here you’ll see more flats and sudden steeps. Besides skiing you can practice snowtubing, figure skating and sledging and have a cup of warming tea in a cafe.

“Cherry mountain” ski resort and hotel possesses one of the most thrilling panoramic views over Saratov and the river as it’s located within the city boundaries. This resort has down hill ski area, rent-a-ski and such apres-ski activities as bowling, indoor and outdoor swimming pools with banya, restaurant and patio.