Visit Listvyanka Village, Russia

In the valley of a tributary stream that pours into Baikal, the village of Listvyanka lives a sleepy shoreside existence, its residents going out each day to fish for the Omul salmon that form a staple part of the local diet.

The wooden Siberian-style houses fit naturally into the surroundings, with occasional flashes of colour in the shape of church spires or dacha turrets.

Popular with Russians taking their rest, Listvyanka has a fine little market and a range of available leisurely pursuits — take a boat journey up the lake to the uninhabited coastlines, catch the ferry across to Port Baikal, or ride the remote funicular up though the forest for a panoramic view of sunset over the lake.