Let’s take a break from all that history and explore some of the weird, the whacky and the wonderful aspects of Russia, from psychedelic salt mines, a real life Jurassic Park and the largest bore hole on earth to pyramids with healing powers, a city without a name and the world’s weirdest swimming contest. Then, sit back and relax with your favourite vodka as we watch the sunset over the world’s largest freshwater lake from the comfort of a spectacular ice cave…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although a small part of these salt mines is still in use, there are miles of abandoned tunnels, which are only accessible with a special government permit. Luckily, we don’t need permits for this tour as we travel 650 feet below the city of Yekaterinburg to marvel at what looks like super funky cave art but is actually, and more bizarrely, a totally natural phenomenon. The psychedelic patterns are created by layers of the mineral carnallite, which date back nearly 280 million years, when the Perm Sea dried up completely to leave its salty mineral deposits on the cave walls. They were forgotten altogether until Russians began mining the salt. The bright and colourful striations in the rock are a truly surreal wonder of the world…<\/p>\n\n\n\n