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A piece of antiquity at the heart of Russia

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A piece of antiquity at the heart of Russia

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The Ural Mountains are often very properly designated as Ural Switzerland. The reason for this is obvious: the Ural Mountains are so picturesque that it would be strenuous to spot the difference between them and magnificent Swiss landscapes. Consequently, there are a lot of tremendous natural wonders hidden in the depth of these mountains that are unquestionably worth seeing. One of these wonders is Capova Cave, or Shulgan-Tash, which is located at the South Ural, at the territory of modern Bashkortostan. It is the most immense cave in Russia that captures the breath when you see it at close quarters!

First of all, this place remains the examples of rock art that are the only one in the whole Eastern Europe. Only imagine: you walk in the somber passages of ancient cave and see unique images of humans and animals that were painted here with a red ochre more than 14 thousand years ago! I bet this experience is much more captivating than a visit to any of modern museums. Furthermore, the territory if this cave includes a lake and more than 700 meters of underwater tunnels. The majority of them are unexplored so modern scientists are conducting their research of this cave.

Secondly, the territory around the Capova Cave is also noticeable. There is a reserve around it meant to protect the charm of Ural nature. The most essential part of this reserve is an enormous apiary that was constructed to keep the unique types of bees safe and explore them. Another pleasant merit of this apiary is that visitors can taste and buy some mouth-watering Bashkir honey. There are a lot of other activities to taste and color available at the territory of this reserve. For instance, adrenaline junkies can do a white-water rafting in the river Belaya, adventurous people can go camping and nature-lovers can savor walking through untouched majestic natural world.

Personally, I would describe this place as a piece of antiquity at the very heart of Russia. Only here you can get detached from modern reality and understand the quiddity of ancient world. A marvelous nature will make the memories of the visit to this cave incredibly persistent so you should definitely jump at the chance of visiting this distinctive place!

Lukashenko Yulia

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Croatia, one of the most picturesque countries in the world, is known for its magnificent coastline and sandy beaches. But what other treasures of nature could be found there? Plitvice Lakes have become the key to answering this question. No sooner had I seen the abundance of undisturbed local landscapes with my own eyes than my breath was taken away. Being inscripted onto the UNESCO World Heritage List the Plitvice Lakes National Park serves as an example of both preserving the environment and bringing boundless elation to people.

In the very beginning of the journey, I was greeted by the majestic mountain ranges Mala Kapela and Lička Plješivica. As in the cradle the park lies in between those glorious stone giants. Its lush and fragrant greenery along with Ural owls and woodpeckers couldn’t leave me indifferent. The more time passed, the more consumed by peace and quiet I got. After hours of wandering I finally reached the ‘Great Waterfall’ which is the largest fall in all of Croatia. Never have I ever seen such a miraculous place! Crystal clear waters were flowing gracefully, shining in the rays of the sun just like the diamonds do. I spent the entire day admiring the famous lake system, which is comprised of 16 reservoirs, cascading one into next. It consists of 12 Upper Lakes and 4 Lower Lakes and truly is a wonder of nature! Turquoise streams flowing accompanied by birds singing allowed me to detach myself from the hustle and bustle of the city.

If you are eager to find tranquility, I suggest you visit this exceptional place, but please bear in mind that the park contributes to nature preservation that is why it is required to follow the rules such as not feeding the animals or not swimming in the lakes. Let’s take care of the environment so that our young generations can become witness to such magnificence!

Popova Anastasia

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An online environmental magazine has asked
readers to send in articles about places of natural beauty that they have visited. You decide to write an article describing a place you enjoyed visiting, what you saw there and evaluating its importance as a place of natural beauty. Write 200 words and attach a picture of the place. You are welcome to like and comment on the other students' posts. Please sign your name if you have accessed the website as an anonymous user.

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What comes to mind when you hear New Zealand? Deep glacier lakes, breath-taking views, mesmerising mountains, and unique species—that is what you can see on a trip to this stunning country. Not only is it one of the safest countries in the world, but it is also home to unique flora and fauna. Fiordland National Park is a magnificent place that is worth visiting, as it combines untouched nature with dense forests and a wide range of accommodation options, which is perfect for an active but eco-friendly holiday. First and foremost, it is worth mentioning that Fiordland National Park is administered by the Department of Conservation, which helped some endangered animals recover their populations.

In the beginning of the trip, I was gobsmacked by the scenery of these gigantic mountains and cliffs, covered with various trees and plants as a bottle-green blanket. As I was on a ship, I was able to get a glimpse of Milford Sound, which is the most stunning natural attraction with its ink-dark waters and superb forest-clad cliffs. No sooner had I landed on the island than my eyes caught sight of Fiordland's kiwi in their natural habitat. Later, I climbed up a mountain to get a better view of the lakes and forests. So picturesque was the panoramic view from the peak that my breath was taken away immediately. It was an unforgettable trip to the fairy-tale Fiordland National Park that must be seen to be believed.

It is beyond a shadow of a doubt that the park plays a significant role in preserving species that are on the verge of extinction. As more and more recovery programmes are managed by the Department of Conservation, there are successful stories of remaining populations of native New Zealand birds called takahe, kākāpō, and kiwi. If you are really eager to find paradise on our planet, you ought to visit this harmonious place.

Nasimova Camila

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Snow-laden peaks, ski resorts, exquisite Swiss cheese and chocolate – I used to think I knew plenty about the Alps, enough to imagine the place in my mind without having been there. Nonetheless, my visit to the Jungfrau region last year has completely changed my perception of the famous mountain range and its wildlife.

The Jungfrau (which is German for “Young Maiden”) is a region in Switzerland named after one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps. To get there, I took a train from Interlaken. Gazing wistfully from the window, I was completely mesmerized by the vibrant green meadows outstretched all the way to the horizon, a dazzle of flamboyant flowers opening to my eyes. Then, a small herd of dairy cows walking serenely by a lake caught my attention. Elated, I spent the rest of my ride taking in the inconceivable beauty in front of me.

Having finally arrived at the Jungfraujoch, I stopped to admire the scenery of mountainpeaks piercing the clouds when I noticed a young Alpine chough hopping around excitedly, feasibly searching for a sluggish caterpillar or a berry to feast on. I observed the bird for a while before setting off to find a place to pitch my tent. After all, I had another day brimful of astonishing discoveries and majestic landscapes ahead of me.

Visiting the Jungfrau has been a truly life-changing experience for me. As a matter of fact, no amount of information you may have read about the Alps verily compares to seeing the place at close quarters. Places like this, untouched by human, magnificent in their untamed splendor, should be meticulously preserved, especially considering the impact the humanity has already caused to the wildlife.

Tolstykina Alexandra

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Taiga is a hazardous and completely alien world to man. In it, time and space merge together and create for its inhabitants a mysterious and glorious world with its richness and severity, capable of both giving life and cruelly taking it away.

Once I managed to visit the Yugansky reserve in my native lands, in Yugra, Russia, and this trip left an indelible impression on me.

March. The snow was still lying in huge fluffy snowdrifts. We were peacefully wandering through the forest in search of extraordinary colorful bullfinch birds. But suddenly, somewhere further away, at the edge of the wood, we heard the crunch of spruce branches and decided to slow down a little. We hid behind the feathered limbs of a fir tree and waited. Here a bear and its two cubs appeared from the thicket of the forest. We stared at them in fascination, afraid to move, and they tranquilly and leisurely studied the terrain. They know that they are the owners of the taiga. After the family went deep into the forest, we carefully, treading softly, left the reserve.

This picture will be remembered by me for a long time: everything looked like on Shishkin's widely reputed canvas "Morning in the Pine forest". The serenity of the forest inhabitants, their established order of life, their pulchritude and grace, the picturesque views, the soul-stirring landscapes that they are free to consider home - this is what it is worth coming to the reserves to guard their special status. The charm of nature around us is something that everyone can notice, but not everyone is able to appreciate the value and splendor of this natural world.

Yudina Kate

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There is an unique location where you have an exclusive opportunity to sight Antarctica without even going to it. I’m going to tell you about one the most stunning places on Earth - the national park Los Glaciares in Argentina.

All the area of Los Glacieres for the reason has been inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. And the reason is that I find it hard to come up with another example of such a place where scenery and terrain might be even closely equated to this one. High mountains with snow-capped peaks covered by rural forests combined with the icing on the cake – blue as the sky on a sunny summer day glaciers lying in the deep hallows between those hills. There are few glaciers out there but the most popular and the most fascinating one is Perito Moreno, which is tremendous in height and size. What if I also tell you that once in approximately five years it crashes like a dam by the pressure of the river it blocks. Only this breathtaking scene brings here thousands and thousands of people in hope to behold it.

If you’ll ever have a chance to visit Los Glacieres, I would undoubtfully recommend you to jump at it and see all of these fabulous landscapes which would really break your mind and leave you as impressed as you have never been before. The picturesque nature and the unimaginable fusion of greenery and ice for sure wouldn’t leave any human being unattached.

Cherbaev Konstantin

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After visiting Zhangye National Geopark in China, you will never associate that phrase with the American flag. Not only because the Chinese flag contains stars too or because the stars as space objects are fascinating there, but also because of the way how mountains are painted there. Unique nature of that place is truly unforgettable!

Stunning natural art caught me off-guard. In fact, this place is just a striped mountain range. In the beginning of the trip, I had already known that this place is unforgettable because people have written a ton of articles in attempt to describe this place using only words, but I could not imagine a place more picturesque than this national park. The guide clarified that nature created this scenery itself and all the so-called layers formed in the result of the chain of chemical reactions, but it still felt like a place from some videogame. Vigorous formations cover over 50 square kilometers and there is a variety of viewing platforms. Each platform uncovers a unique point of view on this natural wonder. In the evening we were lucky to see how the rays of the sun descend on the slopes of the mountains. Finally, we left this place with an incredible inspiration to create something this magnificent.

Borozdin Stepan

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A Norwegian word fjord usually refers to any to any long, narrow body of water, inlet or channel. Fjords are towering mountains and meandering broad rivers, make their visitors to take their breath. And photographs. Fjords are created by glaciers. In the Earth's last ice age, glaciers covered almost all the surfaces our planet had. Glaciers move extremely slow over time, and can greatly change the landscape once they have moved through an area.

As I travelled through these valleys, I was excited by how pristine they are. Green forest mountain cliffs stretched as far as the eye could see, crystal blue cold water and heavy Nordic wind. It seemed to me no human had ever visited them! Like they remained untouchable since the days of Ice Age. An evidence of mightiness of pre-historic glaciers.

Rivers were so wide and long I had to travel between fjords on a big cruise ship. During its trip, the ship stopped at several villages situated in small bays. There I was amazed by how Norwegian people treated they land and nature. Obviously, they had found a way how to live in harmony with wildlife and nature. I guess this is why fjords pay them back with their beauty.

Григорий Перепечко

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Speaking of Spain, we usually think about stunning beaches, delicious food and peculiar culture. But what can be said about the nature of this country? The best representation of magnificence of it is its largest and oldest national park in the Canary Islands. Teide National Park is located on the island of Tenerife and covers an area of 189.9 square kilometres. It is included in the list of “12 Treasures of Spain” and is inscripted onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. Being one of the most visited parks in Europe, not only it gives visitors the delight of being able to touch wildlife, but also serves as a place for unique flora, many representatives of which are not found anywhere else in the world.

In the beginning of the trip, I was completely mesmerized by the view of an impressive volcano ‘Teide” that can be seen from almost any part of the island, especially from the northern coast, on which it “looks” in many ways. The volcano, as if it was a giant from a fairy tale, stretches for 25 kilometres and reaches a height of 600 meters. The scenery of Teide took my breath away, leaving me speechless and full of emotions. After a short period of time I found myself walking along a long path. Arenas Negras is a trail that starts from the El Portillo Visitor Center, climbs the Cerrillar Mountain between the broom trees and reaches a height from which you can enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of the park and the Mach Plain. On clear days, you can see the phenomenon of "sea of clouds" from there. Thankfully, I was the lucky one who actually saw this natural phenomenon. After that my group and I went ahead towards the Observatory. The Teide Observatory is located in the Teide National Park and houses impressive telescopes with which, according to the Canary Institute of Astrophysics, "observations of the most important comets of recent years have been carried out, including the collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy with Jupiter, and a large-scale map of the centre of the Milky Way has been obtained." I should say that I have never experienced such a feeling of calmness. It felt like the whole world is at arm’s length.

If I could give a name to this place, I would call it a mysterious planet on Earth. If you are a real adventurer, a lover of space exploration and a fan of wild and unique nature, then I strongly recommend you to visit this magical place at least once in your life!

Seliverstova Marina