Bashkortostan (Republic)

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Bashkortostan? Probably, Bashkir honey. It is harvested by hand and has a unique taste, which is recognized across the world. It cannot be confused with anything else, because it is home to unique airborne bees, which collect pollen from wild meadows and forest shrubs.

The capital of the republic is Ufa - one of the ten cities in Russia with a population larger than a million people. If you are in Ufa, be sure to try baursak, a kind of local doughnut.

The national hero of Bashkortostan is Salavat Yulayev, so do not be surprised that you will often come across references to Yemelyan Pugachev’s comrade-in-arms. By the way, according to the legend, Pugachev himself arranged a bathing day for his troops in the local Lake Yaktykul, so its second name is Bannoye. And it is the deepest lake in the republic, by the way.