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Chita Oblast

Chita Oblast is a region in Eastern Siberia, which borders Buryatia to the west, Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest, Yakutia to the north, Amur Oblast to the northeast, North East (China) to the east, and Mongolia to the south.

Regions

Cities

  • Chita - the largest city and the region's capital
  • Aginskoye the capital of the Aginskoye-Buryat Autonomous region is a center of Buryat culture
  • Chara - gateway to the pristine and remote Kodar Mountains Region of northern Chita Oblast, home to snow-capped mountains, the Chara Sand Dunes, numerous small, isolated Evenk villages, and a former Stalinist gulag network; reachable via plane or rail from Chita or via the Baikal-Amur Mainline
  • Nerchinsk - founded in 1654, this town was the regional hub for Chinese trade until it was surpassed by Chita on the new railway in the late 19th century; a very historical town with some impressive architectural monuments in varying states of disrepair; also, there is a nearby 350 year old monastery marking the spot of Nerchinsk's former location
  • Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky - an old site of the Decembrist exiles on the Trans-Siberian Railway

Other destinations

  • Darasun Resort - a balneological spa in a mountain valley
  • Daursky Nature Reserve
  • Sokhondinsky Nature Reserve
  • Zabaikalsk

Culture and History

Chita Oblast is similar to Buryatia in the great diversity and beauty of its landscapes. It is, however, far less visited than its western neighbor. Chita Oblast derives much of its importance to Russia from its proximity to China. As such, it has served as a point for international trade, migration, and even war. Today Chita Oblast contains a large Russian military presence - for this reason Chita was a "closed city" during the Soviet era.

Talk

Expect that Russian will come in handy in this remote Siberian region.

Travel to Chita Oblast & Visa Requirements

Chita is the principal arrival point for most visitors, who usually arrive on the Trans-Siberian Railway, although the Baikal-Amur Mainline also cuts through Chita Oblast's more isolated north. Chita is also served by VIM Airlines from Moscow and Bratsk.

Tours & Getting around Chita Oblast

Chita Oblast attractions and sightseeing

Itineraries

Chita Oblast city tours

Chita Oblast Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Chita Oblast nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Stay safe

Get out

The next major stops on the Trans-Siberian Railway are Ulan-Ude to the west and Skovorodino and Svobodny to the east. On the Baikal-Amur Mainline: Severobaikalsk to the west and Tynda to the east.

Destinations in Chita Oblast:

Chita / Zabaikalsk /

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This page was last edited at 15:30, on 24 December 2007 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Peter Fitzgerald and Wikitravel user(s) WindHorse.

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