Ufa Travel Guide, Russia

Ufa travel guide – Location

Ufa is one of the most important Russian cities, located in the southern part of the country 124 miles from Saratov and 226 from Perm. Ufa travel guide offers interesting facts regarding the city and its people.

Ufa travel guide – Geography

Ufa is set at the foothills of Ural Mountains in a lowland area dominated by the confluence of two large rivers the Belaya and Ufa. The city is surrounded by low hills which offer a gorgeous view over Ufa and its surroundings and attract hikers all year round.

The local climate is temperate continental with significant differences in temperature and precipitation between the four seasons. Winters are cold with average temperatures of -14ºC while summers are quite hot with average temperatures of 20ºC.

In this area the waters of the Ufa flow into the Belaya River which is one of the most important Russian rivers. Coming from the Ural Mountains, the Belaya has a rapid course and is very popular for the people practicing extreme sports.

Ufa travel guide – Flora and Fauna

Ufa is located in the area with the richest and most well preserved flora in Russia. Within the city few green areas still house several local tree species like the oak, maple and birch tree as well as decorative bushes, flowers and more.

Within the city the fauna is represented by some mammal species as well as birds and insects and the waters of the rivers house numerous species of fish and amphibians. Mammals are mainly represented by rodents and domestic animals, only at the periphery one ca see occasionally deer, gray partridges, beavers and hares. The aquatic fauna is mainly made up of fish like the whitefish, ripus, peled, white Amur carp and chub.

The city’s botanical garden is a great place to admire countless plant species from all over the world, the institution having a special green house with many tropical and exotic species and another important segment illustrating the local flora.

Ufa travel guide – Transport

Because Ufa is one of the major economic and cultural Russian centers and also an important river port, the local transport infrastructure is modern and very accessible. The city has a modern international airport, the Ufa International Airport, which is located minutes away form the city, a rail station and is crossed by strategic highways and roads. The railway and highway create good connections with every other important Russian city and the port plays an important role in the connection between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.

Within the city tourists can travel by trolleys and buses which are quite cheap, make good connections but sometimes get crowded and are not that comfortable. Taxis are also very common and reliable, many local companies offering their services in this respect.

Ufa travel guide – Population and Economy

Ufa has a large number of inhabitants, about one million, a combination of several nationalities among which Russians dominate along with the Tatars. The dominating religions are the Christian Orthodox, Muslim and Jews, the city housing several Christian churches and mosques as well as an old traditional synagogue. The city is also an important educational center, with numerous elementary schools, colleges and universities attracting numerous people from all over the country.

Local economy is based on local resources which are quite diverse and valuable like oil. Besides the oil refineries and the petrochemical plants the city’s economy is also based on food industry, printing industry and commerce.

Ufa travel guide – Cuisine

Because of its location in a climate zone with long winters, Ufa traditional food include ingredients like the potatoes, cabbage, meat especially beef, lamb, mutton, fish and even horsemeat, eggs and some vegetables. Some of the dishes locals appreciate the most are the borsch soups, ukha soup made with fish, meat soup with noodles, zakuski made with salted fish and vegetables and more other treats.

Traditional drinks in Ufa are the medok which is a spirit made from honey and fruit juice, sbiten which is mainly drunk in winter and is made of honey and spices and tea appreciated mainly by the Muslim population who does not consume alcohol.