In Volodarskiy District, semi-desert landscapes of the Caspian Lowland are part of the scenery, alongside the Volga Delta with its 383 islands. This gives you a choice of themes when planning your trip: waterways and wildlife, a walking excursion through Tsvetnoye and the surrounding area, or cultural history in Altynzhar. The differences below will help you decide what to focus on during your stay.
Water Route 2-O and the delta's habitats
The 28 km-long, four-hour Water Route 2-O in the Obzhorovsky section follows waterways by motorboat and passes delta islands. It takes you through gallery forests and reed thickets, past stands of sacred lotus, and through the flora and fauna of these habitats. The four-hour duration gives you a concrete idea of the time involved: the boat trip is a multi-hour activity, not a brief stop.
Along the route, a network of river channels and eriks branches out; aquatic plants and riparian forests line the islands. Possible wildlife sightings include white-tailed eagles and other birds of prey, various herons, forest birds, as well as American mink, raccoon dogs and muskrats.
On foot through Tsvetnoye and the surrounding area
A walking excursion takes you through the village of Tsvetnoye and its surroundings in Volodarskiy District; it is available year-round. Confirm the arrangements with the tour operator before your trip. Stops in Tsvetnoye include the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, Victory Park and the Museum of Military Glory at Tsvetnovskaya Secondary School. In Razino, the excursion visits the Church of Saint and Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky and Razin Hill; the obelisk to participants in the Great Patriotic War is also included.
The walk brings together religious buildings, a park, a school museum and memorial sites. A visit to the Tsvetnoye museum is arranged in consultation with the administration of Tsvetnovskaya Secondary School's school museum.
Museum and cultural traditions
The Kurmangazy Sagyrbaev Museum in Altynzhar features exhibitions on the history and culture of Astrakhan's Kazakhs, the history of the Bukey Khanate, relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and Astrakhan Oblast, and the life and artistic legacy of Kurmangazy Sagyrbaev. The themes range from regional history to the life story and artistic legacy of an individual.
Nauryz and Sabantuy are also part of the district's cultural life: they are calendar festivals celebrated by the Turkic-speaking Kazakhs and Nogais. This cultural heritage is preserved through festivals held today at district and regional levels.
A look at the wider Astrakhan Oblast
In the wider destination of Astrakhan Oblast, the archaeological site of Sarai-Batu is located in Selitrennoye. It is the largest capital monument of the Mongol nomads who settled in the sparsely populated steppes of the lower Volga region in the late 13th to 14th centuries, after the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan broke up.
More destination pages
Discover more destination pages: Novoyatskiy, Tsvetnoye.
Discover more destinations: Ikryaninskiy District, Znamensk, Serov, Krasnoyarskiy District, Ikryaninsky District, Privolzhskiy District.
Back to the wider travel overview: Astrakhan Oblast.
