Travel Guide Oïmyakon (Оймякон)

Built by the Mongols at the time of Genghis Khan, Oïmyakon (500 inhabitants) is the coldest inhabited place in the world. At 700 km from Yakutsk, it is in the heart of a valley surrounded by mountains, which partly explains the temperatures going down to - 67 °C (historical record). Winter lasts 9 months and the day varies between 3 hours in December and 21 hours in June. Life is hard in Oïmyakon but the hospitality of the locals is not an empty word. Residents are always ready to welcome visitors in their houses and show them the spots to visit, such as Lake Labynkyr, inhabited according to legends by strange creatures .