The most beautiful natural sites to discover Route de la soie

The lake, between large sand dunes, is formed by spring water. The dunes of Mingshashan form a spectacle that should not be missed. Especially a day of great wind when these sand hills sing, as Marco Polo had already observed. In the rising sun and above all setting, the landscape of the sand mountains is fantastic.

From here you can make camel walks in the desert of Gobi, or "surf of the sands" or paragliding from the top of the dunes. These relatively quiet activities have now added a lot of noisy quad circuits…

Huashan is one of the five sacred mountains of China. The mount is famous for its four steep granite peaks that resemble a lotus flower (hence its name that means "Mountain of Flowers"). The landscape that jalonneront your hiking is very beautiful. You climb for 7 km to reach the first peak. It takes about 4 hours. It will take you a little more than an hour to reach one of the other three peaks. The south reaches 2 200 m above sea level, but the others offer beautiful views also… and you can then join the three peaks. From northern peak a trail links summits, but there are narrow passages that can be dangerous in bad weather. Traditionally, the Chinese are leaving the evening with lanterns to get to the top of the sun, particularly famous. The sunrise is beautiful but no more. The landscapes have much more interest.

In the heart of the historic Beijing district, Lake Houhai used to serve as a port at the end of the great canal linking Beijing to Hangzhou in the south. Delicious for walks, at any hour of the day and night. In summer, we can make a boat, and in winter of the ice chair on the frozen lake. For small and large.

Mount Chersky is a natural panoramic terrace that offers a breathtaking view of the source of the Angara River, the Baikal port and, on a clear day, you can even see the Khamar-Daban mountain range, whose peaks can reach over 2,000 meters in altitude. The mountain is named after the famous explorer of Lake Baikal, geologist Ivan Chersky. It would be a real shame to miss out on this splendid view.

This geological park consists of rock formations in the Désert desert. The site is absolutely magnificent, but the visit is disappointing, as organized "to Chinese". A place not to be missed for geology enthusiasts, less for others, especially as the price is prohibitive. A board if your tour tour takes you to: do not pay the entrance ticket and "wait" the end of the tour in the building built at the entrance - with a small museum and some restaurants. Once the buses have gone to the "tour of the site", you will have the exclusive pleasure of enjoying the magic of the Désert desert!

Take the direction of the Estaque by the A 55 towards Martigues or the port by the N 568, to the Plage beach, as well as by bus line No 35 and get off at the terminus. Walk a few hundred metres and go along the railway line on the Blue Coast. The line is not electrified, but TER and cargo convoys circulate in the middle of a splendid landscape. Before the tunnel, descend on the left; drague on the sides of the road and on the naturist beach, very gay, even if here you can cross families.

Lake Karakul, the father of the glaciers, reaches about 3 600 m; and you will reach it at the end of your journey on the Karakoram Road. This is to make simple. Beautiful lake, mirror of the three snow-capped mountains, which dominates: one to 6 500 m, the other to 7 546 m and finally the last to 7 720 m. A few kilometres from the border with Tajikistan, we are here in a rather unreal place. Take advantage of your time to make a long walk and why not sleep on the spot in the yurts of the nomads that populate the time of one summer. See, again and again. 

A recent realization of the municipality of Tehran. Lagoon and original! On the edge of the Golbarg public garden, over three hectares, it is a magnificent landscape park that houses giant models (1/25 ^e) of 12 Iranian sites classified as World heritage by UNESCO. Extremely precise and live reconstructions organized according to their location in the country. Ideal for those who don't have time to travel through Iran to discover these jewels. You are thus discovering the Bam Citadel (in its state before the earthquake), the Armenian churches of Ourmya, Persepolis, the great Mosque of Isfahan, the Funéraire-e Qābus solar and Lecadran tower and even the Palace of Golestan. A visit not to miss!

On foot or by car, you'll soon realize that to get to Raouché, it's uphill! But the result is well worth the effort... This district has acquired its reputation thanks to the vicinity of the famous Pigeon Cave, islands of limestone shaped by erosion. This rock, which appears on the majority of tourist photos of Beirut, rises to 46 m in height. Local legend has it that Raouché's ratchet is the sea monster that chased Andromeda, transformed into stone by Perseus thanks to the head of Medusa. It is one of the main natural attractions of the city. A natural staircase on the rock leads to the top.

From the ledge, there is a remarkable view of the site.

Below the Pigeon Cave, it is possible to go down to the seafront and get a beautiful view of the site. You can also see a small port that still has a few fishermen. This port was affected by an oil spill following the July 2006 war and the bombing of the Jiyé power station. To the south of the pigeon cave is the cape of El Delie, one of the few areas of the Corniche that has escaped urbanisation. Much appreciated by the Beirut people who come to swim there, El Delie is today threatened by real estate projects; a citizen's collective has been set up to save it.

A few meters after the Pigeon Cave, the Shams building, with its multicolored facade, symbolizes the Raouché of the 1950s. It was designed by the architect Joseph Philippe Karam.

680 hectares of park and this within one of the driest cities in the world… that would almost dream. The forest is certainly very dry, but it is a beautiful walk point if you come to live in the surrounding area. It will allow you to go out of the beaten paths (both inside and out) the time of a pleasant walk. The place should delight children and sportsmen.

An unforgettable exit, provided that it is done in clear time. Half an hour before dark, take pull and vent, call a taxi and indicate the direction of jebel Qassioun (200 LS one way). After crossing the bare hill and overcoming the futuristic buildings of the presidential palace and the palace of hosts, then the monument to the dead, the car stops on the road in a balcony overlooking Damascus. The difference is such that you feel like flying around the city. Minarets and modern buildings go beyond a compact, compact housing. In the distance, a green belt loop the city and seems to protect it. While the day is brutally seated at night, a hundred muezzins stand in the air to invite the faithful to prayer. The city lights up with a thousand lights, while the cold that wins the mountain reminds us that Damascus is a desert girl.

The vision that is offered to contemplative at the beginning of the st century does not, however, have much to do with the inflamed stories of writers, a century ago.

" The city appears from there, all graceful and white, with its roof roofs and its fine minarets, in the midst of the abundant foliage tablecloth surrounding it like a small sea, or a large lake, with a slightly bluish green. The last rays of sunshine gently empourprent her; It does not seem very large, but deliciously cool and beautiful in its woods and orchards. The mountains and the plains that are crushed by the autumn, which surround the oasis, give the impression of desert; it is a splendid and splendid framework, especially at this hour of the day when a pink mist voile the summits of anti-Lebanon and Hermon. (Vega, Travel to Syria and Galilee, 1912.)

Dozens of small cafés hanging on the hill offer drinks, chicha and sometimes some dishes. Beware, prices are very high for lower quality. Moreover, scams are frequent, a tea can quickly return to 200 LS, here the pack of handkerchief on the table is paid! A board, therefore, admire the view away from these stalls and return to quench your thirst in the streets of the old town.

In the heart of the city, between the Golestan Palace and the National Museum, this vast park is very popular with the Teheranais. The terrace of the tea house, on the divans of which we are lying, is taken from the arrival of the beautiful days when the small lake, in winter, metamorphoses into a patina for the greatest happiness of the children. We recommend you take a tour in summer, to enjoy the freshness of the fountains and shade of trees when the city is overheated by the sun. Children will also enjoy the mini zoo, with its many birds having found a welcoming green space since its inauguration in 1960.

A hill has been constantly going on, night and day, for almost 50 years. This natural phenomenon originated in the very name of Azerbaijan, the «land of fire». In fact, these are underground pockets of methane, which go back to the surface: Shot accidentally in 1958, the flames have never gone off since! Attraction is very popular in winter when the flames seem to emerge from snow. By bypassing the flames, you can climb up the hill, which offers a beautiful view of the peninsula, to the sea.

This 68 ha park, south of St. Petersburg, was created in 1945 to celebrate victory at the end of the Second World War. Sport is at the honor, with a rink and cross-country skiing trails in winter, and rowing on the summer basin. Tennis courts are located in the part of the park that overlooks the Gagarin perspective.