| Western Mongolia | |
 | |
| State | Mongolia |
|---|---|
Western Mongolia is a region of the Mongolia.
To know
Background
In the VI a. C. Western Mongolia was inhabited by the scythians as evidenced by the discovery in 2006 of the exceptionally well preserved mummy of a warrior.
Territories and tourist destinations
Western Mongolia: full screen map.Western Mongolia is made up of 4 provinces (almag):
- Bayan-Olgii province —
- Hovd province —
- Uvs province - Named after the largest lake in Mongolia, Lake Uvs and its landscapes are made up mostly of steppes.
- Zavkhan province - The province less traveled by tourism, despite the grandiose and contrasting landscapes, sometimes green and sometimes very arid.
Urban centers
- 1 Hovd (Ховд) - Capital of the province of the same name, Hovd it is a prosperous center for trade with its neighbor China.
- 2 Tosoncėngėl (Тосонцэнгэл) - Second center of the province of Zavkhan, after the capital Uliastai.
- 3 Ulaangom (Улааангом) - Capital of the province of Uvs, Ulaangom features a very popular museum and bazaar. It is good for a stopover or for excursions to the Uvs lake and other smaller ones such as theÜüreg nuur.
- 4 Uliastai (Улиастай) - Capital of the province of Zavkhan, Uliastai is a town of about 16,000 inhabitants located in a green valley crossed by the Chigestai and Bogdiin Gol rivers and entirely surrounded by high snow-capped peaks.
- 5 Ölgii (Өлгий) - The capital of the province of Bajan-Ôlgij is a place from the Far West, inhabited mainly by Kazakhs of Muslim faith.
Other destinations
- 1 Otgontenger (Отгонтэнгэр) - Otgontenger, whose name means "the youngest sky" is the highest peak of the Khangai Mountains (4,008 m a.s.l.) and also the only one in the range to be covered by a permanent glacier. The south face of Mount Otgontenger is the largest granite face in Mongolia.
- According to a local belief, the mountain is home to wrathful deities. Otgontenger is sadly famous for an expedition in October 2017 made up of 27 climbers of which only 10 were able to return alive.
- 2 Altai Tavan Bogd National Park - Located on the border line with the province Chinese of Xinjiang, the park is named after Tavan Bogd, the highest mountain in the Mongolia which reaches 4374 m a.s.l. with the Khüiten peak. Tavan Bogd means "Five Saints".
- 3 Tsambagarav National Park - A mountainous massif that separates the province of Khovd from that of Bayan-Olgii. It has two peaks, "Tsast Uul" ("snow covered peak") of 4,193 meters another peak called "Tsambagarav", sacred mountain for the Mongols. The mountain was climbed by the Italians Gianni Pais Becher, Gastone Lorenzini and Alziro Molin in the months of June and July July 1993.
- 4 Har-Us National Park - It includes the lake of the same name and others that in prehistoric times formed a single large lake. They are shallow and constitute a endorheic pelvis. They are home to a rich bird life (geese, ducks and seagulls).
- 5 Tolbo Nuur - Freshwater pond along the road from Ölgii to Khovd. It is famous for a battle fought between Bolsheviks and white russians in 1921.
- 6 Türgen - Mountain of more than 4,000 m. overlooking an area of glaciers and alpine pastures.
- 7 Uvs nuur (Увс Нуур) - Lake protected byUNESCO.
- 8 Üüreg nuur (Үүрэг нуур, Üüreg nuur) - Lake located at an altitude of 1425 m. and surrounded by snow-capped peaks over 3,000 m.
How to get
By bus
- 1 Tsagaannuur - The border post with Russia. There are no scheduled buses but you can negotiate the price of a ride with a driver of the numerous trucks or lorries that cross the border.
