No road reaches Bolshie Koty, and that is the first thing to know. This small village on the western shore of Lake Baikal, about fifteen kilometres northeast of Listvyanka, can be reached only by boat or hydrofoil in summer, by walking the shoreline trail, or, in the depths of winter, across the ice. If the ride takes you here, it means parking the bike in Listvyanka and continuing on water or on foot, which is a fine way to see a stretch of shore that has kept its quiet precisely because cars cannot get there.
The village was born in the nineteenth century as a gold-mining settlement, when prospectors worked the streams flowing down to the lake. The gold ran out, but the village stayed, and today it is home to a small number of residents, a few guesthouses and a biological station of Irkutsk State University, where scientists study the extraordinary life of Baikal. There is a small museum of the lake's endemic species, including the tiny crustaceans that keep the water so clear, and the nerpa, the freshwater seal that lives nowhere else on earth.
The walk from Listvyanka along the Great Baikal Trail is a popular day hike, following the shore through forest and over rocky headlands, with stunning views of the lake and the mountains on the far side. It takes most of a day, with some steep, rough sections, so good shoes, water and food are essential. Boats run regularly in summer, taking under an hour, and are the easier option if time is short. The lake can be rough in wind, so check conditions before setting out.
Services in Bolshie Koty are limited to a shop, a couple of cafes and guesthouses, and there is nowhere to buy fuel, nor any need for it. Listvyanka has all the services you need, and the nearest larger towns are back toward Irkutsk. Spend a night if you can: the evening light on the lake, with the mountains of the far shore turning pink and the village falling silent, is unforgettable. In winter, the frozen lake, clear as glass, is one of the strangest and most beautiful sights in Siberia.