Ufa stands on a high bluff above the Belaya river, in the foothills of the southern Urals, and it is the capital of Bashkortostan, a republic with its own language, customs and history. More than a million people live here, a mix of Bashkirs, Tatars and Russians, and the city has a distinctive mix of mosque minarets, Orthodox domes and Soviet blocks. It was founded in 1574 as a fortress on the orders of Ivan the Terrible, to control the lands of the Bashkir tribes who had recently accepted Russian rule.
The Bashkirs have long been semi-nomadic herders, beekeepers and horsemen, and their culture still shapes the region. The hero of the nation is Salavat Yulaev, a poet and warrior who joined the Pugachev rebellion against Catherine the Great in the 1770s, and a huge bronze statue of him on horseback stands on a cliff above the river, a dramatic monument from 1967. From there the view across the river valley is fine.
Food reflects the herding tradition. Kumis, the fermented mare's milk, is the traditional drink and is sold in summer by roadside stalls, with a sharp, slightly sour taste. Bashkir honey, especially the wild honey from the forests, is prized, and you can find it in the markets. Kazy, a sausage of horse meat, and beshbarmak, a dish of boiled meat and noodles, are popular local meals. The tea is strong and the hospitality generous.
For riders, Ufa is the gateway to the Urals. Roads climb southeast toward Beloretsk and the Inzer valley, through forested hills and limestone gorges, and further on are the Kapova or Shulgan-Tash cave, where Palaeolithic paintings of mammoths and rhinos were found. The road surface is variable, there are some fine sections of curves in the hills, and trucks use the main routes. Weather in the mountains can turn quickly, with fog and rain.
Fuel, mechanics and hotels are all easy in the city. Ufa is also an oil and refining centre, so fuel is generally plentiful. Traffic in the centre is heavy at rush hours, and bridges over the Belaya can clog. Summer is hot and short, autumn is golden, and winter brings deep snow and temperatures that can sink below minus thirty.