If you take pictures of Vuktyl from a helicopter, the entire town may fit in a single shot. Six kilometers long (along the banks of the Pechora), one kilometer wide, slightly more than ten thousand of residents.
One or two months a year, in spring, Vuktyl can only be reached by air: ice crossing is closed, ferry is hindered by floating ice. It is an ordinary town near an oil and gas field. It would be worth no attention, but for the fact that it is situated near the biggest Russian “Yugyd Va” National Park: the North Ural mountains, about a hundred small winding rivers and the UNESCO World Heritage - virgin forests of Komi.
The National Park can be reached not only through Vuktyl; many tourists prefer the way through Inta. But Vuktyl receives enough tourist attention. The only local hotel of the town is inherited from the Soviet Union, and hiking difficulties for tourists begin earlier than hiking itself. Fortunately, you can rent a room in Vuktyl.
Author: Anna Dorozhkina