Novgorod land is rich in tourist attractions. One of them is Lake Valdai. In clean water, and the uniqueness of it is put on a par with Lake Baikal. Clean water is due to the nature of glacial origin. Wide is the lake in the territory of nearly two thousand acres, the lake stretches the length of ten and a maximum width - seven kilometers. Compared to other lakes of the Valdai Hills, a lake - a small, its average depth - about fifteen meters, but there are places where the depth is fifty-two meters. None lake in the Novgorod earth has such depths.

From the water surface of Lake Valdai raised many islands. The largest of them, Ash and Birch, received their names because of the trees growing on them. These islands share the water surface of the lake in the Valdai Dolgoborodsky and stretches.

Sufficient depth of the lake makes it open for navigation, which lasts from the beginning of May until the end of November. All the rest of the lake water holds down the ice. Navigable channel provides an opportunity to get to a nearby lake with an interesting name Dinner. The canal was dug back in the mid-nineteenth century. Earlier, instead of the channel was narrow rivulet Fedoseevka, no longer than one hundred and fifty meters.

On the banks of the lake in the hills grow virgin forests, down to the water, sandy beaches. Many springs from the bottom of the lake hitting provide its clear waters. The very name of the lake says it. It is translated into Russian as "white or light."

Low water flow and a significant amount of water, a full refresh is possible only once in forty years, the lake can be attributed to the category of standing water bodies. It affected the fish fauna of the lake. The lake can be caught on the float rod, mainly perch, roach, ruff no more than twenty centimeters long. Fish larger size comes much less frequently. But it does not interfere with the active-fishing, which is carried out by amateur fishermen and entrepreneurs. Total production amounts to forty tons per year, a third of which falls on organized fishing entrepreneurs.

Clean lakes, untouched nature and the relative remoteness from the madding crowd attracted to the islands of the monks. In the middle of the seventeenth century by Patriarch Nikon in the island Ash laid the monastery, in the image of a monastery on Mount Athos. So there Iver Monastery - architectural monument of the seventeenth - eighteenth centuries. Resident had a great influence not only on the Valdai lake and its surroundings. In fact, it has become a center of spirituality, education, publishing, the place of birth of new crafts and their development. A lake was another name - saints. Currently, the monastery restores former glory. Every day the bell ringing is carried over the water, calling the faithful to prayer, hundreds of pilgrims gather under the white walls and silver domes. Alexy II at the beginning of 2008 consecrated the monastery.

One of the attractions is the Museum of Lake Valdai bells. It is located in the rotunda of the church, dating back to the Russian Empress Catherine II. The museum contains a bell from across the Russian Federation. Except the bells in the museum contains unique information about the technology of production of zvonarnom art. Some bells still can please museum visitors ineffable beauty of his sound.

Valdai lake occupies a worthy place in a blue necklace, which forms Lake Valdai Hills.