Khövsgöl Lake

Khövsgöl is the largest freshwater lake by volume in Mongolia and one of the world's seventeen ancient lakes, holding roughly 2 percent of the world's unfrozen fresh surface water. Set in dense taiga forest near the Russian border in northern Mongolia, the lake is surrounded by high peaks and inhabited by Tsaatan reindeer herders whose communities can be visited on horseback. The lake surface freezes solid in winter and serves as a road for local vehicles; the winter festival on the ice draws visitors from across Mongolia.