There are many legends surrounding the lake, one is that Genghis Khan, whose tomb’s location is unknown, is actually buried beside Issyk-Kul Lake.

Completed in 2012, Shahdag is perfect for those travellers who are already well-adjusted to ski resorts in Western Europe and want to find somewhere more unusual and off the beaten track.

The Russian region of Karelia is part of the larger Northern Europe region of the same name, currently split between Russia and Finland. Despite its vast territory, the population of Karelia is small, around 600,000 people.