In the north of Central Siberia, the Putorana Plateau rises beyond the familiar image of a Russian forest. Its tablelands and escarpments sit above a vast network of cold rivers, lakes and deep-cut valleys. The UNESCO property covers 1,887,251 hectares in Krasnoyarsk Krai, well north of the Arctic Circle. This is a protected wilderness, not a developed resort with roads and visitor gates.
The plateau is built largely from layers of basalt formed by ancient volcanic activity. Rivers have cut those rock layers into canyons, cliffs and stepped slopes, while water drains into thousands of falls and lakes. UNESCO describes more than 25,000 lakes and thousands of waterfalls within the property. The figures are a measure of scale, but the striking feature is how water, rock and immense distance combine into a landscape difficult to reach on foot.