Selenginsk Fortress

Selenginsk was founded in 1665 as a trade and admin post on the route from Transbaikalia to Irkutsk. The fortress stood on the Selenga right bank, controlling the ford and caravan trails. In the 18th century it had customs, a school and a printing house; trade with Mongolian and Chinese merchants passed through. After fires and the shift of centre to Ulan-Ude, the town declined but earthworks and fragments remain. Today a museum complex and 18th–19th-century monuments — restored buildings, an old cemetery and views over the Selenga valley. Selenginsk is ~30 km from Ulan-Ude; the federal road to the Mongolian border passes nearby. Easy to combine with Lake Gusinoye. A fortress tour helps explain how Russian administration and Buddhist communities shared one valley.