Avachinsky: Spectacular volcanoes and hot springs

Welcome to the land of volcanoes. This is Avachinsky volcano in Kamchatka peninsula, Russia – a zone spanning 370,000 kilometers. NASA says that it contains the highest concentration of active volcanoes on Earth, over 300.

The 4,688-meter Kluchevskaya Sopka is the highest active volcano in the northern hemisphere, according to the Smithsonian Institution Global volcanism program.

Travelers come to Kamchatka not only for the landscape, but also because of the thermal springs formed by volcanic activity. The Khotdutka springs attract many local and foreign tourists. But it's only accessible by helicopter.

Avachinsky. /VCG Photo

Russia's first volcano museum, Vulkanarium, opened in the capital of the peninsula, Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky, in June 2017. It's the only one of its kind in Russia dedicated to the country's spectacular volcanoes and the rare elements they contain.

Its exhibits explore the story of volcanoes and the geological phenomena that accompany them. Sergey Samoylenko, deputy director of the Institute of volcanology and Seismology says volcanoes are the keepers of many important secrets.

The Kamchatka region has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. UNESCO describes the region as “one of the most outstanding examples of volcanic regions in the world”.

(With input from AP)