The village Bolshiye Koty is located on the west border of lake Baikal, 20 km from Listvyanka village, at the territory of National Park Pribaikalsky, very closed to the Siberian taiga rich with mushrooms, berries, medicinal grasses and rare species of wild-growing flowers. Bolshye Koty is very nice and small village, about 60 people live here.
There is no roads to the village. In summer time it is possible to get there from Listvyanka village on foot (20 km, 8 hours, very beautiful path), by private boat (30 minutes), by hydrofoil (30 minutes), from Irkutsk by hydrofoil (1,5 hours). Hydrofoil operates daily in the summer. In winter time there is the ice road from Listvyanka village to Bolshye Koty village.
The village received the name `bolshiye koty` because of word `koty`, ` it was wooden footwear prepared specially for convicts. Bolshiye Koty had been created as a village of gold diggers. In 19 -20 centuries the gold had been extracted here.
Nowadays the village Bolshiye Koty is popular place at lake Baikal for tourists from all over the world. There is a biological station of Irkutsk State University, aquarium of biological institute, museum of Baikal with 400 various exhibits and rich collection of insects.
Very picturesque site is located 4 km to the north from the village and named rock Skriper. It is a natural and archaeological monument popular among tourists with a cave of 60 sq.m. in it. From the top of the rock Skriper tourists can admire very beautiful landscapes of lake Baikal and mountain Khamar-Daban
