association tour de france

Official games

2024 Edition

• Stage Winners

Tour Culture

• Sporting Stakes
• All the rankings
• Commitments
• The jerseys
• "Maillot Jaune" Collection
• Key figures

Riding into the future

Inspiring people who can to make cycling a part of their life.

Cycling regularly is a source of well-being. What's more, it also contributes to improving air quality and reducing environmental risks. It promotes a sustainable future and Riding into the future  is the banner under which the Tour de France has placed its C.S.R approach.

The Tour de France, a cycling monument, is committed to promoting mobility by bicycle. It wishes to generate a positive impact by inspiring all those who can to make cycling a part of their life every day... And there is a massive potential: 60% of travel in France concerns distances under 5 km (and 35% are less than 2 km) but only 4% of such travel is carried out by bicycle.

Riding into the Future: generating a positive impact.

With its Riding into the Future programme, the Tour de France is making real commitments, intended to generate a positive and significant imprint, particularly via three operations:

It's my turn, I'm taking action

"Beyond the positive and concrete impact produced by Riding into the Future , the Tour de France has been firmly committed for almost 10 years to working towards more environmentally responsible organisation. Alongside 12 other major international sports events, in 2017 the Tour de France was one of the founding members of the charter of 15 eco-friendly commitments , under the aegis of the Ministry of Sports and WWF France (the World Wide Fund For Nature). This charter is an sporting adaptation of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals and each year binds the Tour de France into achieving social and environmental objectives."

  1. Limiting our footprint

100% of tests validated

• 100% of the organiser's Škoda race vehicles are hybrid for the first time.
• 3 red fully electric ENYAQ iV cars tested on 3 race stages including Christian Prudhomme's vehicle.
• ENEDIS: fully electric publicity caravan and VIP vehicles.
• XPO Logistics: tests on natural gas powered trucks at the end of the Tour de France.
• ANTARGAZ: LPG fuel vehicles.
• Progressive reduction in the number of vehicles.
• Use of alternative means of transport: establishment of shuttle buses and access via gondola lifts and chair lifts favoured in the mountains whenever possible.
• Organisation of eco-driving lessons for race route vehicle drivers and awareness raising sessions for other drivers (in the publicity caravan, media, etc.).

Protecting the environment

Publicity caravan .

• 100% of plastic packaging for promotional items has been eliminated (except when imposed by hygiene constraints). This has been extended to all Tour de France products insofar as is possible.
• 100% of E. Leclerc food packaging is recyclable.
• Partners are encouraged to produce more useful objects using more environmentally-friendly materials sourced in France or in Europe.

Hospitality:   

• Elimination of plastic packaging in gifts, in straws since 2018 and on guests' bracelets, while single-use plastic champagne glasses have been abolished in 2020 and replaced with re-usable glasses.
• Coffee cups and soft drink tumblers are made from recycled and recyclable cardboard. A special operation is conducted with Vittel and Senseo to recycle cups and with Lemontri for collection and reclamation of this material.
• 100% seasonal and 100% French food.   

Protecting the environment and safeguarding biodiversity are a priority for the Tour de France organisers. The Biotope consultancy firm has been assisting the development of the Tour de France since 2010 by assessing the impact of the race on the Natura 2000 European network of special nature protection areas. 

As a result, the 115 zones on the 2020 route have been meticulously studied in order to implement suitable measures to ensure their protection: no distribution of gifts, halt in sound broadcasting, material assistance, no-fly zones, etc. 

• 100 000 rubbish bags made from recycled materials are handed out in stage towns and cities.
• 9 coordinators assist host local authorities, Tour support personnel, riders and members of the public in sorting waste before and during the event. A specific "It's my Tour, I'm sorting" charter and training sessions have been developed for the occasion.
• 1 hybrid environment vehicle is used to raise awareness about good practices for the general public to follow.
• 126 waste collection zones for the riders (6 on each stage) are marked out and cleaned up by the organisers.

The "Tour de France of Biodiversity" is a joint project by the Tour de France, France Télévisions and the French National Museum of Natural History to promote the biodiversity of French regions among the general public. 

A 1′30″ segment on the special areas travelled through by the peloton is broadcast at the start of the coverage of each stage. Furthermore, the Museum publishes a charter of good behaviour and the Tour de France promotes it

All together, cyclists, the public and the organisers work to make the race a huge success!

1 –  Follow the rules concerning protected natural areas.

2 –  Admire wildlife and plant-life without disturbing them.

3 –  Refrain from parking in natural areas.

4 – Dispose of paper and litter in the designated places.

5 –  Do not light fires.

6 –  Use public transport whenever possible.

7 –  Keep our roads clean and free of paint and graffiti.

8 –  Keep a close eye on pets.

9 –   Find out more about the natural areas through which the race travels.

10 –  Encourage a sporting spirit and the riders!

Beyond the sporting dimension, discovering and admiring the landscapes of France is part of the Tour de France's DNA: studies conducted for France Télévisions show that the many viewers who watch the Tour de France follow it to admire the landscapes as well as the racing. This is why the French Ministry for Ecological Transition proposes going a step further, by each day providing snippets of knowledge concerning the landscapes through which each stage passes, to combine knowledge, admiration and understanding.

The 2020 Tour de France will let you to go through 12 of the 56 French natural regional Parks. Like a patchwork of the French landscapes, these parks are on one hand wild and beautiful examples of nature, but on the other hand are also inhabited areas, all of which is encapsulated via the treasures they boast in cultural, economic and heritage terms. They are also naturally associated with cycling through the tourist activities on offer but also and increasingly because cycling is one of the means of soft mobility promoted by the Regional Natural Parks.

In charge of managing the second life of electrical appliances and as a committed partner to the social/solidarity-based economy, ecosystem believes it is a matter of urgency to get everyone in France involved in responsible recycling.

To us, giving, repairing and renewing materials are ways of increasing the service life and useful life of old appliances, as well as avoiding needlessly extracting new unused raw materials. We encourage all initiatives that make it possible to give a second life to electrical appliances, on the condition that these actions are in compliance with environmental regulations and standards. The reason why we are joining the Tour de France this year is to bring this message to the very heart of the towns and villages on the route and accelerate awareness-raising.  

Ecological gestures of solidarity that are within reach of the largest possible number of people

We can all take actions that make it possible to increase the useful life of an electrical appliance. By giving unused appliances, by repairing them yourself or with the help of a professional, by recycling an appliance that will no longer be used, we can take concrete action that changes things. Did you know that recycling means you protect health and the environment thanks to depollution? That you protect the earth's resources through eco-design, promoting repairs, re-use and recycling of materials? That you also protect jobs and the social/solidarity-based economy thanks to the development of industrial skills in France?

A solidarity-focused initiative to protect the least well-off

In the particular situation that we are currently experiencing, ecosystem wanted to put forward a solidarity-focused and environmental initiative by launching a wide-ranging solidarity-based collection of telephones. This emblematic piece of equipment has also become an essential device for maintaining social links. France's households are home to more than 50 million telephones and this is why we are inviting people, via the web site jedonnemontelephone.fr, to donate their unused mobile phones. In exchange, we are offering 100 telephones to the least well-off in each of the host towns on the Tour de France. Thank you for your solidarity.

2. Sharing together

Since 2013, local authorities have been able to host a weekend-long celebration of cycling.

These festivities raise awareness among the general public before the riders race through the area.

80% of stage towns and cities host the Fête du Tour each year.

The French Road Safety Authority 's La route se partage ("Sharing the road") campaign is presented by volunteers at the start or the finish.

- 2 awareness-raising vehicles take part in the publicity caravan.

- Stands and volunteers can be found on the Tour de France fan parks in Nice and Châtelaillon-Plage.

During the Tour de France, the Ateliers du Tour workshops run several activities together with the  French Federation of Bicycle Users and the French Federation of Cycling , aimed at young people:

• Learning to ride.
• 3 learners' cycle tracks: balance bikes, mountain bikes, cycling proficiency.
• Learning bicycle repairs.
• Protecting your bicycle (with the Bicycode anti-theft engraving system).
• Appointments for refresher training with a local association (Cyclotrope in Nice).
• Learning safety tips and the Highway Code with the French Road Safety Authority.
• Choosing the right bicycle with  Cyclable

The Tour de France backs the  French Federation of Cycling by providing funding for:

• The organisation of races in the under-16, under-18 and under-22 categories (boys and girls).
• The organisation of training camps .
• Travel expenses for races.
• The development of cycling schools and promotion of cycling proficiency.
• Training (in-race safety, first aid, volunteers, race officials).

13 regional committees receive support.

Finally, the Tour de France provides funding to the organisers of Paris–Roubaix Espoirs, Paris–Tours Espoirs, the Tour de l'Avenir and the Classique des Alpes.

Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque enables children in developing countries with heart defects to undergo surgery in France, if they cannot be treated in their home country due to a lack of technical resources. Every year, 30 ambassadors for the charity (athletes, artists, journalists and TV hosts) ride the Étape du Cœur ("Stage of the Heart"), a shortened version of an actual stage ridden before the elite riders race the stage. Their aim is to support the cause and give a huge boost to the profile of the charity.

This scheme aims to use the media to promote civic participation among young people from working-class neighbourhoods. 158 young people have taken part in journalistic immersion programmes at the heart of the Tour de France over the last 9 years.

The actions implemented by the Média-Pitchounes association have focused on 4 main themes:

• Journalistic immersion on the Tour de France.
• Organisation of celebrations with underprivileged neighbourhoods in Toulouse.
• Promotion of cycling.
• Learning to use media tools

Since its very first participation on the Tour de France in 2017, the CENTURY 21 real estate network has been running the " A bicycle for a child " operation, whose patron is Bernard Hinault. This operation aims to collect unused bicycles that are still in perfect condition in order to offer them to underprivileged children who then can also fully enjoy the magic of the Tour de France.

Accreditations

Privacy policy, your gdpr rights.

Everything You Need to Know About The Tour de France

The Tour de France in numbers

Benoit Landon

After studying journalism in France, Benoit began his career in Paris where he lived and worked for over a decade. In 2018, he crossed the Atlantic for a research project on a typewriter he bought at a flea market. He ended up in Hartford, Connecticut, where he met his wife by accident. Many administrative forms later, he settled in Greater Boston. As an avid reader, Benoit is delighted to be surrounded by books and to stay in touch with the French culture he loves. Come say hello at the circulation desk!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please enable JavaScript to submit this form.

Related Posts

An inside look at why middle schoolers are studying French

Pourquoi étudiez-vous le français? Why are you studying French? “The language is pretty” “Macarons” “I love the culture!” “I love that it’s a proper language”…

Celebrating le 6e Art with my favorite francophone theater pieces

In my life, theater has often been associated with school. However, it is by studying it and seeing various types of plays that I came…

The promise of May

I have always loved the month of May. We’re on the brink of summer, not quite there but getting warmer; a precipice where anything could…

Become a Member

Upcoming Events

Le club des lecteurs (sur place) : Mohamed Mbougar Sarr

In-person, Indoor Event in French

Join us at the French Library for a conversation about  De purs hommes  by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr. We invite you to read the book in its entirety and meet us on September 11th, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM.

Le club des lecteurs (online) : Mohamed Mbougar Sarr

Online event in French

Join us at the French Library for a conversation about  De purs hommes by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr. We invite you to read the book in its entirety and meet us on September 12th, from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

Wine Seminar - Bordeaux #1

Gastronomy & Wine program: Your French Culinary Arts and Wine Journey

Join us in our Victorian Founder's Room for the first Wine Seminar of the year, dedicated to the Loire Valley wines. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, our series is tailored to provide a deeper understanding of French wines, refine your wine-tasting skills and vocabulary, and foster confidence in conversations, selections, and pairings. We will provide you with an authentic French perspective and access to a splendid array of quality wines.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

All fields labeled * are required

Privacy Overview

• Race Previews
• Race Reports
• Tips & Reviews
• Race Photos

The Sponsors Behind the Teams at the 2024 Tour de France

Mathew Mitchell

• Published on June 18, 2024
• in Men's Cycling

The Tour de France is not only a display of top cycling talent but also a showcase of the sponsors behind the teams. These sponsors, which include a mix of big corporations and smaller companies, play a crucial role in the sport. But what do they do on a daily basis outside of cycling? This article explores the everyday business operations of the sponsors at the 2024 Tour de France , revealing what makes these companies tick and how they contribute to the cycling world.

Table of Contents

From tech companies changing the digital landscape to manufacturers producing everyday goods, the sponsors of the 2024 Tour de France come from diverse backgrounds. For example, Ineos, a leader in chemicals and energy, spends its days researching and producing essential industrial materials. Meanwhile, UAE Team Emirates is backed by a national airline that manages flights around the world, connecting millions of passengers every day. By understanding the daily operations of these businesses, we can better appreciate their support for cycling and recognise how their everyday efforts contribute to the success and excitement of the Tour de France .

UCI WorldTeams

Alpecin–deceuninck.

Sponsor: Alpecin is a German company specialising in hair care products, particularly those designed to combat hair loss, such as their Caffeine Shampoo. Deceuninck is a Belgian company focused on sustainable building solutions, including window and door systems, known for their energy-efficient and durable profiles.

Key Riders: Jasper Philipsen, Mathieu van der Poel

Arkéa–B&B Hotels

Sponsor: Arkéa is a French banking group offering a range of financial services, including savings, loans, and insurance products. B&B Hotels is a French-based international hotel chain known for its budget-friendly accommodations, offering comfort and convenience at affordable prices, particularly appealing to travellers and business professionals.

Key Riders: Warren Barguil, Nairo Quintana

Astana Qazaqstan Team

Sponsor: Astana is a brand associated with Kazakhstan’s capital and promotes the country’s image globally. The team is backed by various Kazakhstani companies, particularly in the energy sector, such as KazMunayGas, which is involved in oil and gas exploration and production.

Key Riders: Alexey Lutsenko, Samuele Battistella

Bora–Hansgrohe

Sponsor: Bora is a German company producing high-end kitchen appliances, known for their innovative cooktops and extraction systems. Hansgrohe is a renowned German manufacturer of bathroom and kitchen fittings, offering a range of products including showers, taps, and accessories that combine quality and design.

Key Riders: Jai Hindley, Aleksandr Vlasov

Sponsor: Cofidis is a French financial services company specialising in consumer credit solutions, including personal loans, revolving credit, and insurance products, helping individuals manage their finances effectively.

Key Riders: Guillaume Martin, Ion Izagirre

Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale

Sponsor: Decathlon is a French sporting goods retailer with a global presence, offering a wide range of affordable sports equipment and apparel for various disciplines, from cycling to hiking. AG2R La Mondiale is a French insurance company, primarily focused on personal and health insurance, providing solutions for retirement, health, and savings.

Key Riders: Ben O’Connor, Clément Champoussin

EF Education–EasyPost

Sponsor: EF Education First is an international education company offering language training, educational travel, and cultural exchange programs, aiming to open the world through education. EasyPost is an American logistics company specialising in shipping APIs, helping businesses streamline their shipping processes with major carriers.

Key Riders: Richard Carapaz, Hugh Carthy

Groupama–FDJ

Sponsor: Groupama is a French insurance group providing a wide range of services including health, home, auto, and life insurance. FDJ (Française des Jeux) is the operator of France’s national lottery games, offering popular draws like EuroMillions and various instant win games.

Key Riders: David Gaudu, Thibaut Pinot

Ineos Grenadiers

Sponsor: Ineos is a British multinational chemicals company, producing a wide range of products from synthetic oils to plastics used in everyday items. The Grenadier is a rugged 4×4 vehicle developed by Ineos, designed for durability and performance in challenging terrains.

Key Riders: Egan Bernal, Geraint Thomas

Intermarché–Wanty

Sponsor: Intermarché is a French retail group operating supermarkets and hypermarkets, offering a wide range of groceries, fresh produce, and household goods. Wanty is a Belgian construction company specialising in civil engineering projects, including road construction and building works.

Key Riders: Biniam Girmay, Louis Meintjes

Sponsor: Lidl is a German global discount supermarket chain, offering a wide range of products including fresh groceries, household items, and seasonal goods, known for their competitive prices. Trek is an American bicycle and cycling product manufacturer, producing high-quality bikes and accessories used by both professionals and enthusiasts.

Key Riders: Mads Pedersen, Giulio Ciccone

Movistar Team

Sponsor: Movistar is a major Spanish telecommunications brand, part of the Telefónica Group, offering mobile, internet, and television services across Spain and Latin America, known for their innovative technology and wide coverage.

Key Riders: Enric Mas, Alejandro Valverde

Soudal–Quick-Step

Sponsor: Soudal is a Belgian manufacturer of sealants, adhesives, and PU foams, providing solutions for construction, industrial, and household applications. Quick-Step is a Belgian company known for its laminate flooring, offering durable and stylish flooring solutions for residential and commercial use.

Key Riders: Remco Evenepoel, Julian Alaphilippe

Team Bahrain Victorious

Sponsor: The team is sponsored by entities from Bahrain, promoting the country’s tourism and investment potential. Bahrain Victorious showcases Bahrain’s commitment to sports and its vision of a thriving, modern nation.

Key Riders: Mikel Landa, Pello Bilbao

Team dsm–firmenich PostNL

Sponsor: DSM is a Dutch multinational active in health, nutrition, and materials, producing a variety of products including vitamins, food ingredients, and high-performance materials. Firmenich is a Swiss company specialising in fragrance and flavour development, creating scents and tastes for a variety of consumer products. PostNL is the postal service provider in the Netherlands, offering mail, parcel, and e-commerce logistics solutions.

Key Riders: Romain Bardet, Andreas Leknessund

Team Jayco–AlUla

Sponsor: Jayco is an Australian manufacturer of recreational vehicles, producing caravans, motorhomes, and camper trailers known for their quality and innovation. AlUla is a historic region in Saudi Arabia, promoted for its tourism potential with significant archaeological sites and natural beauty.

Key Riders: Simon Yates, Michael Matthews

UAE Team Emirates

Sponsor: Emirates is a Dubai-based airline, part of The Emirates Group, promoting global air travel with a focus on luxury and service excellence, connecting major cities across the world.

Key Riders: Tadej Pogačar, João Almeida

Visma–Lease a Bike

Sponsor: Visma is a Norwegian company providing business software solutions, including accounting, payroll, and HR management systems. Lease a Bike is a European bike leasing company, offering flexible leasing options for businesses and employees to promote sustainable commuting.

Key Riders: Primož Roglič, Jonas Vingegaard

UCI ProTeams

Israel–premier tech.

Sponsor: Israel Start-Up Nation promotes Israel’s technological and innovation sectors, showcasing advancements in fields like cybersecurity, medical devices, and agriculture. Premier Tech is a Canadian company specialising in packaging, agriculture, and environmental technologies, known for their innovative solutions in various industrial sectors.

Key Riders: Chris Froome, Michael Woods

Lotto–Dstny

Sponsor: Lotto is the Belgian national lottery, funding a wide range of public initiatives and sporting events through lottery ticket sales. Dstny is a European provider of cloud-based business communications, offering services like telephony, video conferencing, and unified communications to enhance workplace connectivity.

Key Riders: Caleb Ewan, Thomas De Gendt

Team TotalEnergies

Sponsor: TotalEnergies is a French multinational integrated oil and gas company, involved in every aspect of the energy sector from exploration to production, refining, and marketing of oil and gas, as well as renewable energies.

Key Riders: Peter Sagan, Edvald Boasson Hagen

Uno-X Mobility

Sponsor: Uno-X is a Norwegian company providing fuel and energy solutions, including electric vehicle charging stations, focusing on sustainability and innovation in the energy sector.

Key Riders: Rasmus Tiller, Torstein Træen

Related Posts

Berrade clinches stage 18 at the Vuelta with a late solo attack

Stevie Williams doubles up in South Yorkshire on Stage 3 of the Tour of Britain

Buijsman wins Tour de l’Ardèche Stage 3 as de Jong holds GC lead

Les Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France

Construisons ensemble le monde de demain

Parcours Tour de France

Accessible à partir de 15 ans, ce parcours se compose d’une ou de plusieurs formations initiales en alternance.

Il permet aux jeunes hommes et femmes d’apprendre les compétences fondamentales d’un métier, puis, s’ils/elles le souhaitent, de poursuivre leur formation en réalisant un Tour de France pour devenir Compagnon du Devoir.

Formation continue

Destinée aux personnes ayant quitté la formation initiale, la formation continue permet de développer ses compétences ou de prendre une nouvelle orientation professionnelle.

Diplômantes ou qualifiantes, en alternance ou courtes, les formations proposées sont nourries de l’expérience de terrain et des travaux prospectifs.

Les chiffres clés

L’Association ouvrière des Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France (AOCDTF) est une association de loi 1901, reconnue d’utilité publique. Elle réunit des hommes et des femmes de métier mobilisés autour d’un même idéal : permettre à chacun et à chacune de s’accomplir dans et par son métier, dans un esprit d’ouverture et de partage.

En tant qu’organisme de formation professionnelle, elle vise à transmettre aussi bien des savoirs et des savoir-faire – par l’apprentissage d’un métier – que des savoir-être – par le partage de valeurs telles que la solidarité, la fraternité et la générosité .

Au-delà de la formation, le compagnonnage est une expérience professionnelle, humaine et culturelle, vecteur de découverte, d’éducation, et facteur d’insertion professionnelle et sociale.

Découvrez nos apprentis et leurs métiers

Les compétitions WorldSkills et les Compagnons du Devoir

© 2024 – Les Compagnons du devoir – Tous droits réservés | Mentions légales | Politique de confidentialité | Créé par : VANO créations

• Les Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France Construisons ensemble le monde de demain Je m’inscris Moins de 25 ans Parcours Tour de France Accessible à partir de 15 ans, ce parcours se compose d’une ou de plusieurs formations initiales en alternance. Il permet aux jeunes hommes et femmes

Avez-vous affecté le solde de votre taxe d’apprentissage ?

Pour soutenir les Compagnons du Devoir, désignez-les comme bénéficiaires du solde de votre taxe d’apprentissage sur la plateforme SOLTéA  à partir du 7 septembre au  4 octobre .

Les compagnons du tour de france

À chacun son parcours, lycée professionel d'excellence.

Rejoignez l’Institut Européen de Formation à Mouchard, meilleur lycée professionnel du bâtiment. (Classement Le Figaro 2023)

Formation en centres & CFA

Du CAP à la Licence, en formation continue ou par apprentissage, intégrez l’un de nos 16 centres de formation et CFA dans toute la France.

Formation professionnelle

Vous souhaitez acquérir de nouvelles compétences ? Optez pour une formation qualifiante parmi nos 16 familles de métiers.

Tour de France

Diplôme en poche, rejoignez l’aventure du Tour de France et renforcez vos savoir-faire auprès d’autres jeunes et professionnels passionnés.

L'excellence accessible à tous

La Fédération des Compagnons du Tour de France forme et accompagne les jeunes et les adultes à la recherche d’une formation qualifiante dans les métiers du bâtiment, les métiers d’art et de bouche. L’apprentissage conjugue savoir-faire traditionnels et pédagogie innovante, pour un parcours valorisant et épanouissant, accessible à tous.

Les compagnons du tour de France en chiffres

Nos familles de métiers.

Boulangerie, Pâtisserie

Bureau d’études & encadrement

CAO-DAO & BIM, Informatique

Charpente, construction bois

Couverture, zinguerie

Écoconstruction

Menuiserie, ébénisterie

Peinture, décor, revêtement

Plâtrerie staff

Plomberie, chauffage climatisation

Serrurerie, métallerie

Taille de pierre

Travaux publics

Apprendre et voyager avec le tour de France

Vous êtes diplômé ? Vous pouvez choisir de rejoindre le Tour de France des Compagnons. Cette itinérance, c’est l’occasion de consolider votre apprentissage auprès de professionnels passionnés. Durant 4 à 6 ans en moyenne, vous vivrez le compagnonnage au rythme des rencontres et des échanges, en France et dans le monde entier. Le voyage d’une vie !

Notre Réseau de formation

Nos fédérations régionales vous accueillent dans toute la France, en formation et sur le Tour de France.

• Fédération compagnonnique nationale

7, rue Petit

75019 - Paris

Lieu de formation

Fédération nationale

Institut Européen de Formation - Compagnons du Tour de France

2, rue Léopold Alixant

39330 MOUCHARD

Lycée professionnel à recrutement national

Fédération compagnonnique d'Agen

47 - Lot-et-Garonne

6, rue Jean-Baptiste Pérès

CFA Nouvelle Aquitaine

Fédération compagnonnique d'Anglet

64 Pyrénées Atlantiques

3 allée de Bellevue,

64600 Anglet

Siège (Anglet) & antenne (Lons) du CFA Nouvelle Aquitaine

Fédération compagnonnique d'Annecy Pays de Savoie

74 - Haute Savoie

29, rue des Sports

Seynod - 74600 ANNECY

Centres de Formation et CFA de Annecy Pays de Savoie et Aigueblanche

• Université des Compagnons Hauts-de-France

62 - Pas de Calais

24, rue Georges Herbecq

59245 RECQUIGNIES

Siège du CFA Hauts-de-France

Fédération compagnonnique de Bordeaux

6, avenue Jean Alfonséa

BP 90 - 33271 FLOIRAC CEDEX

Fédération compagnonnique de Grenoble

15 avenue de Grugliasco

38130 ECHIROLLES

Centre de Formation et CFA de Grenoble Echirolles

Fédération compagnonnique de Limoges

87 - Haute Vienne

Rue Charles LAVAUZELLE

87350 PANAZOL

Fédération Compagnonnique de Lyon

Centre de formation et CFA de Lyon

49, rue Feuillat • 69003 Lyon

Fédération compagnonique de Marseille

13 - Bouches du Rhône

5/7 boulevard Pons

13014 MARSEILLE

7, boulevard Pons

Fédération compagnonnique de Nantes

44 - Loire Atlantique

238, rue de la Pyramide

44230 ST SÉBASTIEN / LOIRE

Centre de formation continue

Fédération compagnonnique d'Orléans

45 - Loiret

23, rue Gustave Eiffel ZAC des 4 Cheminées

45380 LA CHAPELLE ST MESMIN

Fédération compagnonnique de Paris Île-de-France

77 - Seine et Marne

2, rue de Guermantes

77400 St Thibault des Vignes

CFA Île-de-France

Fédération compagnonnique de Toulouse

31 - Haute-Garonne

10, rue Agricol Perdiguier

31830 PLAISANCE-DU-TOUCH

Centre de formation des Compagnons du Tour de France Occitanie

Centre de Formation et CFA de Lons

Mail de Coubertin,

Antenne du CFA d'Anglet

• Mouchard - Lycée pro
• Paris - île-de-France

Ils Témoignent

L'actualité compagnons et maîtres d'œuvre.

L’événement à ne pas rater avant l’inauguration de Notre-Dame

À quelques semaines de la réouverture de Notre-Dame de Paris, l'événement "Notre-Dame vient à vous" offre au public une chance...

Voir l'actualité ->

15e championnat d’Europe des jeunes charpentiers

Les jeunes charpentiers français se sont illustrés lors de cette15e édition qui s’est déroulée du 6 au 9 février 2024...

Escale sur l’île d’émeraude

Échange avec Mayalen Vallette d’Osia, affiliée ébéniste en troisième année du Tour de France en Irlande. Elle raconte son expérience.

• Toutes les formations
• Le Tour de France
• Espace pros de l’orientation
• Espace presse
• Net Ypareo Apprenants
• Demande d’informations
• Poser votre candidature
• Comment nous soutenir ?

Taxe d'Apprentissage 2024

Les Compagnons du Tour de France forment les salariés de demain. Soutenez-les dans leur mission !

Tour de France

The Tour de France returns to Saint-Emilion on 17 July 2021 for the third time!

The Tour de France has reinstated COVID-19 protective measures, requiring race organizers, media, and guests to wear masks when in contact with riders and team staff. This protocol was announced by race organizer ASO on Sunday morning after several recent COVID-19 cases among the peloton.

“In order to limit health risks, it is now compulsory to wear a mask in the various areas where you will be in contact with the riders and members of the cycling teams,” read the statement from the ASO.

Riders who have abandoned the race due to the virus include Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers), Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), and Michael Mørkøv (Astana-Qazaqstan). Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) remains in the Tour despite testing positive, as the rules currently allow.

“There are so many people at the start and finish. COVID doesn't just enter the peloton; it comes from outside,” said Remco Evenepoel of Soudal-QuickStep. Evenepoel has recently been wearing a mask in the mixed zone before and after stages and has called for the organization to enforce stricter COVID-19 measures.

Since 2020, the Tour de France has consistently implemented COVID-19 measures, and in 2024, these practices are being upheld, tho a bit late into the race, which now enters its final week.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) disclosed he had COVID-19 in the weeks leading up to the Tour, and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) is still adhering to preventative measures. The anticipated battle between the two favorites should go on as expected.

Rosael is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia (Lenape land), where she enjoys the city’s obsession with sports and its accessible trail systems and cycling community. She has a bachelor’s in Communications and Journalism from the University of Puerto Rico.

Tour de France

Why Are Women’s TdF Winnings Just 10% of Men’s?

What Do the Tour de France Femmes Jerseys Mean?

How Long Is the Tour de France Femmes?

An Unforgettable Second Place: Jonas Vingegaard

Did We Even Deserve This Tour de France?

Tour de France Team Radio Controversy

Indoor Rides Inspired By the TdF

Tour de France: Tadej Pogačar Wins ITT on Stage 21

2024 Tour de France Results

Tour de France Stage 21 Preview

Tour de France: Tadej Pogačar Wins Stage 20

Opinion: Is Tadej Pogačar the New Cannibal?

Connectez-vous ou créez un compte

Pour pouvoir enregistrer un article, un compte est nécessaire.

• Metz et agglomération
• Saint Avold - Creutzwald
• Sarrebourg - Château Salins
• Sarreguemines - Bitche
• Thionville - Hayange
• Newsletters
• Libra Memoria
• Mon Séjour en Montagne

Edition du Soir Moselle

mar. 10/09/2024

• Activer JavaScript dans votre navigateur pour accéder à l'inscription sur notre site

Si vous voyez ce champ, ne le remplissez pas

Le Républicain Lorrain, en tant que responsable de traitement, recueille dans ce formulaire des informations qui sont enregistrées dans un fichier informatisé par son Service Relations Clients, la finalité étant d’assurer la création et la gestion de votre compte, ainsi que des abonnements et autres services souscrits. Si vous y avez consenti, ces données peuvent également être utilisées pour l’envoi de newsletters et/ou d’offres promotionnelles par Le Républicain Lorrain, les sociétés qui lui sont affiliées et/ou ses partenaires commerciaux. Vous pouvez exercer en permanence vos droits d’accès, rectification, effacement, limitation, opposition, retirer votre consentement et/ou pour toute question relative au traitement de vos données à caractère personnel en contactant [email protected] ou consulter les liens suivants : Protection des données , CGU du site et Contact . Le Délégué à la Protection des Données personnelles ( [email protected] ) est en copie de toute demande relative à vos informations personnelles.

• Dans un article
• Dans ma ville
• Sarreguemines
• Saint-Avold
• Château-Salins
• Val de Briey
• Tour de France à pied pour soutenir l’association Rafael Lorraine

Racrange Tour de France à pied pour soutenir l’association Rafael Lorraine

Sur les chemins menant vers l’Alsace, il sera possible, les jours qui viennent, de croiser un jeune homme avec un grand sac à dos, marchant d’un bon pas.

Romain Gambier, 25 ans, a économisé durant plusieurs années pour prendre une année sabbatique et réaliser un grand...

...pour lire la suite, rejoignez notre communauté d'abonnés

et accédez à l'intégralité de nos articles sur le site et l'application mobile

à partir de 1 € le 1er mois, sans engagement de durée

{'skus': ['lrlswgpremium2']}

Google : 1€ le 1er mois puis 14,99€

• Edition Saint-Avold - Creutzwald

Tour de France 'chips guy' released from jail but faces legal action from French riders association

“It was just really, really stupid,” says Pogačar as cases of cycling hooliganism appear to increase

The drunken Tour de France spectator who threw chips at Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard during stage 14 of the Tour de France has been released from police custody but faces legal action from the French UNCP rider association that is part of the CPA.

The ‘fan’ or ‘chips guy’ as Tadej Pogačar called him, was captured throwing a handful of chips or crisps at the Tour de France race leader and then at Jonas Vingegaard as they raced individually to Saturday’s Pla d’Adet finish. 

Cycling hooliganism appears to be on the rise, despite pleas from the CPA and race organisers to respect the riders. 

On Sunday, a shoe almost went into Pogačar’s wheel after a fan ran alongside the riders and stumbled. Another fan was given a kick from the roadside by a more conscientious fan after cutting between Pogačar and the race director's car.   

“The ‘chips guy’ crossed the line, this was over the limit. That wasn't nice to experience,” Pogačar said during Monday’s second rest day.   

“At first I thought he was cheering and the chips went flying. Then I saw the video of what he did to me and then to Jonas. It was just really, really stupid.” 

‘Chips guy’ was quickly arrested on Saturday and reportedly spent the night in a French jail to sober up. He was released on Sunday according to the AFP news agency after the riders and their teams opted not to press charges. 

Get The Leadout Newsletter

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

However CPA president Adam Hansen confirmed to Cyclingnews that the French UNCP rider association would press charges on behalf of the CPA, as it did after a person was seen throwing a cap towards Mathieu van der Poel’s bike during Paris-Roubaix. That person claimed no harm was intended. 

"The CPA will take legal action against this guy with pleasure due to what he did to both Pogacar and Vingegaard. This is disrespectful and will not be tolerated,” Hanon quickly wrote on social media at the weekend. 

"We have information that the Gendarmerie have already found and arrested the man who did this act and spent the last night in jail,"

"We thank the Gendarmerie for their fast and great work, and this is a sign not to do this to the cyclist. Please be responsible and respect the riders."

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters , Shift Active Media , and CyclingWeekly , among other publications.

‘Moments like this don’t come around too often’ – Eddie Dunbar doubles up at Vuelta a España

‘I think I’m back’ - Richard Carapaz celebrates return to GC battles at Vuelta a España

‘I should have a good run at it’ – Brandon McNulty looks to bookend Vuelta a España with time trial wins

Most Popular

Jason Ginyu brille de nouveau dans le temple du trot pour l’association ELA en mémoire de Loïs

Plus rien ne peut arrêter le représentant de la famille Emelin qui s’impose pour la quatrième fois de suite, ce samedi à Paris-Vincennes. Ce trotteur de 5 ans rend hommage au petit Loïs, disparu cinq ans plus tôt, d’une maladie neurodégénérative.

L’histoire de Jason Ginyu pourrait être à l’origine d’un joli roman. Ce samedi, dans le temple du trot, l’élève d’Arnaud Desmottes a de nouveau brillé sur l’hippodrome de Paris-Vincennes, signant un quatrième succès de rang. Au passage du poteau, son entraîneur et driver a encore une fois eu un petit geste tourné vers le ciel, comme à chacune des victoires de ce trotteur, en hommage à Loïs Emelin, atteint de la maladie neurodégénérative d’Alexander et décédé il y a maintenant 5 ans.

🎙️ "C'étaient les couleurs préférées de notre fils" Les époux Emelin se sont confiés à notre micro après la victoire de 𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗶𝗻𝘆𝘂 (𝟴𝟭𝟮) à @Vincennes_Hippo . 👉🏼 Propriétaires de cet unique cheval, ils nous parlent de leur implication auprès de l'association #ELA pic.twitter.com/pTHyRuMmt2 — Equidia (@equidia) February 5, 2023

Au cours de la onzième et dernière année de sa vie, ses parents, Catherine et Laurent, ont décidé de se porter acquéreur d’un cheval de course pour aider leur fils dans sa maladie mais leur projet n’a pu aboutir car l’état de santé de Loïs nécessitait une présence de tous les instants. « On a acheté un autre cheval qui s’appelait Joker d’Hairy , en 2020, aux ventes de Caen, indiquait la mère de famille dans une interview accordée à Equidia. On l’a mis à l’entraînement chez Arnaud Desmottes parce qu’on avait déjà connaissance de cette famille dans le milieu des courses. Nous l’avons mis au courant de notre histoire de vie, le fait qu’on avait envie de partager le cheval avec l’association « Ela ». Nous nous étions mis en tête d’être donateur pour l’association. Malheureusement, il n’a pas réussi à se qualifier donc Arnaud était très embêté par rapport à cela. »

🏅𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗶𝗻𝘆𝘂 enchaîne ! Le pensionnaire d'Arnaud Desmottes décroche un quatrième succès de suite ce samedi. Il fait sien le Prix de Montier-en-Der, sur la cendrée parisienne. 👉 Je Rêve du Bois et Jongleuse de Lune montent sur le podium. pic.twitter.com/S9QaCQGUVQ — Equidia (@equidia) September 7, 2024

Le technicien mayennais leur propose alors de s’associer sur Jason Ginyu afin d’aller au bout de leur projet et laisse son pensionnaire porter la casaque des époux Emelin. « Loïs aimait beaucoup l’orange. Il dessinait souvent avec cette couleur et le bleu, explique Catherine. Avec mon mari nous avons choisi cette casaque et rajouté une étoile. C’est en quelque sorte notre petite étoile. Pour nous, c’est très important l’étoile bleue sur le fond orange. Arnaud a accepté. » « C’est pour la bonne cause », relance l’entraîneur.

« Pourvu que ça dure »

Ravi de sa victoire, ce samedi 7 septembre, le professionnel était rattrapé par l’émotion et paraissait quelque peu gêné : « En partant de l’écurie, j’ai oublié toutes mes affaires. Je n’avais ni le livret du cheval, ni la casaque, raison pour laquelle je portais une casaque société (NDLR : entièrement blanche). On a bien failli faire non-partant. » Finalement, tout est bien qui finit bien pour le cheval âgé de 5 ans qui totalise désormais 217 430 euros de gains. « Pourvu que ça dure », glisse Arnaud Desmottes. Et pour cause, 40 % des gains obtenus par Jason Ginyu sont reversés directement à l’association « ELA », soit l’ensemble des parts du couple Emelin. « Ils m’ont amené dans leur aventure et j’en suis fier maintenant, poursuit l’entraîneur. Ils ont ce cheval pour se réconforter. Ce sont des moments de joie qui font passer le pire. »

Tour de France pour Jason Ginyu en 2025

L’ascension de Jason Ginyu est loin d’être terminée même si dans un premier temps, le cheval risque d’observer une période de repos bien méritée. « Aujourd’hui, il montre une autre facette de son talent car il a remarquablement sprinté. Il est plus connu pour imposer un rythme soutenu aux épreuves auxquelles il participe. Je vais lui accorder des vacances et le préparer pour la saison prochaine. Avec ses gains, je pense qu’il peut participer avec succès à plusieurs étapes du Grand National du Trot . » Et ainsi honorer la mémoire de Loïs et faire partager à la France entière la belle histoire autour de Jason Ginyu .

Mardi 10 septembre Fête des Inès

• L’actu chez moi
• Radio musicale
• Barnier Premier ministre
• Affaire des viols de Mazan
• Rentrée scolaire
• Vie quotidienne
• Carte des marchés
• Prix des carburants
• L’horoscope
• Jeux et concours
• L’agenda des sorties
• Recettes de saison
• Newsletters

Manque de médecins en Limousin : Dr Jean-Christophe Nogrette, président du syndicat MG France en Haute-Vienne

• France Bleu Limousin

On manque toujours cruellement de médecins généralistes en Haute-Vienne. A Arnac-la-Poste, l'association Médecins solidaires s'apprête à ouvrir un centre de santé où des médecins viendront à tour de rôle assurer les consultations. Jean-Christophe Nogrette, Prsdt du syndicat MG France en Haute-Vienne

La situation ne s'arrange pas en Haute-Vienne. On manque toujours cruellement de médecins généralistes. Dans le nord du département, à Arnac-la-Poste, l'association Médecins solidaires s'apprête à ouvrir un centre de santé où des médecins viendront à tour de rôle assurer les consultations. Ce sera bien sûr utile reconnaît Jean-Christophe Nogrette, Président du syndicat de médecins généraliste MG France en Haute-Vienne, même s'il rappelle que le généraliste assure surtout "une médecine de suivi".

Tous les épisodes

Michel barnier à matignon : manon meunier, députée lfi de haute-vienne dénonce "un coup de force démocratique".

Après la nomination de Michel Barnier à Matignon, la députée NFP-LFI de Haute-Vienne, Manon Meunier, a vigoureusement dénoncé ce vendredi matin sur France Bleu limousin "un coup de force démocratique" de la part du Président Emmanuel Macron.

Crise de la FCO : Jean-François Dubaud, président de la Fédération départementale ovine de Haute-Vienne

La 61e foire nationale de reproducteurs ovins de Bellac en Haute-Vienne, prévue ce jeudi, est annulée. En cause : la multiplication en France des foyers de FCO, la fièvre catarrhale ovine. Entretien avec Jean-François Dubaud, le président de la Fédération départementale ovine de Haute-Vienne.

Edwige Diaz - vice-présidente du Rassemblement National

Invitée de France Bleu Limousin ce mercredi matin, la Vice-Présidente du RN, députée de Gironde et Conseillère Régionale Edwige Diaz est revenue sur la situation politique actuelle et a jugé "indécente" l'annonce de la candidature d'Edouard Philippe à la prochaine présidentielle.

Jeux Paralympiques : le Corrézien Mickaël Guichard guide Elie de Carvalho, en quête d'une médaille

Le Corrézien Mickaël Guichard participe à ses premiers Jeux Paralympiques ce mercredi et ce vendredi. Le cycliste originaire d'Ussel, qui évolue au plus haut niveau amateur, guide également Elie de Carvalho en tandem.

Manque de profs, groupes de niveau au collège : des motifs de grogne pour le SNES en Limousin en cette rentrée

Manque de profs, groupes de niveau au collège : des motifs de grogne pour le SNES-FSU en Limousin. Cécile Dupuis, responsable départementale du syndicat des enseignants du second degré était l'invitée de France Bleu Limousin ce lundi matin.

La coqueluche menaçante à quelques jours de la rentrée... on fait le point avec l'ARS

À quelques jours de la rentrée scolaire, la coqueluche, maladie respiratoire très contagieuse, continue de sévir en Limousin. Faut-il s'inquiéter ? Sylvie Quélet, médecin conseil à l'Agence régionale de santé Nouvelle-Aquitaine, répond à nos questions.

Rugby - Thierry Blandinières, président du CA Brive, sur la rentrée du club

C'est la rentrée pour le CAB ! Match de reprise de la Pro D2 pour Brive face à Oyonnax ce jeudi. Thierry Blandinières, Président du CAB, a confirmé ce jeudi matin haut et fort l'objectif du club : un titre de champion de France en Pro D2 et une remontée en Top 14 dès la saison prochaine.

Les plus écoutés de France Bleu Limousin

• Weather Guides For Every Country In The World
• Algeria: Two Week Journey
• Cairo Travel Guide
• Best Time to Visit Lesotho
• Burkina Faso
• Central African Republic
• Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Best Time to Visit
• Entry Rules and Visa requirements
• Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá
• Dominican Republic
• Antigua and Barbuda
• El Salvador
• Afghanistan
• Bahrain Travel Guide
• The Cook Islands
• Aktau, Kazakhstan: Travel Guide and Tips
• Roadtrip in Western Kyrgyzstan
• Journey around Issyk-Kul
• Pakistan travel guide
• Albania Road Trip Guide
• Albania’s Entry Rules
• Yerevan Travel Guide
• Faroe Islands
• Suburbs of Paris
• Batumi Travel Guide
• Tbilisi Raves
• From Mestia to Ushguli (Svaneti) Trekking Route
• Transadjarian Highway
• Peloponesse Road Trip Guide
• Milan Travel Guide
• The Ultimate Venice Guide
• Modern Milanese architecture
• Budva Travel Guide: Montenegro’s main resort
• Montenegro Road Trip Guide
• Transylvania
• Yakutsk Travel Guide
• Journeying Through History: The BAM Railway Experience
• Veliky Ustyug Travel Guide: Meet the Ded Moroz
• Belgrade’s Cultural Guide
• Belgrade Off the Beaten Path
• Road Trip Guide
• Istanbul 🇹🇷: Hand-Painted Signs from a Century Ago
• From Grodno to Brest: a roadtrip
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Holy See (Vatican)
• Liechtenstein

Sakhalin: Your Essential Guide to Russia’s Enigmatic Eastern Island

• January 14, 2024

A Journey Through Giant Burdocks, Wild Bears, and the Echoes of Ancient Japanese Temples

From the most dreaded place of exile in the Russian Empire to a Japanese industrial base and one of the most attractive and inaccessible places for domestic tourism in Russia.

Table of Contents

An island that was Russian, then Japanese, and then Russian again

From the 17th to the mid-19th century, it was believed that Sakhalin was a peninsula. This misconception firmly established itself on the maps of the time, as navigators failed to circumnavigate the island. The proximity of Sakhalin’s southern tip to the mainland created a false impression of being impassable for ships. An additional complexity arose from the fact that the route taken by ships from the Russian Empire involved passing through a narrow strait, which Nevelskoy managed to navigate only in 1849.

For a long time, people did not believe Nevelskoy, but he insisted that he had discovered a route through the strait, for which he became something of a hero in Primorye. Monuments and plaques dedicated to him can be found in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Vladivostok, and Khabarovsk. The H4H creative association created a graphic novel based on this story, which won a cultural initiatives contest and became part of the interior of the Khabarovsk Airport. By the way, the Sakhalin region is the only Russian entity entirely located on islands.

The remote and isolated location of the island during the Russian Empire was used as a natural barrier, and it became the site of penal colonies for hard labor prisoners. Its geographical position led to Sakhalin’s hard labor being regarded as particularly cruel.

During the period of the island’s development, Russian ships followed the Amur River and reached the island from the north, where the oldest port, Alexandrovsk, was founded. The Japanese attempted to develop the island from the south, entering through the Kuril Islands (part of the Sakhalin region) and Aniva Bay. For a long time, the Kurils were inhabited by the Ainu, representatives of a small indigenous people. The very word “Kurils” comes from the Ainu: “kuru” means “man.”

In the 17th century, Japan conducted its first expeditions towards the islands and began their development. Russia reached them later. The first mentions of the islands in Russian language date back to the late 17th century. For a long time, Russian, Dutch, Japanese, and Anglo-French navigators studied the islands, landed on them, and disputed their territorial ownership. However, only Russia and Japan managed to establish a foothold. To end the territorial disputes, the governments of the two countries signed an agreement under which the Kuril Islands went to Japan, and Sakhalin to Russia, which continued to develop the island mainly from the north. After the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which ended in Russia’s defeat, the southern part of Sakhalin became part of Japan as the Karafuto Prefecture.

Until the second half of the 20th century, the island was owned by Japan and was quite successful in developing its resources. A huge number of mines were opened, several cities and lighthouses were built. In particular, the current regional center, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, was the former Japanese city of Toyohara. The famous Aniva lighthouse, now considered a symbol of Sakhalin, was built by Japanese engineers. After Japan’s defeat in World War II, the island passed to the Soviet Union. Contrary to history, the main life of the island moved from the north to the south. Alexandrovsk, which was convenient to reach by water, lost to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with its infrastructure built by the Japanese, connections to neighboring cities, and airport. Interestingly, before leaving, the Japanese buried and hid the mining sites, and locals say that not all the old mines have been found yet, and they are sometimes stumbled upon during walks.

Because the island belonged to three different countries in just over a hundred years, it did not have time to develop any significant urban infrastructure. The cities lack outstanding architectural monuments and unique museums. However, some unusual Japanese architecture has remained. Meanwhile, Sakhalin compactly houses incredible natural attractions. Here, one can climb through forests and bamboo thickets to breathtakingly beautiful mountains as if outlined in graphite, and through a mountain pass reach the sea, into which clear mountain rivers flow with fish splashing in them.

The Ainu and Nivkh: Inhabitants of Sakhalin

For a long time, the island was mainly inhabited by the Ainu and Nivkh peoples. These ethnic groups are very different, making their coexistence as unusual as the neighboring of birch and bamboo on the slopes of Sakhalin’s mountains. Both are isolate peoples . However, the Ainu belong to the Australoid race, while the Nivkh are Mongoloids (the main population of Asian territories). It’s fascinating how representatives of different races have coexisted for ages on a small piece of land at the edge of the world.

There is no single version regarding the origin of the Ainu, leading to a multitude of theories — both scientific and conspiratorial. One theory suggests that the Ainu are the ancestors of the indigenous population of Australia, remaining in the north after continental migration. Some researchers write that the Ainu are the forebears of the Japanese. This theory is supported by the fact that before Japanese expansion, the Ainu mainly inhabited the Japanese island of Hokkaido. However, the Ainu suffered greatly from Japanese imperialism, and their culture and language were almost completely destroyed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Now, there are just over two thousand Ainu living on Sakhalin.

The Nivkh are among the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the north. They suffered less from Japanese rule. However, during the Soviet era, they experienced a difficult phase of literacy development, destruction of tribal communities, and relocation to cities. About 2,200 Nivkh live in the Sakhalin region and another approximately two thousand in Khabarovsk.

During the Karafuto period, Japan brought captured Koreans to Sakhalin for hard labor. By the mid-20th century, the Korean population of the island was about 45,000 people. For comparison, the current population of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is 180,000. This large number of people, deprived of their homeland, was forced to adapt to life first under Japanese and then Soviet rule. In the USSR, Koreans were issued passports, and there were national kindergartens and schools. However, Sakhalin Koreans did not feel part of the larger community of Soviet Koreans (Koryo-saram) and struggled to integrate. Moreover, they were considered members of an ‘unreliable nation’ because they had lived in the Japanese Empire.

In the late 1990s, three countries – Russia, South Korea, and Japan – began a repatriation campaign for the first generation of Sakhalin Koreans (born before August 15, 1945) to their historical homeland. Now, about 3,500 repatriates from Russia live in South Korea. Under the program, the Korean government provides medical insurance and a monthly allowance to the repatriates. The Japanese government, in turn, buys housing (apartments up to 40 m²) and covers transportation costs. Additionally, every two years, Sakhalin Koreans who have moved to their homeland have the right to visit Sakhalin for free, funded by the Japanese government. Most Sakhalin Koreans settled in the city of Ansan , where 500 apartments were specially built for them.

Korean influence is weakly traced on Sakhalin: many Sakhalin Koreans no longer know the language and do not associate themselves with Korea. However, there are several authentic restaurants (for example, “Koba” ) on the island where you can try traditional dishes.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — the capital and base for exploring the island

The city is predominantly characterized by typical Soviet architecture, with almost no remaining Japanese buildings. This is because during the Soviet period, the city was radically rebuilt after being liberated from ‘imperialist Japanese rule.’ Many buildings were demolished, and from the few that remained, some were turned into museums. Perhaps the main thing that has been preserved from the Japanese period is the layout. The city was founded from scratch near the Russian village of Vladimirovka, and Chicago was chosen as the model for its layout. Toyohara was divided into four parts by two main streets, O-dori (now Lenin) and Maoka-dori (Sakhalinskaya).

Japan established itself thoroughly on the island. In Toyohara, trade routes converged, new bays were developed, and roads were built. The city’s population grew steadily. Initially due to the military garrison, and later due to a paper mill, a sugar and distillery plant. Now, the buildings of the former Japanese factories are abandoned. Many of them can only be accessed with rare tours, while others are completely closed. However, their presence is still recalled by street names, such as Paper Street.

Another building in the Neo-Japanese style is the Karafuto Governorate Museum built in the 1930s (29 Communist Avenue). It now houses the Sakhalin Regional Museum . And in the former bank of colonial development, there is the Art Museum (137 Lenin Street).

Several other iconic buildings constructed by the Japanese have been preserved: the central hospital of Toyohara (41 Chekhov Street), the conference hall of the Karafuto Governorate (30 Dzerzhinsky Street), and the Toyohara City Hall (41 Communist Avenue). The Sakhalin Railway Museum in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is distinct from many similar museums in Russia due to its exhibits. This is because the island long maintained the Japanese standard of railway gauge, which differs from the Russian standard. Accordingly, the rolling stock was entirely different.

If in Vladivostok everything is named after the Far Eastern explorer and writer Vladimir Arsenyev, then in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, mentions of Chekhov are everywhere. At the end of the 19th century, Sakhalin was both the most dreaded place for exile to hard labor and one of the most tempting corners of Russia, which was not so easy to access. Chekhov received an editorial assignment and embarked on a ship along with prisoners, military personnel, and sailors to the most remote point of the empire. In his notes, which Chekhov compiled under the title ‘The Island of Sakhalin,’ the writer talked about many things: the geography and climate of the island, the life of the convicts, and ordinary residents. This book caused a great resonance at the time, and even now it was very interesting to read it while traveling to Sakhalin: some things have changed drastically, while others have remained the same. Now in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, there is even a museum dedicated to this one book, which turned out to be so significant for the island.

GoSakhalin is the website of the Sakhalin Tourist and Information Center. And in their official Telegram channel , you can find announcements of affordable excursions shortly before they start.

In any case, for travelers, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk remains primarily a hub and a place of rest. Here they return for the night and dinner, and it seems that real adventures begin outside the doorstep.

Surrounding Area

10–20 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The main reason people visit Sakhalin is for its unique nature. Mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and the sea, all on a small piece of land. In one day, you can travel from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Sea of Japan, cross several climate zones, see bamboo groves, birches, and spruces in one place, spot a running fox and a swimming orca. The island’s landscapes can boldly compete in Instagram appeal with Iceland or Norway.

Within Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk alone, there are about 30 kilometers of marked ecotrails, with brief descriptions and routes available on the official tourism portal. I also found an ecotrail in Nevelsk, which is not mentioned on the official website.

The ecotrails in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk start from the ‘Mountain Air’ ski center on the sopka (a term for mountains in the Far East) Bolshevik. There are five in total: ‘Children’s’ (2.7 kilometers), ‘Eight’ (8 kilometers), ‘Northern Ring’ (9 kilometers), ‘Russian’ (3.2 kilometers), and ‘Yelanka’ (5 kilometers). You can take a cable car to the start of the trails and then slowly descend through the forest and park to the city. However, the lift does not operate in rainy and windy weather.

Hiking the ‘Eight’ trail took me no more than three hours, including stops to catch my breath and take photos. Every kilometer and a half along the route, there are benches. From the top of the mountain, there is a view of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and it seems you can see a piece of the Sea of Okhotsk.

Chekhov Peak

The route to Chekhov Peak is a high-mountain trekking path that requires a certain level of physical fitness. Chekhov Peak has an elevation of 1045 meters, with an absolute altitude gain of 752 meters. The trail is narrow and slippery in places, hardly suitable for children or people with limited mobility.

Chekhov Peak is part of the Susunai Range, which supports Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from the southeast. You can exit from Gagarin city park to the foothills in about half an hour. The ascent to the peak itself cannot be missed: a marked trail and informational signs lead to it. On particularly steep ascents, ropes are hung for safety, but it is possible to walk up the slope without them.

In late spring, the forest trail has many streams, as well as May primroses and butterflies. The foothills are scattered with rare, incredibly large, and wonderfully fragrant marsh callas. Halfway to the peak, bamboo thickets are encountered, through which birches break through. This is also a kind of magic because, as a biologist friend explained to me, birch and bamboo are not supposed to coexist in the natural environment, but somehow they manage to do so. Occasionally, spruces are encountered — not tall, but very fluffy. Closer to the top, the vegetation becomes sparser, and the impressive views of the sea, mountains, and lakes open up from the height.

• The entire hike takes five to six hours.
• Even in summer, there is snow on the summit. In the afternoon, it starts to melt, making it more difficult to walk.
• Don’t forget to bring food and water.
• Wear boots with covered ankles, a jacket, and a head covering.
• Inform your family and friends, and someone living in Sakhalin, before setting out on the route. If you’re traveling alone, you could notify, for example, the hotel receptionist or roommates in a hostel.
• Snakes and bears are found around the trail. Watch your feet and try to make as much noise as possible. For example, play music on your phone and sing along occasionally.
• The ascent to Chekhov Peak can be the start of a journey to the village of Lesnoye on the shore of the Sea of Okhotsk. The distance to the village is 27 kilometers. With good preparation and an early start from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, this distance can be covered in one day.

Mud Volcano in Klyuchi

A mud volcano is an eruption on the earth’s surface of clay masses, mineralized waters, and gases. The mechanism of formation of these volcanoes is not fully understood. According to the existing theory, such volcanoes are formed near oil fields.

The mud volcano in Klyuchi consists of a mud field about 200 meters in diameter. There, you can see about 20 points of activity, resembling miniature volcano craters. This mud volcano became active in 1959, 1979, 2001, and 2011 (the last time due to a strong earthquake in Japan). During these eruptions, mud columns reached several tens of meters in height. Bus 189 goes to Klyuchi from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The distance from the village to the top of the volcano is nine kilometers and takes about two and a half hours to walk.

Ecopark in the Vestochka area: Frog Rock, Aikhor Waterfall, ‘Sunny Glade’ Recreation Park

Not far from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, there is a fairly large ecopark, known primarily for the Frog Rock outcrop. An outcrop is a remnant of harder rock around which softer rock has eroded over time. Outcrops are often known for their unusual shapes and are natural monuments. Frog Rock is part of a series of rocks standing one behind the other. This was once the seabed of an ancient sea, and fossilized shells can be found in its vicinity. From the top of the rock, amazing views of the Aniva Bay, Tunaycha and Changeable Lakes open up. This place was sacred to the Ainu, the indigenous inhabitants of the island.

The trail to the ‘Sunny Glade’ ecopark begins behind the ‘Electron’ culture house. Despite its name, it is not a city park, but a full-fledged forest with laid-out paths. There are houses, glades with tables for rest where you can cook barbecues, and wooden walkways leading to various attractions. These are all paid services.

The path to Frog Rock outcrop goes along the Komissarovka River. In areas of spring flooding, callas bloom and bamboo grows. The outcrop is located on a hill, with a total elevation gain of about 300 meters. The road is quite challenging, usually taking from an hour to an hour and a half. The higher you climb, the more you can see: the sea, the mountain gorge, the road to Vestochka. In the same park is the Aikhor Waterfall, which is also a short climb away, but along a less well-maintained trail. You can plan a whole day to visit Vestochka and even spend the night, without returning to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Vestochka is three high-rise buildings on one side of the road and a cottage settlement on the other. It is part of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, though located 15 kilometers from the main part of the city. A taxi there costs about 1000 rubles and takes 40 minutes. About a kilometer after turning off the main road, the asphalt ends and a terribly dusty dirt road begins. If you’re lucky, you can catch a bus that runs three times a day.

What else to see on the island

40 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The oldest city in the south of Sakhalin, founded by Nevelskoy’s expedition. Here you can find a huge number of monuments dedicated to sailors, naval battles, and ships. The most significant monument in the city in recent decades has become the stele dedicated to ‘Koreans interned by the Japanese in Sakhalin, who never returned to their homeland,’ located on Mount Sorrow, created through the efforts of three countries’ governments (Russia, Japan, and Korea).

In Korsakov, some Japanese heritage has been preserved: the former building of the Hokkaido Takushoku Bank, a colonial development bank (Sovetskaya Street, 3), trade warehouses in the port, a document storage facility ‘Bunsyoko’ (Krasnoflotskaya Street, 1), a couple of rusty fire hydrants, and remnants of Shinto temples in the form of pillars with hieroglyphs. One of the local nighttime entertainments is watching the lights of the gas processing plant.

How to get there. Three electric trains a day, the journey takes just over an hour, and the ticket costs 75 rubles (0.75 euros).

Bird and Giant Capes

90 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Two capes, recognized as natural monuments in 1990, along whose coasts are many wind and wave-carved grottoes, caves, arches, and columns of various sizes and whimsical shapes, among which colonies of sea birds reside.

The place is not very close, but it’s very picturesque at any time of the year. In the area of one of the rocks, there is a pool where, during the salmon spawning period, you can observe a fascinating spectacle — a huge gathering of pink salmon.

Many tourists stay on the coast overnight to witness the sunset and sunrise. Near Cape Giant, there is a toilet, parking, and a rest area with benches.

How to get there. The journey from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk goes through the village of Okhotskoe, where you can buy fresh crabs, and takes about three hours one way. The road is fully passable only by high vehicles like Mitsubishi Pajero, Suzuki Jimny, as the last ten kilometers of the route have deep puddles, potholes, small cliffs, and rivers.

Nevelsk and Steller Sea Lions

Nevelsk is nestled between mountains and sea. The rocky mountains and the coast, which consists of small stone needles and shells, in every way explain why Chekhov so often mentioned in ‘The Island of Sakhalin’ how harsh the land of Sakhalin is.

Steller sea lions are the largest of the eared seals. One of their habitats is the breakwater in Nevelsk. As soon as you arrive in the town, the smell from the Steller sea lions’ haul-out site hits you. ‘They eat there, live, give birth to their young – that’s why it smells,’ the locals explain. Another feature is the noise. Steller sea lions are very loud!

You can view the sea lions from the central square, where binoculars are installed. However, tourists usually hire a boat and approach the haul-out site to get a closer look at the seals. You can see how the Steller sea lions bark, lie in the sun, jump into the sea and, most interestingly, try to jump back. The views from the square through binoculars are not as detailed and impressive. A place on the boat will cost 1000–1500 rubles (10.00 – (15.01 euros). You can also buy a tour from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for 3500 rubles (35.02 euros). The most animals are present in spring and early summer. In autumn, there may be a couple of dozen individuals left.

From the embankment, you can observe the huge kelp laminaria floating in the sea. Some travelers catch them themselves and eat them. Although dishes made from seaweed are found in cafes and also sold in stores. Signs are installed on the shore indicating where to run in case of a tsunami. The last major earthquake with waves was recorded in 2007. Many houses were destroyed and two people died. The most famous Sakhalin tsunami was the 1952 tragedy , when the aftermath of the earthquake almost completely destroyed Severo-Kurilsk.

How to get there. From the bus station (Karl Marx Street, 51b) in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, buses go to Nevelsk, the ticket costs 300 rubles (3.00 euros), and the journey takes about an hour. Tickets can be purchased at the bus station ticket office or from the driver (cash or transfer). It’s not possible to board the bus somewhere in the city, as the bus does not make stops. It’s better to buy a return ticket immediately upon arrival in Nevelsk at the Nevelsk bus station ticket office (Lenina Street, 1). The bus is popular with locals, and there may simply be no seats left.

Remnants of structures from the Karafuto period include the Maoka-Jinja temple with a Japanese-style garden and an abandoned railway built by the Japanese. It used to connect Kholmsk with Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Tourists usually come to see two photogenic bridges – Devil’s and Witch’s – and a tunnel in the mountain that makes a full circle inside it. The trail passes along the old rails, and there are many vipers, so one needs to watch their step.

How to get there. The bus to Kholmsk takes two hours, the ticket costs 450 rubles (4.50 euros), with 14 trips a day.

Slepikovsky Cape and Lighthouse

120 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

At Slepikovsky Cape, there is the only relic grove of Korean cedar on Sakhalin. Also located here is the functioning Slepikovsky Lighthouse, which is a 27-meter tall round tower, connected by corridors to utility and residential buildings.

The cape and lighthouse are named after the commander of the Russian partisan detachment Bronislav Grotto-Slepikovsky, who operated in Southern Sakhalin during the 1904–1905 war. The route to the lighthouse goes through the villages of Yablochnoe and Sadovniki, where some of the best beaches on Sakhalin are located — with the cleanest water and white sand.

How to get there. The cape is located 29 kilometers north of Kholmsk. From Kholmsk to the turn towards the lighthouse, there is asphalt with dirt sections. From the turn to the lighthouse, there is first a dirt road, then beach sand, which is recommended to be driven on with deflated tires. Visiting time is from spring to autumn, as the road to the cape is not cleared in winter.

110 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

In 1891, when the island had a penal colony, this was the Russian village of Siraroko, named after a nearby Ainu settlement. In 1905, the south of Sakhalin was given to the Japanese, and the village was renamed Higashi Shiraura. Here there were a railway station, a brick factory, and a coal mine. 40 years later, the settlement was renamed Vzmorye.

During the Japanese times, there was the Shinto shrine Higashi Shiraura Inari-Jinja. Only the torii gates remain — P-shaped gates without doors that are placed on the path to a Shinto shrine. These are the only torii on Sakhalin. On the torii, there is an inscription ‘In honor of the 2600th anniversary of the foundation of Great Japan’ — this mythological date was widely celebrated in 1940.

On the way to the torii, you can see the famous giant burdocks and bear’s garlic. Vzmorye is also known as a place where poached crabs are sold along the highway.

How to get there. Two electric trains and one train that start from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk stop in Vzmorye. Unfortunately, all three are in the evening. You can also get there on passing buses that go to the north of the island.

Tikhaya Bay

140 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

On one side, the bay is framed by Mount Smely, and on the other side, the majestic Zhdanko Ridge begins. To the left in the bay itself is an island-kekur, which can be reached during low tide, as well as the epic cliffs of Tikhaya Cape. By the way, behind this cape, there are waterfalls that become icefalls in winter. At the base of the bay is the mouth of the Tikhaya River, where during the season you can see the spawning of pink salmon and chum salmon. Bears are aware of this, so they are often encountered here.

How to get there. Buses going to Poronaysk stop in the village of Tikhoye, near which the bay is located. There are four trips a day.

Aniva Lighthouse

The lighthouse has a complex history: there were attempts to maintain it under Soviet rule, but Aniva was so remote from inhabited areas that it was not profitable. Eventually, the lighthouse was switched to autonomous mode, bringing in a radioactive isotope to sustain its operation, and then it was completely closed. To this day, you can find signs on the walls reading ‘Caution, radioactive’. But now this warning is outdated, as the radioactive isotope was removed when the lighthouse was decommissioned. The lighthouse is very beautiful, offering views of the island and sea, and inside you can explore the remnants of rooms and working areas.

On the return trip, tourists are also taken to Mramornaya Bay, where you can also climb a mountain and view the jagged coast of Sakhalin from above. Orcas and whales are often encountered in these areas, most frequently in summer. I would also recommend taking a combined tour in summer to Aniva Lighthouse, the Blue Lakes, and Busse Lagoon, where you can see the amazingly blue waters and try sea urchins.

A kilometer from Novikov is Cape Tri Kamnya (46.320342 143.373006), which can even be reached by car. Four kilometers from the cape is the small Strelka waterfall , which requires a walk. If you stay in the village overnight, you can take a hike to the Blue (turquoise) Lakes (46.359603, 143.471909). On the way, there’s an abandoned Japanese power station. You can extend your route by another 15 kilometers and reach the opposite shore of the peninsula – to Cape Evstafiya. The road from Novikov to Cape Evstafyeva through the Blue Lakes can be driven in a jeep, if there hasn’t been prolonged rain before. But it’s better to ask in advance those who have recently been there, and get the phone number of a local tractor driver in Novikov, so that if something happens, he can pull you out.

How to get there. Getting there independently is almost impossible. The lighthouse is located on a rocky outcrop in the sea, and the nearest land is a high cliff. However, some people do reach Novikovo (the nearest village) by bus or car, and then walk 44 kilometers on foot to Aniva (the name of both the lighthouse and the bay). It takes about one and a half hours to drive from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Novikovo. And then another two hours of rough dirt road to the boat dock. A tour from the company ‘Friends-Hikers’ costs 6000 rubles (60.03 euros) in May (in summer – 7000 rubles (70.03 euros)).

Klokovsky Waterfall

190 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Klokovsky Waterfall is one of the highest waterfalls on Sakhalin Island. Its height is variously reported to be 48–49 meters, with a width of up to nine meters. The waterfall is accessible year-round, but is most full in late spring and early summer.

Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky

The ‘Tri Brata’ (Three Brothers) rocks are definitely a symbol of Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, and perhaps of the entire island. They are located in the Alexandrovsk Gulf almost opposite Cape Zhonkiyor. From the cape, there is a stunning view of the vast Tatar Strait and the Three Brothers. At low tide, it’s possible to calmly explore all the attractions of the gulf, collect seaweed and shells, see hermit crabs scuttling along the seabed with their shells on their backs, or watch the leaves of laminaria sway. At the strongest low tide, you can even walk to the Three Brothers through the water.

In the 19th century, convicts carved a 90-meter tunnel through Cape Zhonkiyor to service the lighthouse. To reach the tunnel by land, you need to come at low tide. Otherwise, you’ll have to climb the rocks. The tunnel is lined with logs, but there is almost always water at the bottom and a strong wind howls through it. If you pass through the tunnel, you will see the ‘Tri Sestry’ (Three Sisters) rocks and an old lighthouse from the end of the 19th century. All these places are described by Chekhov in ‘The Island of Sakhalin’: ‘Most often we went to the lighthouse, which stands high above the valley, on Cape Zhonkiyor. During the day, the lighthouse, if looked at from below, is a modest white house with a mast and lantern, but at night it shines brightly in the darkness, and then it seems that the penal colony looks at the world with its red eye. The road to the house climbs steeply, winding around the mountain, past old larches and firs. The higher you climb, the freer you breathe; the sea spreads before your eyes, thoughts gradually come, having nothing to do with the prison, the penal colony, or the exile settlement, and only then do you realize how dull and difficult life is down below.’

How to get there. From Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, there is one bus trip per day – at 12:10. The ticket costs 2200 rubles (22.01 euros), and the journey takes nine hours.

600 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The main transit point on the way to the oil refineries. The village might be of interest to those curious to see a harsh northern town living off production: low-rise buildings made of siding and unexpectedly bright murals on the walls of five-story buildings. There is a local history museum in the village (Sovetskaya Street, 3) – it is praised for its excellent exhibition of the Nivkh culture and a monument to Nevelskoy. Also, one of the longest rivers of Sakhalin, the Tym (which translates from Nivkh as ‘spawning river’), flows through the town.

How to get there. A night train goes to Nogliki every day, taking almost 12 hours. The cheapest ticket in a seated carriage costs 1100 rubles (11.01 euros), a compartment – 4100 (41.02 euros). There is even a luxury (SV) carriage for 12600 rubles (126.06 euros).

Where to Stay

Hostels in the Far East are divided into work and tourist types. The former will also accommodate tourists, but the atmosphere there is like a dormitory where their own rules are already established, and you may feel like an uninvited guest. To avoid such a hostel, it’s important to carefully read the reviews, not book the cheapest hostels, not stay on the outskirts or near airports and train stations.

In the Islander hostel , mainly travelers stay, it’s very cozy, with convenient kitchen and showers with toilets. A double room costs 3000 rubles per day, and dorms – from 900 rubles (9.00 euros) per night. If you book directly through the website and for a long term, you can get a good discount.

The ‘Moneron’ hotel is located near the railway and bus stations. It’s a classic budget hotel with small clean rooms. The ‘comfort’ class rooms have a bath, and the hotel provides a complete set with slippers, towels, and a hairdryer. Prices start from 2800 rubles (28.01 euros) per night for a single economy room, while ‘comfort’ costs 4900 rubles (49.02 euros). Breakfast is included in the price.

The ‘Belka’ hotel building is made using Finnish technology in a wooden style from milled timber. The cost of large rooms with wooden walls and huge beds starts from 5800 rubles (58.03 euros). Breakfast is also included in the price. The hotel complex includes a sauna, spa, tavern, and gym.

Near Bussé Bay is the island’s only dome-shaped glamping site. A night for two costs 8000-10,000 rubles (80.04 – 100.05 euros). An extra bed is 2000 (20.01 euros). Each dome has a shower, toilet, and electricity. On cooler days, you can light the stove and sit by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa.

In other towns, apart from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the choice of hotels is quite modest and usually limited to one or two hotels, which cannot always be booked online. They have to be found on the map and booked by phone.

Transport on the Island

Car. If you’re only traveling between cities, there won’t be any problems – the roads between them are mostly paved, and the dirt roads are of more or less good quality. It gets more complicated with natural attractions. Almost all of them are accessed by dirt roads, which not every car can navigate.

In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, ‘Yandex.Taxi’ and ‘Maxim’ operate (also in Korsakov and Kholmsk). A trip within the city limits will cost a maximum of 300 rubles (3.00 euros).

Railway. From Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, about 30 electric trains depart daily. Most of them go to nearby areas like Dalnyaya, Khristoforovka, and Novoaleksandrovka stations – 8–23 minutes travel time.

To other cities, there’s only one electric train per day. It takes an hour to Korsakov and the ticket costs 80 rubles (0.80 euro). To Tomari, it’s four hours and 300 rubles (3.00 euros). To Poronaysk, it’s five hours of travel and 500 rubles (5.00 euros) for a ticket. Long-distance electric trains depart in the evening, as these routes are used by residents of the province who return from work in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to their homes.

There is also one train on the island – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Nogliki, 12 hours of travel and 1100 rubles (11.01 euros) for a ticket in a sitting carriage.

Buses. It seems you can reach even the most remote settlements by bus. Often there’s only one trip per day, but at least it exists. To Kholmsk, Nevelsk, and Korsakov, the journey takes about an hour and a half, with tickets costing around 300 rubles (3.00 euros); to Poronaysk and Uglegorsk, it’s four to five hours and 1200 rubles (12.01 euros) for a ticket. You can check the current schedule on avtovokzaly.ru . But it’s always better to double-check by phone: +7 (4242) 72-25-53. The address of the bus station is Karl Marx Street, 51b.

Airplane. Sakhalin has a quite extensive network of airports, and you can fly from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Okha, Zonalnoye, Shakhtyorsk, Poronaysk, Smirnykh, Yuzhno-Kurilsk, and Iturup. Flights are operated by the Far Eastern airlines ‘Aurora’ and ‘Taiga’ . These routes are served by small propeller planes Bombardier and Mi-8 helicopters. Such a flight is an interesting experience in itself. Moreover, some flights are quite inexpensive. For example, to Zonalnoye, Shakhtyorsk, and Poronaysk, tickets cost 2000–3000 rubles (20.01 – 30.01 euros) one way. To Okha and the Kurils – from 6000 rubles (60.03 euros).

Ferry. From Korsakov, ferries run to different settlements in the Kurils every three to four days. The ferry to Kurilsk takes about 22 hours, to Yuzhno-Kurilsk – 22–30 hours, and to Malokurilskoye – about 40 hours. Interestingly, a ticket to any of these settlements costs from 2800 rubles (28.01 euros), available on the website of the ferry company.

How to get there

By plain. To travel to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from Europe, passengers typically fly through major transit hubs. Common routes involve flying from a European city to one of the major Russian airports offering direct flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, such as Moscow’s Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo airports. In 2023 it is only possible to fly to Moscow from major transit hubs such as Istanbul or Erevan. From there, travelers can catch one of the direct flights to the island. Some routes might also include stops or transfers in other large cities in Russia or Asia, depending on the airline and the flight itinerary, for instance, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Chita, Blagoveshchensk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Sovetskaya Gavan, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There is even one international flight from Harbin, China.

In good weather, on approach to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, you can see the Tatar Strait, the Western Ridge, and the city itself. The airport is located within the city limits, and from there, you can easily reach any point by public transport (buses 63 and 3) or taxi.

Ferry. Vanino (Khabarovsk Krai) to Kholmsk (Sakhalin) . Passenger tickets for the ferry are sold at the Vanino railway station or at the ticket office in Kholmsk (Lenin Square, 5). They can also be reserved by phone: +7 (42137) 74088 (Vanino), +7 (42433) 50880 (Kholmsk). The ferries run daily, with a journey time of 18–20 hours. A seat costs 650 rubles (6.50 euros), while the cheapest cabin spot is 1400 rubles (14.01 euros). There is a dining room on board.

I was on the island in early May, and this has its pros and cons. On one hand, it’s already not very cold in Sakhalin at this time, and you can walk around in a light jacket or sweatshirt, and sometimes even just in a T-shirt. At the end of spring, you can catch the largest number of Steller sea lions in Nevelsk (closer to summer they migrate towards Avacha Bay). Also at this time, you can see the forest awakening: streams penetrate it from all sides, in their floodplains swamp callas bloom, meadows fill with primroses, and the hills are covered with bright green bamboo shoots. On the other hand, there is still snow in the mountains, in which you can get stuck while climbing, and the sea, which is not very warm in these areas, is completely unsuitable for swimming.

In summer, Sakhalin is not very hot, the coast blooms with wild roses, the sea warms up a bit, and there is less chance of bad weather when visiting remote attractions. Also, it’s precisely at this time you can see orcas (June – July) and whales (July – August), as well as the salmon spawning.

In winter, snowboarders and skiers come to Sakhalin. The mountains on the island are not high, so they are suitable even for beginners.

Related posts:

• The Vertical Grain Elevator (Silo) in Samara — A Benchmark of Brutalist Architecture
• Kamchatka: “Island” of Volcanoes, Bears, and Red Caviar
• Yekaterinburg: A Comprehensive Guide to the Ever-Young and Protest-Ridden City
• Altai Republic (Russia) Travel Guide: A Journey through Twisting Mountain Roads

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Visit Our Blog about Russia to know more about Russian sights, history
• Check out our Russian cities and regions guides
• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to better understand Russia
• Info about getting Russian visa , the main airports , how to rent an apartment
• Our Expert answers your questions about Russia, some tips about sending flowers

Russian regions

• Amur oblast
• Buryat republic
• Chukotka okrug
• Jewish autonomous oblast
• Kamchatka krai
• Khabarovsk krai
• Magadan oblast
• Primorye krai
• Sakha republic
• Sakhalin oblast
• Zabaikalsky krai
• Map of Russia
• All cities and regions
• Blog about Russia
• News from Russia
• How to get a visa
• Flights to Russia
• Russian hotels
• Renting apartments
• Russian currency
• FIFA World Cup 2018
• Submit an article
• Flowers to Russia
• Ask our Expert

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk city, Russia

The capital city of Sakhalin oblast .

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Overview

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is a city located in the southern part of Sakhalin Island in the Far East of Russia, the administrative center of Sakhalin Oblast.

The population of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is about 201,700 (2022), the area - 164 sq. km.

The phone code - +7 4242, the postal codes - 693000-693904.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk city flag

Yuzhno-sakhalinsk city coat of arms.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk city map, Russia

Yuzhno-sakhalinsk city latest news and posts from our blog:.

29 October, 2019 / Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - the view from above .

History of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Foundation of yuzhno-sakhalinsk.

The Russians first visited Sakhalin Island in 1742. In 1805, the Russian-American Company sent Adam Johann von Krusenstern, a Russian admiral and explorer, to Sakhalin to hoist the Russian flag on the island. Officially, neither Russia nor Japan claimed Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. In 1855, a treatise on friendship and the border was signed in Shimoda, which marked the beginning of diplomatic relations between Russia and Japan. According to it, Sakhalin remained jointly owned by the two countries.

The settlement of Sakhalin by Russians was mainly due to exiled convicts. In 1869, Sakhalin was officially declared a place of exile and hard labor. In 1875, the St. Petersburg Treaty was signed between the Russian Empire and Japan, according to which Sakhalin completely went to Russia and the Kuril Islands - to Japan.

In 1881, according to the order of the military governor of the Primorsky region, Major Vladimir Yantsevich was appointed head of exiles in South Sakhalin. He received the following instructions: “For the settlement of those who are finishing their terms of hard labor, a place that is quite convenient for arable farming should be chosen. The selected site, if possible along the main road from south to north, should be planned, divided into sections and, as a new settlement, named by some permanent name.”

In 1883, Yantsevich applied for the approval of the names of four new villages founded in the south of Sakhalin: Solovyovskoe, Mitsulskoe, Vladimirovka (future Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), and Vlasovskoe. In 1885, 57 people lived in Vladimirovka, in 1895 - 130 people. In 1897, there were 150 residential and commercial buildings here: a church, a school, a post office, a hospital, a mill, trade shops, a number of government buildings, and a lot of residential log houses.

More historical facts…

Japanese period in the history of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

In 1905, after the defeat of the Russian Empire in the Russo-Japanese War, according to the Treaty of Portsmouth, part of Sakhalin south of the 50th parallel was ceded to the Japanese Empire and became the Karafuto Prefecture. The northern part of Sakhalin remained under the control of the Russian Empire.

In 1908, Vladimirovka was renamed Toyohara (“bountiful plain”). In 1915, the settlement received the status of a town. The Japanese made their own plan for the development of the town with a clear rectangular planning system with the direction of streets along the railway and perpendicular to it.

The building density was high, as a result, a significant number of residential buildings were without outbuildings, sheds and other ancillary buildings, as well as yards. On the outskirts of the town there was a well-maintained park with an artificial reservoir. In 1920, the population of Toyohara was 14,176 people, in 1935 - 28,459.

On February 11, 1945, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill signed an agreement in Yalta on the conditions for the USSR’s entry into the war against Japan. Among the conditions were the return of South Sakhalin to the USSR and the annexation of the Kuril Islands. In August 1945, Soviet troops entered Toyohara.

This is what Toyohara looked like from the words of Dmitry Kryukov, head of the civil administration of South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, who arrived in the town in September 1945: “The town mainly consists of wooden buildings. The houses are adjacent to each other, timber-frame, plastered. Many of them look good, but they are cold.” The majority of the population were Japanese and Koreans.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - the capital of Sakhalin Oblast

On February 2, 1946, Yuzhno-Sakhalin Oblast was formed on the territory of South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. On June 4, 1946, Toyohara became its administrative center. It was renamed Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (“South Sakhalin City”).

On January 2, 1947, Yuzhno-Sakhalin Oblast was liquidated and its territory was included in Sakhalin Oblast, a separate region of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. On April 18, 1947, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk became its administrative center.

In the spring of 1947, the mass repatriation of the Japanese began. By August 1, 1947, 124,308 people left Sakhalin, almost half of the local Japanese. During 1947-1949, about 400 thousand people were brought to Sakhalin from the central regions of Russia, Primorye and the Far East. By 1949, only 2,682 Japanese remained on Sakhalin - those who managed to obtain a Soviet passport. The Koreans from Sakhalin were not forcibly evicted, so most of them stayed. In 1959, the population of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was 85,510 people.

In subsequent years, the appearance of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk changed again - the frame houses built by the Japanese were demolished. Today, except for the railway and some buildings of that time turned into museums, almost nothing reminds of the Japanese period in the history of this city.

General views of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from above

Author: Vladislav Yarowind

General view of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk cityscape

Author: Shinya Ichinohe

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Features

Sakhalin Oblast is the only region in Russia located entirely on the islands. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk stands at some distance from the sea coast, about 25 km from the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Chekhov Peak (1,045 m), one of the highest peaks of Sakhalin, rises to the north-east of the city. Locals call the city simply Yuzhnyy.

Sakhalin Island is part of the temperate monsoon zone. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is located on a plain surrounded by hills, due to which its climate has certain peculiarities. In summer, it can be very hot in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and in winter, due to the lack of wind, severe frosts. The coldest month is January with an average daily temperature of minus 12.2 degrees Celsius, the warmest month is August with an average daily temperature of plus 17.3 degrees Celsius. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is equated to the regions of the Far North.

The city is located in an earthquake-prone area. The probability of strong earthquakes is relatively high. The distance from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Moscow is 9,140 km by road and 6,640 km in a straight line.

The majority of the population is Russian, but the proportion of Koreans is also high (about 20%). Out of 43 thousand Sakhalin Koreans, most of them live in the capital of the region. In the city you can also find representatives of the indigenous peoples: Nivkhs, Ainu and Oroks, but their number is very small.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is the largest transport hub on Sakhalin. Anton Chekhov Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport offers regular flights to such cities as Vladivostok, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Moscow, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Seoul (South Korea), Sapporo (Japan), Tokyo (Japan).

In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, there is a high level of air pollution due to the high motorization of the population and the location of the city in the valley, which slows down the dispersion of harmful substances.

Today, it is one of the dynamically developing cities of the Far East, the production and intellectual center of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Oil and natural gas production, as well as their processing, are the most important components of the local economy.

This is one of the most visited cities in the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is often visited by cruise ship passengers (mostly Japanese citizens). Restaurants of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk offer dishes of Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Uzbek, Georgian, Italian cuisines.

The architecture of the period of the Karafuto Prefecture gives a special flavor to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Today, in the city there are about 40 objects of cultural heritage of this period. In the future, tourism should become the basis for the economic development of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Special thanks to Vladislav Yarowind for the photos of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Main Attractions of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Sakhalin Regional Museum of Local Lore - the central museum of Sakhalin Oblast founded in 1896. It is housed in a very picturesque Japanese building constructed in the Imperial Crown Style in 1937. This is the only such building on the territory of Sakhalin and all of Russia, the most significant architectural monument of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Its diverse expositions are devoted to nature, history of the indigenous peoples of the islands, culture and development of Sakhalin. Kommunisticheskiy Avenue, 29.

Sports and Tourist Complex “Gornyy Vozdukh” (“Mountain Air”) - a ski resort and sports complex, existing, according to one version, since the days of the Japanese Karafuto Prefecture (1905-1945). Today, it is one of the most dynamically developing ski resorts in the Far East of Russia.

The unique location of the complex - in the center of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - allows guests to find themselves in the world of winter sports in just a few minutes. The ski resort offers 10 slopes of various difficulty levels for both beginners and professionals. Their total length is over 23 km. The ski season lasts from December to the end of April.

It is one of the main organizers of excursion tours in Sakhalin Oblast: sports, excursion, business tourism, as well as ecological tourism. The complex has a network of hiking and cycling routes. There are also restaurants and cafes here.

Museum and Memorial Complex “Pobeda” (“Victory”) - a square with a cultural and educational center, where you can find historical expositions dedicated to the Russian-Japanese and World War II. A T-34-85 tank is installed on a pedestal in front of the building. Pobedy Avenue, 1.

Museum of the History of the Sakhalin Railway . This museum is dedicated to the history of railway construction on Sakhalin. The exposition has a lot of interesting and rare exhibits. In the open area of the museum, Sakhalin railway equipment is exhibited: steam locomotives, carriages of various types, etc. Vokzalnaya Street, 55.

Sakhalin Regional State Art Museum - the only art museum in Sakhalin Oblast with over 11 thousand works of art. On the ground floor, temporary art exhibitions are held, the art of artists from Russia, Korea and China is presented. The second floor houses permanent exhibitions: “Contemporary Korean Art”, “Christian Art”, “Russian Art of the 19th - early 20th centuries.” Lenina Street, 137.

Museum of the Book of Anton Chekhov “Sakhalin Island” . This museum is dedicated to Anton Chekhov’s trip to Sakhalin in 1890, as a result of which he wrote the book “Sakhalin Island”. Here you can find the following collections: “Painting”, “Graphics”, “Written Sources”, “Photo Materials”, “Numismatics/Phaleristics”, “Household Items, Arts and Crafts”, “Sculpture”. The personal belongings of Chekhov’s family members and various items belonging to exiles are exhibited here. Mira Avenue, 104.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Park of Culture and Rest named after Yuri Gagarin - the most beautiful recreational area of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk founded in the Japanese period of the city’s history in 1906. In 1968, when the famous cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin died in a jet crash, the park was renamed in his honor. Today, this place attracts visitors with its amazing landscapes and an abundance of entertainment. Sakura blooms here in spring. Detskaya Street, 1.

Resurrection Cathedral - the first church in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk built in the 1990s. This one-domed cathedral in the pseudo-Russian style looks surprisingly graceful and is located in the immediate vicinity of Gagarin Park. Svyatitelya Innokentiya Boulevard, 3k1.

Cathedral of the Nativity . The height of this church, consecrated in 2016, is 77 m, which is why it effectively dominates the surrounding landscape. Accommodating up to 1,000 people, it is built in the Novgorod style with a gilded dome surrounded by four bright blue ones. Inside, you can admire the five-tiered iconostasis in the Russian style, decorated with 98 icons. The outer walls are decorated with mosaics created in Jerusalem. Ilarion Troitsky Street, 1.

Chekhov Peak . Several picturesque mountain peaks are located in the vicinity of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The highest one (1,045 m) is named after the famous Russian writer Anton Chekhov. The trip to the top takes several hours. From the height of Chekhov Peak you can admire the city itself, the waters of Aniva Bay and the Sea of Okhotsk. On a cloudless day, you can even see the northern tip of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. There is a small Japanese temple at the top of the peak.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk city of Russia photos

Architecture of yuzhno-sakhalinsk.

Winter in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk architecture

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk modern architecture

Author: Alexander Mikhalev

Churches of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Wooden Church of St. Nicholas in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The Roman Catholic Church Parish of Saint James in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Resurrection Cathedral in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Author: Snejanna Baggerovski

Sakhalin Regional Museum of Local Lore

The main building of the Sakhalin Regional Museum of Local Lore

Old Russian 11-inch gun (1867) in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The comments of our visitors

• Currently 3.13/5

Rating: 3.1 /5 (184 votes cast)