The section of the federal highway R-256, starting in Novosibirsk, from Biysk to Tashanta, is usually called the Chuysky tract. This road, which today connects Siberia with Mongolia and China, repeats the northernmost route of the Great Silk Road, which is thousands of years old.

One of the main transport arteries of the Altai Territory acquires its historical name not far from the bridge over the Biya River. Here atMuseum of the Chuisky tract, installed in 2013Zero kilometerlegendary road.

The total length of the tract is 616.7 km, of which 77 km are in the Altai Territory (Biysk, Soviet and Krasnogorsk Districts). The main flow of tourists vacationing in the Altai mountains passes along the Chuisky tract - more than 2.5 million people a year. It is not surprising that in Biysk it is customary to say: "The journey begins here!"

According to the rating of the National Geographic Russia portal, Chuysky tract is Russia's “No. 1” in the TOP-10 of the most beautiful highways in the world. In the global top ten, it occupies a place in the middle, ahead of only the French Verdon Gorge, the Pamir Highway (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), the Dalton Highway (USA) and the Transfagarash Highway (Romania).

Many legends are associated with the Chuisky tract. Introduced the public to some of them in 2016Ruslan Emelyanov- one of the winners of the competition of tourist stories, organized by the Tourist Center of the Altai Territory.

Photo: Valery Stepanyuk