trek session fr 88 vm2009

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Trek Session 88 FR

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Size / 15.5", 17.5", 19.5"

At a glance

Where to buy.

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Red Aluminum w/ABP, Full Floater, alloy EVO Link, E2 head tube, oversized bearings, 203mm travel
• Wheels Bontrager Big Earl wheel system, 20mm front, 12mm rear w/150mm spacing
• Wheel Size 26"
• Tires Bontrager Big Earl w/Stability Control Casing, 26x2.5"; 60 tpi
• Crank Shimano "New" Saint, 83mm bottom bracket, 36T
• Front Derailleur MRP System 3 Chainguide w/Party Crasher bash guard
• Rear Derailleur Shimano "New" Saint "Shadow" SS
• Shifters Shimano "New" Saint, Rapidfire Plus
• Brakeset Shimano "New"Saint w/Servo Wave; 203mm front rotor, 180mm rear rotor
• Handlebar Bontrager Earl, 50mm rise, 31.8mm
• Saddle Bontrager Big Earl
• Seatpost Bontrager Big Earl
• Stem Bontrager Big Earl, 10 degree, 31.8mm
• Headset Custom Cane Creek E2; 1 1/8" top, 1.5" bottom

Q: Where to buy a 2009 Trek Session 88 FR?

The 2009 Trek Session 88 FR may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: What size wheels does the 2009 Trek Session 88 FR have?

The 2009 Trek Session 88 FR has 26" wheels.

Q: What size 2009 Trek Session 88 FR should I get?

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Trek Session 88 FR – first ride review

• by Cyclesgo

Trek has totally reworked its Session long-travel platform for 2009. The Session 88 is a superbly capable and light weight downhill/freeride rig thanks to Trek’s Active Braking Pivot, and its great shock actuation curve. Two ingredients in the 88’s cocktail really gave it the kick we were after. The first is the Active Braking Pivot, which is hugely effective, giving an axle path the same as a low single pivot, but with all the advantages of a true four-bar system. Traction under braking is outstanding. We even found ourselves doing our braking in the corner, instead of before. The second is the shock leverage ratios in action. The rate is linear for the first part of the stroke, rising through the majority of the stroke and falling right at the end, thanks to the fully floating lower shock mount.

Travel is supremely supple through the initial stroke, for small bump traction, and it appears to never bottom out at the end. But it’s in the middle where the magic happens. Most long travel bikes are very linear through the mid-stroke and can feel a little vague and unresponsive, but not the 88. The feedback you get from the bike through berms and when you push into a corner is sublime. You really feel like you’re standing on the bike, rather than just pushing deeper into the travel. We found ourselves drifting feet up like never before. It was so good that even the truly excellent 09 Totem fork couldn’t match its grace though the turns. And it’s not just the turns – big drops were swallowed up with glee and at just 38lb it’s as agile as it gets for a 200mm (8in) travel machine.

We could even forgive the disappointing new Shimano Saint brakes, which are actually too powerful, lack modulation and never stop howling. This is a bike that instantly flatters you with its ability, manoeuvrability, and ultimately its amazing feel of control. Good work Trek.

The centre of attention on this bike has to be the centre of the rear wheel. The new 88 uses the same ABP (Active Braking Pivot) as we’ve seen on the Fuel EX and Remedy models. The system is a four-bar design, with a pivot located concentric with the rear axle. This gets rid of any influence of braking over the rear suspension. Hydroformed lines dictate the rest of the frame that’s headed up by Trek’s E2 system head tube, which is 1.125in at the top and 1.5in at the bottom, giving the benefits of 1.5in, without the weight penalty. Up front a set of galvanised finish 09 Rockshox Totem forks with 180mm (7in) of perfectly executed travel, topped off with a tapered E2 steerer. Out back resides a Fox DHX 5 coil shock, with specific valving for the bike’s unique leverage.

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Trek Session 88 FR review

Trek’s new slam sled

Russell Burton

Guy Kesteven

The original Trek Sessions never got better than ‘pretty good’, but the new generation of their big-hit family is right on the money when the mayhem starts.

The tight and relatively light frameset, consistently supple suspension and sweet handling create a bike we can really rave about, although the single ring-only compatibility means you’ll be gagging for an uplift.

Ride & handling: matched and on the money

As the Full Floater rear suspension squeezes the long stroke shock between the tips of the rocker link and the extended chainstays, the resulting spring action goes from increasingly progressive to a final digressive section. This kills any hint of bounce from an overloaded rebound, so the rear end feels smooth at the start and bottomless at the finish.

Once the Totem fork has settled into its stride, and you’ve got the Mission Control damping dialed, both ends are sucked onto the trail with astonishing power.

The ABP pivot concentric to the rear axle means the Session doesn’t seem to care whether you’re slamming square edge blocks, G-ing out compressions or braking either. We pushed this bike hard into every situation without a single stutter, spike or step out of line.

The long, low stance drops you into a pinned position on the bike. The long wheelbase and 65 degree head angle also mean you can go super fast without becoming unstable.

Unlike a lot of long travel bikes, the Session 88 is so controlled through the mid-stroke that it feels like you’re biting into bedrock rather than loose dirt, letting you eject from corners with blistering speed and accuracy. Considering it feels so smooth, it pedals remarkably well too. The sub-40lb (18kg) weight means it’s got real pop and agility for a bike with this much travel.

But performance is always a balance between objectives and there are situations where the Session struggles. The long wheelbase and slack head angle mean you’ll have to really heave and lever it through tight technical trails. And the 36-tooth single ring set-up means a relaxed attitude to pushing is essential if you want to get lots of runs in.

Frame: makes good use of the latest hydroforming techniques

Its name might have been used before, but this Session series is a totally new build. Every piece of the frame was made with the latest hydroforming techniques – and it’s noticeable.

The two halves of the deeply sculpted Evo rocker link are welded onto a box-section centre, the bottom bracket is 83mm wide and the 150mm-wide co-axial ABP axles are nailed together with a bolted 12mm axle. Add the 40mm stanchions of the Totem fork and you’ve got maximum stiffness across the bike’s chassis.

Mud clearance is as good as you’ll need on our vile isle and the bike comes in a full range of sizes to fit all comers. You’ll need to take a saw to the seatpost to drop it low in the interrupted seattube though and you might miss the potential to fit a front mech.

Equipment: burly single crown fork, Saint groupset and Big Earl finishing kit

RockShox’s monster coil-sprung Totem is our favourite single crown freeride fork and a perfect choice for the Session but, considering its weight, the overall mass of the bike is impressive.

While the frame takes the credit for most of the weight saving, some of it is down to the new, lighter Saint equipment that dominates the spec. Meanwhile, the short cage rear mech, MRP chainguide and bashguard keep everything in place no matter how chaotic the terrain gets.

Bontrager’s Big Earl equipment is equally control-friendly, with wide bars and a short stem perfectly suited to handling the most hideous tasks. 2.6in DH tyres on broad rims provide consistent suction and stiffness, while the specced rubber is the wet version of the Big Earl Gumbi dual compound – a bonus for British riders.

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Banked turns are more fun

Trek Session 88 FR – First Ride

There is nothing better than swinging a leg over a new bike and feeling right at home. That is exactly the feeling I had astride the new Session 88.

The Session has been on my radar since Trek Brand Manager Michael Browne showed us the new Session models at Sea Otter last year. Trek knew they were on to something with the development of the ABP design, and although they had a ton of dollars invested in the previous suspension platforms, once they realized they had a winner, they didn’t waste time scrapping their previous DH frame designs.

the Trek Session 88 FR bike.

However, it wasn’t until we found out we would be riding the Fisher Roscoe, that I really started taking a closer look. After a few rides on the Roscoe and realizing how well the concept of ABP worked in the field, I was sold.

Personally, I am a big fan of keeping my trail bike and DH/FR bike within the same system, for a few reasons.  Often time, different suspension designs will display various ride characteristics that often will require slightly different riding styles. As opposed to having to change my riding technique when I switch bikes, I prefer to keep bikes in my quiver in the same family. I will also spec each bike with similar pedals, bars, and stems. That way the feel is similar, with just the change of weight, geometry, and suspension travel reflecting the bike’s intended use.

What that meant for me was the first time getting the bike up to speed was also the first time hitting a dirt jump, and it was all good.

First run on the new Session 88

We’ve been traveling and working for the last week, so the clean new bike has been sitting there, taunting me. It wasn’t until this week, when we ran away to the mountain village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, that I found some dirt worthy of the Session’s prowess. Ruidoso is a gem hidden away in the Sierra Blanca mountain range of south central New Mexico. With terrain reminiscent of Hood River, Oregon and Flagstaff, Az, as well as year-round riding weather, Ruidoso has the potential to blow up and be a major riding destination.

Feeling very much at home on the Session 88 FR on a fun jumpline in Ruidoso, New Mexico

Cody, Sam, and Shane from WMOS Cyclery were nice enough to take us to a spot with a fun FR/ jumpline that was a great spot to feel out the new bike.

The geometry was spot on from the get-go. With input from guys like Andrew Shandro, Cam McCaul, and all sorts of names from the who’s-who of freeriding and downhill, this was not a surprise but expected. Out of the box, the bike was dialed, with a full, new Shimano Saint kit hanging from it. This is the first time we’ve had a chance to ride a bike with the new Saint group in the dirt, and we were pleased. As expected, braking and shifting were solid.

A few thoughts on the build/ spec:

The fork comes stock with a medium weight spring. I ran the medium for a few rides on my other Totem, and the medium feels a bit stiff for DH riding, but for jumping it felt solid. I will probably end up switching it out for a soft spring then running  a few clicks of high speed compression for jumping. As it is, I have the compression all the way opened up.

The white MRP bash ring on the guide looks great new, but now that its dirty, looks a bit ugly.

The Bontrager house components look pretty solid. We did remove the stem right way though, and replaced it with a solid looking Deity stem, as it just didn’t do it for me aesethically.

Pedals: very grippy, especially paired with sticky rubber 5.10 shoes. Their profile is fairly tall though, some may not like that, as the trend seems to be going with lower profile pedals.

Wheels: I’m actually pretty happy with the Big Earl wheels. We have been beating the crap out of the Bontrager wheels that came on the Roscoe bikes, and they have been holding up well. I expect the same from these as well.

Seat/ Seat Post: Nothing wrong here, just solid components, with good looking graphics even. The seat is nicely padded and is comfortable. However, the shape does not lend itself to pinching, and may be replaced with my current fave, the SDG I-beam system.

Bars: I usually switch the bars out first thing. I’m actually rather fond of the graphics of the Bontrager Big Earl bars, and the width is good, so we’re going to give them a run. The grips are solid too, but a bit wide for my personal taste, so they will be getting swapped out.

Tires: The verdict is still out on the tires. More on that later.

Geometry: (tested: Med)

Specifications (via trek.com), shout outs:.

We’d like to also give a shout out to the guys at Outdoor Adventures in Las Cruces, for getting her built up for us, and Michael Browne at Trek for making it happen. We’re looking forward to spending a lot more time on her, and using her as our testing platform for all sorts of cool things.

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2009 Trek Session 88 FR

A 26″ aluminum frame full suspension downhill bike with high-end components and mechanical disc brakes. Compare the full range

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A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

Session 88 FR

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Unbelievable traction in corners and braking, plus amazing feedback and astounding agility - a capable and fun machine.

Last updated 29 June Not listed for 2,487 days

Trek Session 88 FR – Freeride Mountain Bike In for Review

For 2009, Trek Bikes completely redesigned their full suspension mountain bike lineup. With the introduction of the Active braking Pivot, EVO link, Full Floater linkage and E2 headtube, the new bikes out of the Trek Bikes stable bring more competition to the high end cross country, all mountain, freeride and downhill segments. On Thursday of last week, I came home to find a beautiful brown box on my doorstep. Within this large container is one of Trek’s completely designed rigs…the Session 88 FR . The Session 88 FR is one of two new bikes in the FR/DH market from Trek Bikes. The other version of the Session…the Session 88 DH…comes better equipped for full on DH race duty. This FR edition is ready for every big hit and trick booter you can throw its way.

The Trek Session 88 FR Specs

Initial thoughts on the trek session 88 fr.

Out of the box, the new Trek Session 88 FR is a beautiful bike. The subtle graphics combined with the high quality welds and tubing make for a bike that is very well put together. Just like any Trek frame, the Session 88 FR build kit comes in custom color coded for Trek’s needs. At an MSRP of 6,049.99, you would expect the industry has to offer in range of components. The Session comes kitted with the new Shimano Saint groupo and Bontrager Big Earl components. Round the kit out with a Fox Racing DHX 5.0 coil shock and a RockShox Totem coil fork and you are left with a 39.50 lbs (light for a FR bike) freeride rig that is ready for big hit madness.

Over the next 5 weeks, the Mountain Biking by 198 crew is going to put this new freeride sled from Trek Bikes through some serious abuse. It will see everything from freeride drops to downhill races in the quest to find the bikes limits. For those of you that are already on previous generation Session 77’s…we will be comparing the two back to back as well. It’s time to see if this full floater, active braking pivot with a solid EVO link is ready for the DH/FR crowd…and if all of the preliminary reports on these new sleds from Trek Bikes are true…this should be a fun test period…

In the meantime…here are more high quality pictures of the new Session 88 from Trek Bikes than you will see anywhere else on the web. Enjoy…

For more on the Trek Session 88 FR, visit TrekBikes.com

Not enough Trek Session 88 media for you? Here’s a video on the Session 88 release straight from Trek…

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2009 Trek Session 88 FR

Cool Features

• Trek Session 88 FR 2009

Bike summary

Bike components.

Alpha Red Aluminum w/ABP, Full Floater, alloy EVO Link, E2 head tube, oversized bearings, 203mm travel

Rear Derailleur

Shimano "New" Saint "Shadow" SS

Front Derailleur

MRP System 3 Chainguide w/Party Crasher bash guard

Shift Levers

Shimano "New" Saint, Rapidfire Plus

SRAM PG970 11-32, 9 speed

Shimano "New" Saint, 83mm bottom bracket, 36T

Bontrager Big Earl platform

Bontrager Big Earl wheel system, 20mm front, 12mm rear w/150mm spacing

Bontrager Big Earl w/Stability Control Casing, 26x2.5"; 60 tpi

Shimano "New"Saint w/Servo Wave; 203mm front rotor, 180mm rear rotor

Bontrager Big Earl, 10 degree, 31.8mm

Bontrager Earl, 50mm rise, 31.8mm

Custom Cane Creek E2; 1 1/8" top, 1.5" bottom

Bontrager Big Earl

Bike geometry

About this model.

Session 88 FR completes the Trek Session model. There are 88 bikes that carry this model name. Check out the entire range from 2009 of this model, by clicking this link .

Your safety is a top priority so always wear a helmet when you ride your bike. Moreover, wear the right clothing. You want to be visible to other drivers, so avoid wearing dark clothing.

Average price for Downhill bikes

If you want to purchase a solid Downhill bike, it is important to know that the average cost is 3391 $ . However, paying less money than this amount doesn’t mean that you couldn’t get a great Downhill bike. In short, before purchasing your ideal bike do some research about its components, and also check for reviews online.

Overview of components

Bike rear shocks increase the riding comfort, and also give you more control over technical trails. In short, a full-suspension bike will give you the smoothest ride possible.

When leaving the production line, the Session 88 FR model has 26″ aluminum wheels. These wheels give you great handling over your bike. However, they are less forgiving when riding over obstacles such as bumps and roots.

We ride faster and faster, so a good braking system is essential on a bike nowadays. The Session 88 FR comes with Hydraulic Disc brakes. These kinds of brakes are among the most popular models used on bikes. To sum up, you can ride your bike with confidence.

Trek Session models from 2024

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FIRST RIDE: TREK SESSION 88 DH & FR

The Next Session

Word and photos by Ryan Cleek

Trek introduced their long awaited Session 88 DH and FR bikes at the best little riding area you’ve never heard of, Highland Mountain Bike Park (highlandmountain.com), in Northfield, New Hampshire. Below is a quick run down of the new bikes. Look for more in-depth coverage in our September issue, on newsstands early August.

The original Session downhill bike, the ’10’, was a ten-inch-travel beast built around freerider Andre Shandro’s needs for big drop competitions like the Red Bull Rampage. Although the Session 10 was sufficient for the type of riding and contests Shandro was doing, it was a bit off the mark and believed to be too heavy for what ‘traditional’ downhillers and racers were looking for.

Trek went through a variety of prototypes and updates to the original Session 10 in pursuit of a lighter, more practical design. However, just weeks before going into production, and after large sums of money were spent in R&D on the a next Session 10, Trek completely scrapped the project after the benefits of there Active Braking Pivot technology (designed to reduce unwanted braking effects on suspension movement) were being realized from their Fuel and Remedy trailbikes. ‘It became very clear that the of ABP suspension was the direction we wanted to for the next long-travel downhill bike, so we stopped what we were working on and completely started over with the Session,’ said Trek’s John Riley. 

INSIDE THE 88s The all-new Session 88 DH and FR share the same eight-inch-travel frame and custom-valved Fox DHX 5.0 coil shock, utilizing the Active Braking Pivot (ABP) suspension, Full Floater shock mount and aluminum Evo link.

Impressively, the Session 88 DH has a claimed weight of 38 pounds out of the box. The race-ready 88 has a 65-degree head angle, 14.3-inch bottom bracket height, 45-inch wheelbase, 17.3-inch long chain stays, and a 32.6-inch standover height.

Session 88 DH Highlights Frame: Alpha Red Series Aluminum, ABP, Full Floater, Evo Link, Tapered head tube, 200mm rear travel Fork: Fox 40 RC2 203mm custom tuned for Trek Shock: Fox DHX 5 coil 8.75 x 2.75, custom tuned for Trek Wheelset:  Bontrager Big Earl Tires: Bontrager Big Earl 2.5′ Shifters: SRAM X.0 Chainguide: MRP G2 Rear derailleur: SRAM X.0 Crankset: Shimano Saint, 83mm bottom bracket, 36T chainring Pedals: Bontrager Big Earl platform Brakes: Avid Elixir, 203mm F rotor, 180mm R rotor S (16.24), M (17.42), L (18.85) Also sold as a frame only.

The 88 FR is designed to be more versatile than the race-oriented 88 DH. With component spec choices like the RockShox Totem, the 88 FR is more at home in the bike park where launching jumps and throwing tricks is the modus operandi.

Session 88 FR Highlights Frame: Alpha Red Series Aluminum, ABP, Full Floater, Evo Link, Tapered head tube, 200mm rear travel Fork: RockShox Totem Shock: Fox DHX 5 coil 8.75 x 2.75, custom tuned for Trek Wheelset:  Bontrager Big Earl Tires: Bontrager Big Earl 2.5′ Shifters: Shimano Saint Chainguide: MRP G2 with bashguard Rear derailleur: Shimano Saint Shadow Crankset: Shimano Saint, 83mm bottom bracket Pedals: Bontrager Big Earl platform Brakes: Shimano Saint, 203mm F rotor, 180mm R rotor S (16.24), M (17.42), L (18.85) Also sold as a frame only.

WORTH THE WAIT     The terrain of Highland Mountain Bike Park was perfect for trying out Trek’s new downhill bikes. I rode them as much as I possible could in the two days on the mountain, not enough for a full review, but after dozens of runs I have pretty strong idea of how they’ll perform in the long haul.     The 88 FR can handle the same gnarly terrain as the DH version, and the shorter, quicker steering front-end can really dig into a tight corner or berm.     In my opinion, currently, there are only two out-of-the-box, race-ready, high-performance downhill bikes up to snuff, the Specialized Demo 8 II and the Giant Glory DH. It looks like Trek’s homework has paid off, and the aforementioned brands should be looking over their shoulder, and soon. I know I’m counting the days until our 88 DH test bike arrives.

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Saratov Oblast, Russia

The capital city of Saratov oblast: Saratov .

Saratov Oblast - Overview

Saratov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia, part of the Volga Federal District. Saratov is the capital city of the region.

The population of Saratov Oblast is about 2,361,000 (2022), the area - 101,240 sq. km.

Saratov oblast flag

Saratov oblast coat of arms.

Saratov oblast map, Russia

Saratov oblast latest news and posts from our blog:.

4 April, 2019 / Cities of Russia at Night - the Views from Space .

21 November, 2011 / Picturesque landscapes of the Saratov region .

19 November, 2009 / Life of juvenile prisoners in Russia .

History of Saratov Oblast

In the middle of the 13th century, prisoners captured by the Mongols from various conquered countries built in the area of present Saratov one of the first and largest towns of the Golden Horde - Uvek. Marco Polo mentioned the Venetians visiting this town in 1262.

In 1334, the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta visited Uvek and recorded that it was a town of “medium size, but beautifully built, with abundant blessings and severe cold”. At the end of the 14th century, the town was destroyed by Tamerlane.

In the next 200 years, a sparse population of the Wild Fields (the steppe to the north of the Black Sea and Azov Sea) was represented by the Nogai and Kalmyk nomads, Cossacks and fishing cooperatives of Russian monasteries. In the meantime, after the collapse of the Golden Horde, the Kazan Khanate was formed on the territory of the Kazan ulus, which, in 1552, was conquered by the Russian Tsar Ivan IV.

The fortress of Saratov was founded in the summer of 1590. In the first half of the 17th century, Saratov was a large fortress on the Volga River with about 300-400 streltsy (Russian guardsmen from the 16th to the early 18th centuries).

More historical facts…

In the spring of 1674, the fortress was moved to the opposite bank of the river. The locals were engaged in fishing, bread and salt trading. In June 1722, Peter I visited Saratov on his way to Persia.

In January 1780, the Saratov governorate (province) was established. In 1781, the coat of arms of Saratov was adopted: on the blue background of a heraldic shield you can see 3 silver fish (sterlet) swimming towards each other. Fish and water resources of the region were reflected in the coat of arms. Saratov became a rich merchant city.

In 1928-1932, Saratov was the center of Nizhnevolzhsky Krai, since 1934 - Saratov Krai, since 1936 - Saratov Oblast. In the 1930s, Saratov became one of the industrial centers of the country. On September 7, 1941, the territories of 15 cantons of the former Volga Germans Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic were united with Saratov Oblast. The current borders of the region were finalized in 1957.

In the 1950s-1970s, industry and agriculture, infrastructure and culture of the city and the region were developing rapidly. Until 1990, Saratov was a closed city, because there were many defense enterprises there, in particular, the Saratov Aircraft Plant, which produced military and civil aircraft. A lot of industrial enterprises of Saratov carried out orders for the Soviet space program.

Landscapes of Saratov Oblast

Forest-steppe landscape of the Saratov region

Author: Dmitry Kogan

Summer in Saratov Oblast

Author: Alexandr Rukavitshin

Railway in the Saratov region

Author: Konstantin Karavayev

Saratov Oblast - Features

Saratov Oblast, located in the south-eastern part of European Russia, stretches from west to east for 575 km, from north to south - for 330 km. In the east of the region there is the state border of Russia with Kazakhstan. The total length of the border is over 3,500 km.

The climate is moderately continental, summers are long, dry and hot, winters are frosty. The average temperature in January is minus 12 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 23 degrees Celsius. Such natural resources as oil, natural gas, shale oil, phosphorites, various sands and stones are presented.

Saratov Oblast is the only region in Russia that combines three natural and climatic zones: the forest-steppe, the steppe and the semidesert. About 80% of the region is located in the steppe zone. The Volga, dividing the region into two parts, is the main river. The largest cities and towns are Saratov (818,400), Engels (225,000), Balakovo (184,300), Balashov (74,100), Volsk (59,900).

In Saratov, on the bank of the Volga, the member of Saratov aviation club and industrial college graduate Yuri Gagarin made his first flight. It is interesting that after his legendary space flight he landed on the territory of the Saratov region. The second spaceman - Herman Titov - landed in this area too.

A lot of prominent figures of science and culture are associated with the Saratov region. This is the homeland of Russian writers and public figures N.G. Chernyshevsky, K.A. Fedin, L.A. Kassil, artists V.E. Borisov-Musatov, K.S. Petrov-Vodkin, composer A.G. Schnittke, inventor P.N. Yablochkov.

Saratov Oblast - Economy

In terms of the level and scale of industrial development, the Saratov region occupies one of the leading places in the Volga economic region. In the structure of industry, the largest shares belong to the fuel and energy complex, machine building, chemical and petrochemical, and food industries.

Local industry includes more than 2,000 large and medium-sized enterprises producing trolleybuses (Trolza), railway equipment (Engels transport machine building plant, Engels locomotive plant), power tools, precision instruments, refrigerators and freezers, liquid fuel and petrochemical products (Saratov Refinery), mineral fertilizers, copper rolling, building glass, cement.

Such large power plants as the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant (4,000 MWt) and the Saratov Hydroelectric Power Plant (1,360 MWt) are located in the region producing about 25% of power in the Volga region and 3% of power in Russia.

Railway is the leading transportation in the province, over 90% of freight and about 40% of passenger turnover is made by railway. River transportation is developed fairly good, Saratov is the largest river port on the Volga River.

Tourism in Saratov Oblast

Tourism in the Saratov region is represented by visits to natural and cultural attractions. Eleven cities and towns are included in the list of historical towns of Russia: Atkarsk, Balakovo, Balashov, Volsk, Marx, Novouzensk, Pugachev, Petrovsk, Saratov, Khvalynsk, Engels.

Local nature delights visitors with its beauty. The Volga with its sandy beaches, hundreds of islands, the possibility of fishing and hunting is the main treasure of the region. On the territory of Samara oblast there are 124 nature monuments, zoological reserves, the Khvalynsky National Park, the Saratov and Volgograd reservoirs.

Ethnic tourism is associated with the culture of the Germans, who lived in the Volga region. In the town of Marx (former Ekaterinenstadt) there is a Lutheran Cathedral, built in the early 20th century, there are preserved German houses. There is an ethnographic museum in Engels.

Saratov Oblast has more than 300 monuments of architecture, over 3 thousand monuments of archeology, 18 old estates, 27 state museums. The main places of interest are:

• Museum of Local Lore, Art Museum, Museum of Military Glory on Sokolova Hill, Limonarium, House Museum of Chernyshevsky in Saratov,
• Local history museums in Balashov, Volsk, Petrovsk, Khvalynsk, Engels,
• Memorial House Museum of Chapaev in Pugachev,
• Museum of Long-Range Aviation, Literary Museum of Kassil in Engels,
• The landing site of Yuri Gagarin in Engels district,
• Ostrich farm in Lysogorsky district
• Stepan Razin’s cliff on the bank of the Volga, where according to legend Razin drowned the Persian princess,
• Pottery in the village of Zolotoye,
• Khvalynsky ski resort in the Khvalynsky National Park,
• Stolypin’s mineral waters (the resort named after Chapayev).

Saratov oblast of Russia photos

Saratov oblast scenery.

Picturesque place to live in Saratov Oblast

Author: Sergey Kravtsov

Sunset in Saratov Oblast

Author: Vadim Poddubny

Fishing in the Saratov region

Pictures of Saratov Oblast

Bridges in the Saratov region

Country house in Saratov Oblast

Author: Boris Busorgin

Golden autumn in Saratov Oblast

Author: Dmitriy Mishanin

Saratov Oblast views

Winter in the Saratov region

Author: Romanov Vladimir

Orthodox church in Saratov Oblast

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