Valdai Hills
The
Valdai Hills (
Russian: 'алда́йская возвы́шенность or 'алда́й,
Latvian: Valdaja augstiene) are an upland region in north-west of central
Russia running north-south, about midway between
St. Petersburg and
Moscow, spanning the
Novgorod,
Tver,
Pskov, and
Smolensk Oblasts.
The hills are a northward extension of the
Central Russian Upland. The ridge is overlain by deposited
glacial materials in the form of terminal
moraines and other
detritus. The Valdai Hills reach maximum height, near
Vyshny Volochok, of 343 m. The rivers
Volga,
Daugava(Western Dvina),
Lovat,
Msta, and others originate in the Valdai. It is a place of many lakes, among them the
Volgo,
Peno,
Seliger,
Brosno, and
Valdai Lake.
The Valdai Hills are a popular tourist destination, particularly for fishing. The towns of
Ostashkov and
Valday are also remarkable for their historical associations.
