Volga River

The river is one of the longest in Russia, and the main body of water in the city. On the Saratov side the water is easy to access, with gently sloping banks and long expanses of pebbly shore. On the far side, however, the bank is steep, and almost impossible to climb. Only during the coldest of months does the river freeze over, flowing swiftly into the ocean for the rest of the year.