How to spend top weekend in Nagano - ideas on extraordinary attractions and sites

Get an Adrenaline Boost in Nature

If you come to Nagano in the warm season you will get a chance to recharge with adrenaline. You will go windsurfing or canoeing, or sail on a small boat on the waves of Lake Kizaki. It is located near the city. You will also be able to reach a narrow plain Kamikochi for half an hour by public transport. If you find yourself in this picturesque area you can enjoy the coolness and see Lake Taisho. It is of volcanic origin.

You should also take a walk on the Kappa suspension bridge. It is located above the Azusa River. It is 36.6 meters long and 3.1 meters wide. You will have the opportunity to get a thrill from the fact that the suspended structure swings during you walk on it. You can also admire the larch trees from above. They grow on the banks of the Taisho. You will also enjoy the amazing view of Hotak Mountain. Its height is 3190 meters. You will also be able to climb on it.

Winter Entertainment in Nagano

You can take training in martial arts, fencing, or shooting schools while on vacation in Nagano in the winter. You can also play sports by visiting several sites. They were built for the 1998 Winter Olympics. You can also come to one of the 110 ski stations. They are located in the vicinity of the city (for example, Hakuba). Trails are equipped at each of them. They have different levels of difficulty. Some of them are even illuminated at night. Therefore, you can choose a suitable mountain slope to ski or snowboard on. You will also be able to spend time skating. You should visit one of the 45 ice rinks to do this. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Get a "Pass to Paradise"

You will most likely be intrigued by the opportunity to purify your soul and get a "pass" to Paradise. You can visit the Zenkoji temple for this. If you enter a small hall of the building you will get the opportunity to stroke a post embedded in the floor. You can also touch the string. It is tied to the right hand of a sacred sculpture depicting a Buddha. You can assume that all sins are forgiven after this. You can ask a monk to touch your forehead with the temple seal on any day.

There is another way to hope that the soul will go to heaven after death. You will have a chance to go down the narrow steps from the prayer hall to the basement. You will be in complete darkness and hold on to the walls. You will walk down a long corridor. It begins under the altar. You will try to grope for the "key to Paradise" hanging on one of the walls. After that, you will overcome a few more steps and come to the surface.

Visit Japanese Macaques

You can visit the amazing Jigokudani National Park during your vacation in Nagano. It is located in the valley of the Yokoyu River. The park was opened to the public in 1964. It is open from 9:00 to 16:00 during the cold season and from 8:30 to 17:00 from April to October. A narrow forest path with a length of 2 kilometers leads here. Thermal springs are located on the territory of the park. Japanese macaques visit them between the end of November and March. If you get to Jigokudani you will get a unique opportunity to observe at close range how these smart animals look, behave, and bathe in hot water, shrouded in clouds of steam. You can also take photos of them.

Excursion to the Ninja Village

If you are not indifferent to martial arts you can take a tour of an unusual village. It is located in the beautiful Togakushi mountain zone. There is a ninja museum there. A 2-story house with many rooms, secret passages, tunnels, and traps is also located there. It is a copy of the real home of Eastern warriors. You will have the opportunity to visit both of these buildings, listen to the guide's story, see a performance, and learn the art of Doshi fighting while traveling through the village. You will be able to experience in action several types of weapons that the ninja used.