Photogallery of Nagano, Japan

Nagano has been known as a winter sports center since the Olympics. The prefecture is also famous for its variety of natural attractions. Jigokudani Park located at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level is very popular with travelers. The name of this park can be literally translated as "Hell's Valley". It owes its name to the hot springs located on its territory. In some places, they approach so close to the surface that steam rises from the ground. In ancient times, local inhabitants believed that the entrance to the underworld was located somewhere here. The today's park features an amazing contrast of landscapes: valleys shrouded in the smoke of hot springs, dense forests, and snow-capped mountains. Another interesting feature of the park is the abundance of monkeys living here. They have long taken over the thermal pools and bask in them for days on end, attracting the attention of curious tourists. Another interesting attraction is Nikko Cedar Alley listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The length of the alley is 35.5 km, and over 13,000 Japanese cedar trees are planted along it. The world's longest alley became forming more than a thousand years ago. The youngest trees that can be seen next to the alley are about 400 years old, and the oldest are over a thousand. Hikers will have a chance to explore Kamikōchi, a mountainous highland valley with many hiking trails. The main part of the area is a plain located at an elevation of 1,500 meters above sea … Read further