Valdai Hills

The Valdai Hills (Russian: Валда́йская возвы́шенность or Валда́й, 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, Dnieper, 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.