Mörön
Mörön is the capital of Hövsgöl, and a usual stopover en route due to its central location in the province.
Understand
Mörön, whose name means "river" in Mongolian, was established as the administrative center of Khövsgöl Aimag (Province) on the site of a monastery in 1933. The Murungiin Khuree Khiid Monastery was built in 1809 and had a population of 2,500 monks at its peak. It was destroyed during religious purges in 1937. A new monastery was built in the 1990s, with maybe 40 monks. Today there are several museums and a large collection of deer stones 20 km outside of town, though most people simply pass through Mörön on their way to Lake Khövsgöl.
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Get in
- Bus, or Micro-bus from Ulaanbaatar (around 2 days) or Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur 'White Lake' (6-8 hours on the rough track via Shine-Ider) or Khövsgöl Nuur (around 3-4 hours on the almost finished but unsealed road)
- Hitchhike or ride a bike, possibly paying a truck driver to take you
- Rent a jeep and driver from e.g. Ulaanbaatar.
By Plane
Fly daily from Ulaanbaatar for about USD150 (you can fly on to Khövsgöl Nuur on the same plane if this is your destination). Located 5 km from the city center, this is one of the busiest airports in Mongolia outside UB with 3 flights a day during the summer.
- AeroMongolia, ☏ +976 11 330373 (Ulaanbaatar), +976 9997 7705 (Mörön), khuvsgul@aeromongolia.mn. M-F 09:00-18:00. It is generally cheaper, but uses older planes. Charges foreigners double the local rate. Flights everyday of the week during summer, only on Tues, Fri, and Sun during winter.
- Hunnu Air (Located in Hotel-50-100, 1st floor), ☏ +976 7000 1111 (Ulaanbaatar), +976 7053 4422 (Mörön), info@hunnuair.com. Changed its name from Mongolian Airlines. Flights to Ulaanbaatar everyday of the week during summer, and Tues, Thurs, and Sat during winter.
Get around
The town is small enough to walk around.
See
- Deerstone complex - 17 km west of Moron. Deerstones are large 2-3 m tall stones with deer and other images carved on the surface. From the Bronze Age (1500BC).
Deerstone Complex - Museum
- Monastery - Danzandarjaa Khiid - on the western edge of town, from 1890, rebuilt in 1990, well worth a 20-minute visit. Arrive in the morning around 10AM for morning prayer. A small donation would help renovation work.
- Wrestling stadium - at eastern end of town
- Town Square - with monument to Davaadorj
Do
Buy
- There is a cluster of supermarkets around the 50° 100° Hotel; the largest and the best is directly across the road from the hotel's car park in a newer building. It's worth trying all the supermarkets as some stock things the others haven't.
Eat
- 50° 100° Hotel - Popular and until midnight. Some unfortunately tiny but unique (for northern Mongolia) salads. Otherwise a variety of Mongolian (try the honey beef for 6000 ₮) and perhaps Western fare such as pizza and lasagne (although apparently empty promises as they're never available). Guests at the hotel do not need a reservation. Free decent WiFi. No real coffee for now, just instant coffee mix. Cross your fingers they buy an espresso machine to complete the cosiness. Cinnamon roll: stock up for those long horse treks north.
- Jargalan Restaurant - further west from the 50° 100° Hotel on the same side of the road is the Jargalan Restaurant (look for the Cyrillic sign) which, although looking shabby from the outside, is pristine inside with bilingual menus (Mongolian and English) including pictures. Offering Mongolian fusion cuisine including Kimchi Hurshuur and a variety of soups. Tel: 24409 or 99509707.
- Shalom Burger - apparently no burgers, but definitely sweet snacks. Upstairs over the supermarket on the NE corner of the 50° 100° Hotel intersection.
- If you look carefully in the glass cabinets that masquerade as refrigerators at the supermarkets early enough in the afternoon before the staff have managed to eat them all, there are small pizza-like objects (around 12cm in diameter) in plastic wrapping. Amazingly, they taste like pizza!
Drink
Don't forget Wednesdays are alcohol free. So stock up on Tuesday and drink at home, if you are so inclined.
Sleep
- 50° 100° Hotel (East of town on the road to the airport), ☏ +976 99382345. Reputedly the best hotel in town. Deluxe double rooms with TV and immaculate bathroom featuring a hot shower for 50,000 ₮, although possibility of broken window panes. Situated on the central 'roundabout', N49° E100°. Wi-Fi in the restaurant on 2nd floor. If you're lucky the pizza on the menu will be available. Otherwise the best cinnamon rolls outside of Sweden. They also have a ger camp at Lake Hovsgol.
- Eco Darhad guest house, ☏ +976 88826188, bold_v99@yahoo.com. has apartments and gers in the centre of the city at USD5-10 per person per night. They also can help you with transportation, pickup service, translation, horse trips, guides and information and organize trips in Khovsgol region.
- Hotel Merci. Hotel, cafe and pub and in-house Karaoke.
Connect
Enjoy the 3G coverage of Mobicom in the city limits, or visit 50° 100° Hotel for WiFi.
Go next
Go to Lake Hovsgol.