Baikal neutrino telescope-An underwater laboratory for astroparticle physics and environmental studies

We review the status of the Baikal Neutrino Experiment. The Neutrino Telescope NT200 is operating in Lake Baikal since 1998 and has been upgraded to the 10 Mton detector NT200+ in 2005. We present selected results concerning astroparticle physics as well as results of environmental studies. We describe the strategy of creating a Gigaton (km3) scale neutrino detector at Lake Baikal. First steps of activities towards a km3 Baikal neutrino telescope, including the development of acoustic high-energy neutrino detection methods are discussed.