Things to see in Karelia
Miscellaneous / / June 15, 2022
A large list of the most beautiful lakes, waterfalls, parks and more, as well as routes for traveling by car and public transport.
Table of contents
- Road and housing in Karelia
- natural attractions
- Historical and cultural attractions
- What else to see in Petrozavodsk
- Routes in Karelia
Road and housing in Karelia
The main sights of the republic are located outside the major cities, but the starting point of the trip is most convenient to make the capital of Karelia - Petrozavodsk. From Moscow you can fly here by direct flight in less than 2 hours, by train - in 10-15 hours.
The road from St. Petersburg will be even easier: several high-speed electric trains go to Petrozavodsk and Sortavala every day. The trip will take 4-5 hours, the same time it will take to get there by car.
- Plane Moscow - Petrozavodsk, from 6,284 rubles →
- Train Moscow - Petrozavodsk, from 2,663 rubles →
- Train St. Petersburg - Petrozavodsk, from 1,561 rubles →
- Train St. Petersburg - Sortavala, from 837 rubles →
Most accommodation options are in Petrozavodsk and close to the most popular attractions like Ruskeala: there are hotels, apartments and hostels. And outside the city there are many recreation centers, glampings and campsites.
- Book a room in a hostel in Petrozavodsk from 697 rubles →
- Book a room at Nord Camping Karelia from 630 rubles →
- Book a room at the recreation center "Black Stones" from 9,400 rubles →
- Book a room in the Smorodina Camp glamping from 14,190 rubles →
natural attractions
waterfalls
1. white bridges
Two waterfalls on the Kulismajoki River in the Pitkäranta region got their name from the white stone bridges that once stood upstream. The height of the larger waterfall is 18 meters. A few steps away from it there is a second, calmer one, 11 meters high.
It is best to come to the White Bridges in spring and autumn, when the waterfalls are full-flowing and stormy. In the summer they become shallow and do not look so impressive. Public transport does not go here, you can only get there by car. It will have to be left 3-4 kilometers from the waterfalls, and the rest of the way to be done on foot.
2. Kivach
A powerful waterfall with four rapids is located on the Suna River, 60 kilometers from Petrozavodsk. Kivach was visited by Emperor Alexander II, and the poet G. R. Derzhavin dedicated poetry to this place.
It is most convenient to come here by car. Another option is to take a bus from Petrozavodsk to the village of Sopokha and walk another 8 kilometers on foot. Not far from the waterfall there is the Nature Museum of the Kivach Reserve and an arboretum.
3. Ahvenkoski
Akhvenkoski is the largest of the four waterfalls in a cascade on the Tohmajoki River, which flows next to the mountain park "Ruskeala». The name of the attraction is translated from Finnish as “perch threshold” or “water threshold”. The height of the waterfall is 4 meters.
It is not so difficult to get here by public transport: you need to take a bus or train from Sortavala to Ruskeala and walk another 4 kilometers from the park.
4. kumi
Kumi, or Kumi-threshold, 14 meters high, is located on the Voinitsa River in the Kalevala region. This is one of the largest waterfalls in Karelia, but it is not very popular with tourists - getting here is problematic. From the nearest settlement - a village with a population of 20 people - you will have to drive along a dirt road for about 30 kilometers. But if you overcome this difficult path, you can see a waterfall that bewitches with its power. Upstream there are several more powerful rapids, and along the way there are clear lakes and untouched forests.
The Finnish border lies near Kumi, so it is better to take the passport may be asked for verification.
5. Voitsky Padun
Waterfalls in Karelia are also called paduns. This one is located on the Nizhny Vyg River. Once it was much higher and more powerful, but after the construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal, two of its three branches became shallow. It’s still worth looking at the waterfall, its feature is an unusual shade of water, reminiscent of Coca-Cola. It acquires this color due to the abundance of peat in the soil.
Public transport does not go here, you can only get there by car.
lakes
1. Ladoga
This is the largest freshwater lake in Europe and the second largest in Russia. It has rocky shores with many narrow bays and small rocky islands, but there are also sandy beaches where you can sunbathe and swim. The water temperature in summer reaches 17–18 °C.
In the warm season, tourists kayak, ride catamarans and fish, in autumn they gather on the islands mushrooms, blueberries and cranberries. The lake is inhabited by rare species of birds and even seals - small seals.
There are many cities on Ladoga, so it will be possible to drive up to its shores from different directions both by car and by public transport.
2. Onega
The second largest freshwater lake in Europe after Ladoga. On its shore is the capital of Karelia - Petrozavodsk. There are many picturesque rocks and capes around the lake, but its main attraction is Kizhi Island with unique wooden temples. The lake is good for fishing: there is trout, vendace, whitefish and grayling.
It will be most convenient to get to the northern and western shores of the reservoir from Petrozavodsk, Medvezhyegorsk and Kondopoga.
3. Syamozero
The lake with clear brown water is located in the south of Karelia, 70 kilometers from Petrozavodsk. Low banks and shallow depth make Syamozero ideal for a beach holiday. Summer in these places is short and not very hot, so it is better to swim in July and the first half of August, when the water warms up to the maximum.
You can come here by car, bus or train, you will need to get off at the Essoila station.
4. Segozero
The reservoir is located about 200 kilometers from Petrozavodsk and belongs to the White Sea basin. The shores of Segozero are high, rocky and difficult to access, so settlements are very rare on them. But these places are popular with fishermen: whitefish, vendace, trout, grayling and ide live in cold and clear waters.
You can get here only by car, the most convenient descent to the lake is near the village of Padany.
5. Yanisjarvi
The name of the place is translated from Finnish as "hare lake". Its outlines in shape really resemble this animal. Yanisjarvi formedBUT. BUT. Marakushev. Impactites about 700 million years ago in a meteorite impact crater. The lake has high rocky shores covered with coniferous forest and clear water with an unusual reddish-yellow tint.
Yanisjarvi can be reached by car or bus, as well as by train from Sortavala.
6. urozero
Urozero belongs to the specially protected natural areas of the republic and is located in the reserve of the same name, 25 kilometers from Petrozavodsk. The lake does not have a single tributary, it is fed by atmospheric precipitation and from underground sources. The water here is very clear, green-blue in color.
A bus from Petrozavodsk stops at the shore of the lake.
Three more beautiful lakes in Karelia
- Sandal is a large lake in the Kondopoga region with many small islands.
- Vodlozero is a lake in the Vodlozero National Park where you can fish and go boating.
- Vygozero is a reservoir in the Segezha region with gently sloping sandy beaches and convenient entry into the water.
The mountains
1. Nuorunen
The height of the mountain is only 577 meters, but this is the highest point in Karelia. Nuorunen is located in the southern part of the Paanajärvi National Park. There is a path to the top. Climbing it is worth it for the views of the forests and lakes and to look at the seids - huge boulders on the "legs" of stones. Such structures were sacred to the Saami, an ancient people who lived on the territory of Karelia.
You can get to Paanajärvi by car.
2. Kivakka
In the same national park there is another peak - Kivakka, 499 meters high. Its name is translated from Finnish as "stone woman". There is a version that it arose because of the seid standing on top, similar to the head of an old woman. On Kivakka, archaeologists have discovered a large accumulation of these sacred objects.
On the slopes of the mountain there are high-altitude lakes and "hanging swamps" - small areas of flooded soil, overgrown with marsh plants. From the top you can see the Olanga River, the Kivakkakoski waterfall and the Vartiolampi tract.
3. Sampo
Sampo is not even a mountain, but a hill 40 meters high. It is located not far from Petrozavodsk and is called the same as the magic windmill from the Karelian-Finnish epic Kalevala. Climb Sampo on a wooden staircase, at the top there are observation platforms overlooking the Konchozero. Along the way, you can make a wish and tie a colored ribbon on the tree so that the wish is exactly turned.
Buses run from Petrozavodsk to Sampo.
4. Paasonvuori
Paasonvuori is a 79 meters high mountain near Sortavala. Archaeologists claimFROM. BUT. Kochkurkin. Archaeological sites of Korela in the 5th–15th centuries.that on its top there was a settlement of ancient Karelians. The settlement dates back to the 12th-13th centuries. In the 1970s, ceramic fragments, arrowheads and spears were found here. Now there are no noticeable traces of the settlement left on the mountain, but from above there is a picturesque view of Lake Karmalanjärvi and the Helyulänjoki River.
A bus from Sortavala stops about a kilometer from Paasonvuori.
5. Vottovaara
A rock massif 417 meters high near the villages of Sukkozero and Gimola is another place where you can see seids. Boulders and trees burned after a forest fire create a gloomy and mysterious atmosphere on the mountain. Local residents do their best to support the mystical flair around Vottovaara and tell eerie legends about UFO and Bigfoot, who were allegedly seen here.
You can get to the mountain only on an SUV with a guide.
Reserves and national parks
1. Ladoga skerries
It was decided to create a national park on the northern and northwestern coast of Lake Ladoga in 2017 in order to preserve the skerries. This is the name of small rocky islands separated by narrow bays that stretch from the village of Berezovo to the city of Pitkyaranta.
Red Book plants grow in the park and dozens of species of animals live, including ringed seals. It is impossible to inspect the skerries from the ground. It is better to explore the islands by boat, kayak or boat, they are rented in villages and recreation centers near skerries. On uninhabited islands, you can pitch a tent, pick mushrooms and berries.
The price of a ticket to the park is 155 rubles, it can be ordered on site. Admission for children, pensioners and veterans is free. To move around the skerries on a watercraft, you need to obtain and pay for a permit. It costs from 50 to 1,000 rubles, and is issued at the park's offices in Sortavala and Petrozavodsk.
2. Ruskeala
Mountain Park "Ruskeala" is located on the banks of the Tokhmajoki River in the Sortavala region. In the 18th-19th centuries there were marble quarries here, and now there is a tourist complex in their place. The main attraction of the park is Marble Canyon. This is a former quarry filled with emerald-colored water.
The park is equipped with trails and viewing platforms, shops, workshops and cafes are open. Minibuses, taxis and the Ruskeala Express, a steam-powered retro train, travel here from Sortavala.
Entrance to the park costs 450 rubles.
3. Paanarvi
The national park is located on the spurs of the Maanselkya ridge, in the west of Karelia. You can get here only by car, and part of the way will run along a dirt road. People come to Paanarvi to admire the lakes, turbulent rivers with waterfalls, gorges, forests and mountains with seids. To enter the territory, you need to issue a pass at the visitor center of the village of Pyaozersky.
Entrance to Paanarvi is free, but there are many paid services: excursions, rent of huts, tents, braziers, skis and boats. Prices available on site parka.
4. Reserve "Kostomukshsky"
The reserve in Kostomuksha, on the border with Finland, is called the cradle of reindeer. Animal cubs are born and grow up on the small islands of Stone Lake, among the untouched coniferous forest.
Hiking trails are laid in the park along well-equipped trails. You can take an excursion, stay overnight in guest houses and go kayaking. In winter there is a snowmobile rental and a tubing slide. To visit the reserve, you must first issue a pass in the administrative center of Kostomuksha.
Trains run to the city from St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk.
5. Kandalaksha Reserve
This marine reserve is located on the territory of two regions at once - the Murmansk region and Karelia, as well as two natural zones - taiga and tundra. It occupies the coast and islands of the Barents Sea and the Kandalaksha Bay on the White Sea. The reserve was created in the 1930s to protect sea and waterfowl, in particular the eider. In addition to birds, seals, bearded seals, wolverines and elks live here.
For tourists in the reserve, excursions are conducted on a hiking trail. You must apply in advance before visiting. on the site, access to the territory is possible only through the Department of Environmental Education in Kandalaksha. The city can be reached from Segezha and Murmansk by train or car.
Other places of interest
1. Devil's chair
Such an unusual name is given to a stone massif on the slope of Mount Bolshaya Vaara. In form, it really resembles a chair, only instead of a seat there is a clearing, and instead of a backrest there is a sheer rock. The array is located within the boundaries of Petrozavodsk, on the territory of the Botanical Garden. If you climb the Devil's Chair, you can see the panorama of the city and the Petrozavodsk Bay - a bay on Lake Onega.
2. Volcano Girvas
A small volcano on the Suna River, 70 kilometers from Petrozavodsk, died out long ago, and its crater was filled with water, but frozen streams remained around lava up to 30 meters thick. The Paleozerskaya hydroelectric power station operates in this area, and most of the year the riverbed, where the rocks are located, is drained. But during the spring flood, the dam locks open, and a powerful waterfall forms over the volcano for several days.
You can get to the village of Girvas by car or bus. From there, you need to walk another 2-3 kilometers to be on the spot.
3. Uksinskaya ozovaya ridge
This strange cluster of round boulders is a trace of an ancient glacier that passed here. The chain of stones stretches for several kilometers, it is surrounded by forests, lakes and small islands. The ridge begins near the city of Pitkyaranta in the south of Karelia, buses go there from Petrozavodsk.
What else to see in Karelia for nature lovers
- Shungian section. A place where rocks rich in shungite, a rare black mountain stone, come to the surface of the earth.
- Devil's Nose is a cape on the eastern coast of Lake Onega. There are Onega petroglyphs and an abandoned village with a lighthouse.
- The Impilahti rocks are an array on the Ladoga skerries, popular with climbers and rope jumpers.
- Cholmuzhskaya Spit is a cape in the northern part of Lake Onega with a length of 13 kilometers. It delimits two bays and belongs to the geological monuments.
- Koyonsaari is a small island in the Ladoga skerries with sandy beaches.
Historical and cultural attractions
Historical monuments
1. White Sea and Onega petroglyphs
1 / 0
Photo: Semenov.m7 / Wikimedia Commons
2 / 0
Photo: Semenov.m7 / Wikimedia Commons
3 / 0
Photo: Semenov.m7 / Wikimedia Commons
Petroglyphs are ancient rock paintings embossed or applied with paint. They depict scenes of hunting, battles and ritual processions and date back to the 4th-3rd millennium BC. In Karelia, petroglyphs can be seen in the town of Zalavruga, on the islands of the Vyg River or on the eastern shore of Lake Onega, on Capes Kladovets, Gagazhiy, Peri Nos and Besov Nos.
To get to all these places, you need a car.
2. Kinerma
The tiny ancient village of the Karelian Livviks, the indigenous people of the Ladoga region, is located about 100 kilometers from Petrozavodsk. There are only 8 inhabitants in Kinerma, but at every step there are architectural monuments - preserved wooden the buildingsList of objects of cultural heritage (monuments of history and culture) located on the territory of the Vedlozersky rural settlement / Objects of historical and cultural heritage of Karelia middle of the XVIII-XIX centuries. Here you can see the chapel of Our Lady of Smolensk, baths and dwellings of peasants and go to a master class on needlework or cooking traditional Karelian dishes.
The easiest way to get to Kinerma is by car, but you can also take a bus from Petrozavodsk to the village of Vedlozero, and then walk another 6 kilometers on foot.
3. Rubchoyla
Another Karelian Livvik village is located in the Pryazhinsky district. Eight monuments of wooden architecture have been preserved in Rubchoil. For example, the chapel of John the Baptist of the early 19th century and the house of the peasant Mikhailov with a decorative balcony. The villagers arrange tours and dinners with national cuisine.
You can get to Rubchoila by car from Petrozavodsk in just an hour. Without a car, you will have to take the train from the city to the Essoila station and from there go another 7 kilometers.
4. Martial Waters
The resort with therapeutic mud and mineral waters in the Kondopoga region is considered the oldest in Russia - it was founded by Peter I in 1719. People come here to treat diseases of the urinary tract and gastrointestinal tract. You can also see historical monuments here: the Church of the Apostle Peter built in the 18th century and the museum of the resort in the house of the mining department of the 19th century.
You can come to the resort both by car and by bus from Petrozavodsk.
What else to see in Karelia for history lovers
- Sandarmokh is a memorial cemetery on the site of mass executions during the Great Terror of 1937-1938.
- Lönnrot pine is a tree in the village of Kalevala, near which, according to legend, the Finnish linguist Elias Lönnrot wrote down Karelian runes. They became the basis of the Kalevala epic.
- The Kuzov archipelago is an archipelago in the White Sea, where several Saami sacred stone structures were discovered: seids and labyrinths.
Museums
1. Kizhi
The Museum-Reserve on Kizhi Island in Lake Onega is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its main part is the ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost. It includes unique monuments of wooden architecture: the Church of the Transfiguration, the Church of the Intercession and the hipped bell tower. Also on the island there are several dozen churches, houses, chapels, mills and other buildings of the XVI-XIX centuries.
From Petrozavodsk, the Meteor high-speed motor ship goes here in the summer, and hovercraft in the winter. You can also get from the village of Oyatevshchina, local boats deliver tourists to Kizhi for a small fee.
2. Mount Owl
This military history museum is located in the city of Lahdenpokhya, inside a huge bunker in a granite rock. In the 1940s, the headquarters of the Finnish army was located here, later a Soviet military unit and a warehouse were located in its place. In 2016, the bunker turned into a museum complex with a military equipment park, a military sports camp and an extreme amusement park.
3. National Museum of the Republic of Karelia
The largest museum in Petrozavodsk was founded in 1871 and is located in the former governor's house built in the late 18th century. The expositions are devoted to the nature and history of Karelia. Among the exhibits are slabs with petroglyphs, finds from a burial ground of the 6th millennium BC. e., furniture and household items of the XVIII-XIX centuries.
4. Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia
The museum is located in Petrozavodsk and occupies the building of the Olonets provincial male gymnasium built in 1790. Its collection contains works of Russian art: from icons of the 15th century to contemporary works. artists. In the museum you can see paintings by V. M. Vasnetsov, W. D. Polenova, I. E. Repina, I. TO. Aivazovsky and a large collection of folk art.
5. Sheltozero Veps Ethnographic Museum
The ethnographic museum in the village of Sheltozero is entirely dedicated to the culture of the Veps, a small people of the Finno-Ugric group living in Karelia. It is located in a wooden house of the 19th century, which belonged to a wealthy peasant Melkin. The museum's collection contains more than 9,000 exhibits that tell about the life and traditional crafts of the Veps. A separate hall is dedicated to the modern culture of the people.
You can get to Sheltozero from Petrozavodsk by car or bus, the journey will take 1.5–2 hours.
Other interesting museums
- The Museum of the Northern Ladoga Region is a museum of local lore in Sortavala, located in the wooden house of the doctor Gustav Winter, built in the early 20th century.
- "Polar Odyssey" is an open-air museum of the marine club in Petrozavodsk, where wooden sailing ships are exhibited.
- "Kiryazh" is a local history museum in the village of Kurkiyoki with expositions about the history and nature of the Northern Ladoga region.
Monasteries and temples
1. Valaam Monastery
Thousands of pilgrims come to the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior on the islands of the Valaam archipelago in Lake Ladoga every year. The monastery, according to various sources, was founded in the 11th or 14th century, but there are legends that Andrew the First-Called visited these lands. There are more than 40 temples and chapels on Valaam, some of them have been preserved since the middle of the 19th century.
On the islands, you can admire the northern nature, explore the bays and rocks, and climb the observation deck of Mount Eleon. There is a large farm at the monastery, and local cheese is sold in the shops.
You can get to Valaam from Lahdenpokhya and Sortavala. In summer - on a Meteor or a motor boat, and in winter - on a hovercraft or helicopter.
2. Peter and Paul Church in Wirma
Virma is a small village on the coast of the White Sea. Its main attraction is the well-preserved wooden church, built in the 17th century and renovated in 1759. The temple belongs to the cuboid type characteristic of the Russian North and is decorated with carvings.
Electric trains run to the village from Belomorsk, the journey will take an hour.
3. Assumption Cathedral in Kem
The wooden hipped-roof cathedral was laid in 1711 on the shore of Lepostrov Island in the city of Kem. The temple was restored in 2016, now services are held in it.
Kem from Belomorsk can be reached in an hour by train and bus.
4. Church of the Epiphany in the village of Cholmuzhi
On the eastern shore of the Cholmuzhskaya Bay there is the village of Cholmuzhi. Here is an architectural monument and one of the oldest Zaonezhye churches - the wooden Church of the Epiphany, or Peter and Paul. It was founded at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century. According to legend, the money for the construction was donated by the nun Martha, the mother of the first Russian tsar from Romanov dynasty — Mikhail Fedorovich.
A bus from Medvezhyegorsk stops a few kilometers from Cholmuzhi, but it is more convenient to come here by car.
Which temples are also worth visiting
- The Chapel of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa and Varlaam Khutynsky is a small wooden building of the middle of the 19th century in the Podelniki tract.
- The ruins of the Lutheran church of the Yakkima parish - a stone Lutheran church in the Lakhdenpokh region was built in the 19th century, in the 1970s there was a fire here, only the walls remained. An exhibition of wooden sculptures is open in the church.
- The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Petrozavodsk is the main temple of the Karelian diocese in the neoclassical style. Founded in 1826.
- The Finnish Church in Lumivaara is an abandoned but well-preserved Lutheran church built in 1935.
What else to see in Petrozavodsk
Even if you are planning a trip to the wild places of Karelia, your itinerary will most likely include the capital of the republic. Here are four places worth visiting in the city.
1. Onega embankment
The central embankment with a wide pedestrian zone is decorated with sculptures donated to Petrozavodsk by sister cities: a monument to fishermen from American Duluth, the "Wishing Tree" from the Swedish Umeå, the German "Tübingen Panel", the "Sleeping Beauty" from the French La Rochelle and other.
2. Botanical Garden of Petrozavodsk State University
The CCGT garden is located on the shores of Lake Onega and occupies 367 hectares. On this vast territory there is a park part, nurseries, a copy of a pagan Sami glade with seids and labyrinths, rhododendrarium, collections of perennial herbaceous plants and flora of Asia, North America and Europe.
3. State National Theater of the Republic of Karelia
In this drama theater, performances are performed in several languages of the indigenous peoples of the republic: Finnish, Karelian, Veps and Russian. The repertoire includes plays by Soviet and Finnish authors, productions dedicated to the history of the region, and children's fairy tales.
4. Historical building block
Near the center, on the territory between the Onega embankment, the Neglinka River and Kuibyshev Street, the appearance of Petrozavodsk of the 18th-19th centuries has been preserved. During a walk around the quarter, you can see old wooden houses, buildings of a rural hospital, a blacksmith shop and a chapel.
Routes in Karelia
By car
It is most convenient to explore Karelia on your own car, so you can get to hard-to-reach waterfalls and mountains. But if you want to see Valaam, Kizhi and other sights on the islands, be prepared to leave your car on the shore for a few hours. And keep in mind that only dirt roads lead to some places, only SUVs will pass through them in autumn and winter.
Itinerary for 3 days
- 1st day: Ladoga skerries - waterfall Akhvenkoski - "Ruskeala".
- 2nd day: Sortavala, Paasonvuori, Yanisyarvi - Valaam.
- 3rd day: White bridges - Kinerma - Petrozavodsk - Kizhi.
Itinerary for 5 days
- 1st day: "Head of the Owl" - the ruins of the Lutheran church of the parish of Yakkim - Ladoga skerries.
- 2nd day: waterfall Akhvenkoski - "Ruskeala" - Valaam.
- 3rd day: Petrozavodsk - Kizhi.
- 4th day: Kivach - "Marcial Waters" - Girvas.
- 5th day: Vygozero - Voitsky Padun - White Sea petroglyphs - Kem.
without a car
You can also travel around Karelia by public transport, but you will have to spend more time on the road and remove points in remote areas from the route.
Itinerary for 3 days
- 1st day: Petrozavodsk (Sampo, Devil's Chair, Lake Onega, Botanical Garden, historical building block) - Kizhi.
- 2nd day: "Martial Waters".
- 3rd day: Sortavala, Paasonvuori - Valaam - "Ruskeala".
Itinerary for 5 days
- 1st day: Petrozavodsk (Sampo, Devil's Chair, Lake Onega, Botanical Garden, historical building block).
- 2nd day: Belomorsk - White Sea petroglyphs - Virma - Petrozavodsk.
- 3rd day: Balaam.
- 4th day: Kizhi.
- 5th day: Sortavala, Paasonvuori, Janisyarvi - "Ruskeala".
Read also🌅
- 7 interesting routes for autotravel in Russia
- Where to relax in the summer in Russia: 7 unusual places
- 8 Russian cities to visit in autumn
22 Russian brands with fragrant, relaxing and simply beautiful bath cosmetics