Карелия
Karelia, a protected land of forests and lakes, is located in the northwestern part of Russia. In terms of its territory, which is comparable to Greece or Bulgaria, it ranks fifth among the republics of the Russian Federation. In the west Karelia neighbors Finland, in the south, north and east – with the regions of the Northwestern Federal District of the country – the Leningrad, Vologda, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk regions, and in the northeast its shores are washed by the cold waters of the White Sea.
Video: Karelia
Contents- Highlights
- History of Karelia
- Capital of Karelia
- Historical and cultural sights
Kizhi - Valaam
- Solovki
- In the realm of northern nature
- Natural sights of Karelia
- Marcial Waters Resort
- Active vacation in Karelia
- Karelian cuisine
- Where to stay
- How to get there
Highlights
Karelia, Russia’s northern pearl of international tourism, is a link in the Blue Road tourist route linking the country with Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
.The delightful nature of Karelia, the original culture of its peoples, architectural masterpieces and religious shrines beckon travelers and admirers of beauty at any time of year. Here you can ski and sled, go canoeing and rafting, hunt, fish, get acquainted with unique architectural and cultural-historical sights. In recent years “green” ecological routes, including visits to national parks and protected areas, as well as ethnographic tours, providing an opportunity to visit Karelian, Pomeranian, Vepsian settlements with centuries-old history, have become very popular.
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History of Karelia
Capital of Karelia
Historical and cultural sights
The originality of Karelia’s culture is a symbiosis of the heritage of four indigenous peoples, who have lived together on this land for ten centuries – Karelians, Finns, Vepsians and Russians. Many architectural and historical sights located in the Republic of Karelia have the status of national heritage of Russia, and some are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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The three main jewels in Karelia’s treasury are Kizhi, Valaam and the Solovetsky Islands. These cultural and spiritual centers of world significance annually receive hundreds of thousands of guests wishing to get acquainted with the bright and original historical sights of the republic, visit unique museums, learn about the artistic and folklore traditions of Karelia.
.Kizhi
Recently, a new excursion route – an ecological trail – has appeared on Kizhi Island. Taking into account that the museum-reserve is located in a unique natural area of Karelia, it was stretched for almost 3 kilometers and equipped with viewpoints, from where you can see magnificent panoramas of the territory, riddled with traces of ancient earthquakes and glaciers that descended about 12 thousand years ago. From here you can watch rare birds and admire the grassy meadows of Kizhi Island. Along the route there are information stands and places for rest.
.The entire island is under the jurisdiction of the museum-reserve, and for admission to it for an individual visit you have to pay 500 rubles. The ticket for pensioners costs 300 rubles, for students – 200 rubles, children under 16 years old can visit the island for free.
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Right on the spot you can order an excursion. The choice of excursion programs is great, their duration – from a quarter of an hour to three hours, the cost – from 200 to 1000 rubles per person.
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Main article: Kizhi
.Scheme of the ecological trail in Kizhi
Valaam
The architectural decoration of the monastery and the man-made beauty of the surrounding landscape form a whole with the unique nature of Valaam. It is so impressive that in the 19th century the island became a kind of workshop where Russian artists honed their skills in painting landscapes. Thus, the Valaam Monastery and the island itself were depicted in many paintings, kept today in famous museums.
.The magnificent stone monastery complex is the height and semantic dominant of the entire Valaam archipelago. The central monastery estate includes the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior, its framing cellular buildings, hotels for pilgrims, the Holy Gate with the gateway church of Peter and Paul, the temples of the Assumption and the Life-Giving Trinity.
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Ordering a tour in this city, you can choose one of two options: a short program, which includes a transfer, a walking tour of the monastery estate (from 2300 rubles per person) or a full program, which additionally includes a tour of a large area called “New Jerusalem”, a visit to Nikon Bay, lunch in the refectory, as well as the opportunity to listen to church spiritual chants (from 3170 rubles per person).
.If you are traveling by private or rented water transport, you can moor at the pier in Monastery Bay.
.In winter in Valaam tourist companies organize ski tours and snowmobile trips.
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Solovki
The architectural complex of the museum, the basis of which is the Solovetsky Monastery, is listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
.The most famous among the islands of the archipelago is the Great Solovetsky Island. It is here that the only settlement of the archipelago and the main historical, spiritual and natural sights of the museum-reserve are located: the monastery itself, the Ascension Skete on Sekirnaya Hill, the Savvatiev Skete, as well as Isaakovskaya, Filipovskaya and Makarievskaya hermitages.
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In the realm of northern nature
There are camping sites and, of course, bathhouses. There is a parking lot (vehicles are not allowed in other places). You can rent a motorboat, kayak, snowmobile.
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Kalevala National Park
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Today this natural wonder is the main attraction of the reserve and is included in the main excursion programs in Karelia.
.The waterfall owes its fame to the famous Russian poet and the first Karelian (at that time – Olonets) governor Gavriil Derzhavin, after visiting this place he wrote an ode, which he called: “Waterfall”. Today no description of the Kivach Falls is complete without the first lines of the work: “The mountain of diamonds is falling down”.
Emperor Alexander II also honored the waterfall with his presence. On the occasion of his visit to Kivach, a road was built. Over the Suna, below the waterfall, for the high guest built a bridge, and near the waterfall itself, on the right side – a pavilion and a house for overnight stay.
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A visit to the waterfall, as well as the Museum of Nature and the arboretum of the reserve will cost you 150 rubles (for children, schoolchildren and students admission is free). For the excursion will have to pay an additional 65 rubles.
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Many people believe that the best time for an excursion to this reserved place is winter, so the museum staff has prepared a special program “Tales of the Reserved Forest” for the winter season. It includes open-air theatrical performances, games, contests, sleigh rides. For children – a tea party with Santa Claus, meeting with fairy tale characters, sweet gifts.
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The cost of attending a two-hour show – 350 rubles.
.Marcial Waters Resort
Today you can also spend time here with health benefits. Modern balneological resort “Marcial Waters” is the largest in the north of Russia health complex, where there are well-equipped water treatment facilities, mud treatment facilities with healing gabozerskaya mud, physiotherapy and other departments.
The sanatorium is surrounded by a forest, three sections of which are unique: a wildlife preserve where the Karelian birch grows, a grove of elms and a deciduous forest with giant linden trees.
.Active recreation in Karelia
For a more complex and longer route (from 3 to 7 days), which includes overcoming a large number of rapids and waterfalls, you will have to pay from 7000 rubles.
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Among the most exciting trips in the winter season is a snowmobile safari across the snow-covered, icy virgin lands of Karelian lakes.
.The same high-speed, overcoming snow obstacles transportation will take you to one of the most famous islands of Karelia – Kizhi Island. Two-day snowmobile tour from Petrozavodsk to Kizhi with one night in a hotel will cost from 26 400 rubles.
Karelian cuisine
For centuries Karelians consider fish to be the most respected food. The most popular is lake fish, which in Karelia is eaten steamed, fried, salted, dried, dried, dried and even fresh. From it are prepared first, second dishes, added to salads.
.The most revered dish of Karelia is ear, which you should definitely try. Here it is called “Kalaruokka”. There are countless recipes for its preparation, but most often soup is cooked from whitefish, adding milk, cream and butter.
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Basically, however, tourists prefer to stay in tourist complexes located in nature. As an elite vacation you can choose a campgrounds, which are located directly on the territory of nature reserves or historical monuments. And the most budget optionv Karelia – overnight stay in tents in specially designated for such a vacation places.
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In general, tourist complexes have a wide price spectrum of rooms from “economy” to “luxury”.
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Tourist base “Thirteenth Cordon” attracts travelers with its location on the shore of the magnificent Ladoga Lake. Here you can stay in two-story cottages, divided into categories of “economy” (from 1500 rubles per person/day) and “luxury” (from 2000 rubles per person/day).
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Recently popular so-called farmsteads. One of them – Karelian farm, which is often called a male settlement. Avid fishermen like to stay here. All conditions are created for them, and the place itself is located in a pine forest on the bank of the river Syapsi, not far from a large body of water – Syamozero. At the service of vacationers – guest houses with all amenities and individual parking. The cost of accommodation – from 3000 rubles/day.
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How to get there
The main airport of Karelia is located 12 km from Petrozavodsk and is named after the city (the old name was Besovets). It receives airplanes from different cities of Russia and foreign countries. The cost of a flight on the route Moscow – Petrozavodsk starts from 3600 rubles; travel time will be 1 h 30 min – 1 h 45 min. The airport accepts helicopters, and there are also helicopter landing sites located in small towns in Karelia.
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A railroad line runs through the territory of Karelia from south to north. Through the Karelian Isthmus and the stations of the Northern Ladoga region trains from St. Petersburg to Petrozavodsk. To the west of the republic you will be taken by the train from St. Petersburg to Kostomuksha.
. Karelia has a well-developed bus traffic. There are routes to St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Vologda and other cities..The main highway running through the territory of Karelia is highway M18 St. Petersburg – Murmansk. The roadway is well paved, but secondary roads are often bumpy dirt roads.
Cape Canal
Lake Sevan
