Anna Borchikova
Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Republic of Karelia
Anna Borchikova, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Republic of Karelia, told the EcoTourism EXPERT about the travel itineraries developed in Karelia.
- Karelia is a stunning place for active tourism and enjoying a close communion with nature. What time of year is the best to visit the Northern region and is it possible to travel without a guide, given the large distances between key tourism locations?
- Tourists can have good vacations in Karelia, admire the amazing natural beauty of the Russian North and ancient architecture at any time of the year. In addition to guided tours for those who prefer traveling independently and dream of enjoying the pristine nature, a convenient five-day tourist route has been developed and we included visiting the main tourism anchors of the region.
They include several landmarks such as the town of Sortavala on the Lake Ladoga coast, ancient Karelian villages, Kizhi Island, the cities of Petrozavodsk and Belomorsk.
Of course, a must-see for tourists is the Kizhi Museum-Reserve with its over 80 monuments of Russian wooden architecture, the oldest one of them was built in the 14th century. Its main attraction is the Kizhi Pogost (churchyard), which is the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historical and cultural monuments that include Petroglyphs - about 2 thousand drawings preserved on the rocks of the White Sea, dating back to the beginning of the 4th-3rd millennium B.C. - are also among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
For enthusiasts of ethnotourism, I’d like to recommend visiting the village of Kinerma located among seven wonders of the Finno-Ugric world. All the houses in the village were built in the late 19th-early 20th centuries, and an ethnographic museum has been opened where the preserved furnishings and household items are displayed; workshops on cooking kalitkas (small open pies made from unfermented rye dough with various fillings, a traditional dish of Karelian, Vepsian and Northern Russian cuisine) are also held there, and there is also an authentic ‘black’ bath house. The village of Kindasovo is considered the most cheerful in Karelia and it is also very interesting to tourists. Musical excursions with folklore performances and playing musical instruments are held in the village, as well as an annual festival of humor and laughter held in June.
Both children and adults can be interested in husky trekking in the Karjala Park where they can enjoy ‘communicating’ with huskies and also take a training workshop on dealing with sled dogs and dog sledding. I’d also like to recommend visiting the Bastion, a large historical park, with several living-history museums and an educational eco-site among its attractions.
- What locations might be of interest to ecotourists?
- Almost everything in Karelia with its pristine nature is good for ecotourism, it’s important to see and watch everything. In particular, this travel itinerary includes such interesting locations as the Ahinkoski Waterfalls on the Tohmajoki River, around which a walking trail with wooden suspension bridges is made, and Mount Sampo formed during the movement of a glacier, as well as the Kivach Waterfall, the second highest plain waterfall in Europe after the Rhine Waterfall, and, of course, the Girvas Volcano, the oldest volcanic crater on the Earth formed 3 billion years ago with solidified over 30-m lava thick flows.
In addition, it will be interesting to visit the Ruskeala Mountain Park and the Belaya Gora (White Mountain) Park where marble was previously mined, and today, there is a picturesque tourist area with ponds, hiking trails, and viewing decks. Tourists can go down into the mine adits and follow the tourist route called Underground Ruskeala.
In the warm season, I would highly recommend active tourism enthusiasts to raft down the Shuya River, and even children and people of venerable age can take part in this tour.
- It’s a very busy program. Will a five-day trip be enough for visiting all these locations and for these activities?
- I would say, that 5 days is, of course, the minimum tour. If there is an opportunity to make a longer tour, travelers can stay for a couple of days at many places along the tourist route, using convenient accommodations, including modern glamping sites.
In addition, tourists can enjoy their time at the Marcial Waters balneological resort with its famous chalybeate mineral water and healing mud. By the way, this is the first resort in Russia founded by Peter the Great in 1719. Four healing mineral water spring in wooden pavilions are located next to the Medvezhegorsk - Marcial Waters highway and anyone can use this mineral water.
If travelers have enough time, there is also the opportunity to stay in one of the holiday homes on Lake Onega where they can rent a boat, yacht, and even an old sailboat, in addition to walking, swimming, and fishing.
- Are there any travel itineraries around Karelia for traveling by car?
- For those who prefer traveling by car, there are two interesting routes - around Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega. The 5-day 860-kilometer route around Lake Ladoga suggests visiting such a landmark as the Island of Valaam in addition to numerous attractions (detailed material about Valaam is on the EcoTourism EXPERT - https://eco-tourism.expert/ru/blogs/ostrov-nadezhdy), numerous beautiful lakes and stunning waterfalls, and getting to know the nature of the Northern Pre-Ladoga area better. An even longer and very interesting 1,000-km route around Lake Onega can also last 5 days.
For those who are ready for a ‘deeper dive’ in the breathtaking Karelian nature, a 1,300 km-long Karelian Arctic route has been developed that helps enjoy the natural beauty and the sites of national heritage and industrial tourism. This tour takes 11 days and the White Sea-Baltic Canal’s locks are among its attractions. And the Kuzova Landscape Reserve, a natural monument consisting of 16 islands in the White Sea, is greatly popular with ecotourists; many of the islands’ inhabitants are listed in the Red Data Books of Karelia and Russia.
Tourists can study this and other travel itineraries in detail, as well as create their personalized travel itinerary on the new tourist portal called ‘Legendary Karelia’ https://legendary-karelia.ru.
When traveling by car, please keep in mind that the areas of northern Karelia are sparsely populated, and not all villages located along the highway have stable mobile communications. In addition, given the long distances, travelers should definitely take some additional fuel, a first aid kit, and some food along with them.
- They say that the weather in Karelia is also full of surprises ...
- Indeed, the Karelian weather is very changeable and can be confusing. For example, we say that when going for a walk in the summer, you should always take a wind jacket and umbrella in addition to sunglasses and a cap. And this is not a joke. Regardless of the season, tourists should take warm clothes and sturdy shoes even when they are going to make a five-day tour to the amazing Karelia.
Photos courtesy of the Information Tourist Center of the Republic of Karelia.
