Karelia is located on the border of the Russian Federation and Finland. Thanks to the most beautiful places, Karelia has become famous and popular with tourists. This is one of the most mysterious areas of the country. Despite the fact that there are many photos with the names of the most beautiful places in Karelia, none of them fully reflects the entire palette of colors of its unique northern nature. The republic is full of fabulous taiga forests, the quiet expanse of blue lakes. In addition, beautiful places to relax in Karelia are its unique islands.
The most famous places
Among the places obligatory to visit include waterfalls of the republic. In Karelia there are many beautiful waterfalls of various sizes. They always attract tourists, being considered the best natural attractions of the region.
The famous marble canyon of Ruskeala is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful places in Karelia, where every tourist wants to go. Until 1939, it remained flooded by the Finns. However, at the moment, the canyon has actually gained a new life.
The famous caves of the marble canyon Ruskeala. The entrance to them was open at the moment when the ceiling of the underground mine was blown up with the aim of developing marble.
The beautiful view of Kizhi island in Karelia is popular. It is one of the one and a half thousand islands in Lake Onega. The island of Valaam is very famous.
The Solovetsky Islands are an archipelago spread out on the Onega Bay. There are six of them. There is a separate museum of crafts made of wood. It presents several hundred diverse sculptures - giant mosquitoes, huts on chicken legs. Sprinkled with snow, they are an incredible sight.
Mount Vottovaara is also attractive. It is considered a mystical place on which the forces of evil have concentrated. By car, it is not so easy to get to a beautiful place of Karelia in the region of Mount Vottovaara, but it stops few people.
Kivakkatunturi Mountain has a famous view of the park. The national park, spread out below, was founded in 1992.
The ratings of the most beautiful places in Karelia include: the Kuzova archipelago, Lake Pizanets, the remains of the Tulmozero iron-smelting plant, the Karelian zoo, the Three Bears zoocomplex, the Marcial Waters, the Onega Lake embankment, the White Sea, the caves with the White Sea petroglyphs, the Pelegare rock, Ruskeme.
More about attractions
When determining which places to visit in the republic, one must take into account the preferences of the tourist. Those who appreciate history and architecture, from all the beautiful places in Karelia in the summer should choose the Solovetsky Islands, Kizhi, Valaam. All these places are shrouded in legends, many historical events have happened here. The spirit of history is complemented by the extraordinary picturesque nature of the Republic of Karelia.
If we are talking about extreme forms of recreation, fishing or hunting, then you can offer rafting on fast rivers, walks in beautiful forests. Extremely beautiful lakes in Karelia, full of fish of many varieties, including salmon. Thanks to this, fishermen from all over the country flock here. Access to the White Sea is a truly spectacular sight.
Balaam
The island of Valaam is a real natural monument - it combines both space and cliffs, wildness of forests and hills. Since this is one of the most beautiful places in Karelia, nature photos in the vicinity of Valaam are known to almost everyone.
It was here that a monastery was built, which not so long ago turned 1000 years old. There are excursions that are complemented by trips to the marble mountains of Ruskeala. As a result, such a journey is remembered due to its richness.
Reviews and History
Experienced tourists note that a short excursion in order to penetrate Valaam will not be enough. When planning a visit to this place, you need to calculate your time so that at least a day is left on Valaam.
Before you go here, it makes sense to take warm clothes, as the water will be cool. You need to carefully select and shoes. Despite the presence of wood flooring, in some places there is a lot of dirt.
The island was called so many centuries ago. At that time, Finno-Ugric tribes lived here, and then Karelians. Translated, "Valamo" means "high land." Someone compares this name with Val - the son of Odin, as well as with Veles, in honor of whom sacrifices were made here. There is a legend that the monastery was originally founded by Andrew the First-Called. He established the Christian cross here.
Over its long history, the island has experienced many trials - armed conflicts, epidemics. In 1715 (after the war with Sweden) Peter I ordered the monastery to be restored. A stone monastery building was erected here.
Subsequently, a young school, a state farm, a boarding school for the disabled and the elderly, which was shrouded in many secrets and legends, were opened here. Church buildings turned into warehouses and shops, and wooden buildings were dismantled for fuel. In 1979, the restoration began, the monks returned here. At the moment there are more than 100 people.
Kizhi
Speaking about the beautiful places of Karelia, one cannot but mention the island of Kizhi. There are many structures that were created without using a single nail at a time when mass production, steel, carbon, had not yet been developed. Due to this, they are inherently unique.
Here is the richest collection of wooden architecture monuments from Zaonezhie. Thanks to this, it was possible to recreate the appearance of a medieval village in these parts. Being in this beautiful place in Karelia, you can feel the effect of time travel on yourself. In addition, there are excursions in the winter season with dog sledding rides. However, you can enjoy this in the summertime.
About Solovki
Solovki is a famous place for links, about which it is impossible not to hear while living in the territory of the Russian Federation. The solitude of this island creates a rather painful impression, forcing to experience involuntary thrill before the scale of this beauty.
The first human footprints on the islands were left in the 3rd millennium BC. The first settlement of the monks was founded in 1429, when the Monks Herman and Savvaty settled here. They built their cell about 13 kilometers from the future monastery. When Savvaty died, other monks began to come to the island, having founded a monastery here in 1436. As a result, he became one of the richest and most powerful, in the 17th century there were about 350 monks, 700 novices and peasants.
The thickness of the walls surrounding the monastery, reaches 4-6 meters. In many places they are made up of huge boulders. There is no accurate information about exactly who erected these structures. Some stones in it weigh 8 tons each, and the lichen on the boulders is already 2000-3000 years old. According to the version of V.A. Lekomtsev, many buildings were here before the monks came here, who only strengthened the ancient buildings. In the 16th century, monks dug canals, which made the Solovetsky Islands a unified system.
This unique monastery is one of the most beautiful places in Karelia. He withstood the siege many times. The longest lasted 8 years. It happened in 1669, because the monks refused to worship in the new model from Patriarch Nikon. The siege could go on for a much longer time, since the rich monastery possessed large reserves and was also well protected. However, the defector in 1676 opened the gate and helped the archers to be on its territory. Of the 500 people who defended the fortress, only 14 survived. Since 1553, Solovki was used to exile prisoners who are objectionable to the authorities. So, Father Superior Artemy was sent here in solitary confinement for speaking out against spiritual authority. Until the 19th century, there was a prison. And in 1923, links here became systematic.
Ancient labyrinths are considered one of the most unusual sights here - this is the main part of pagan temples. They are giant circles with a diameter reaching 25 meters. They were created more than 3000 years BC.
Of great interest to everyone who is interested in history is the Conversation Stone. It is set in memory of the events of the 19th century. Then the British, trying to capture the Solovetsky Islands, bombarded them, failing to inflict any damage on the monastery.
This beautiful place in Karelia in the photo amazes with an abundance of water bodies. So, there are more than 600 lakes. And 52 of them connected by channels. Having built canals, the monks provided their cloister with drinking water, as well as shipping routes. The innovative idea was to create Philippi cages. They are a fenced part of the reservoir, specially built for storing live fish. The thing is that storms at sea were not uncommon. Therefore, to go fishing was not always an opportunity. Photos of the most beautiful places of nature in Karelia necessarily include the Solovetsky Islands. In June, many beluga whales come here. Hundreds of tourists come to see these beautiful creatures. By right, one of the most beautiful places in Karelia in winter is the island of Good Spirits, which is very close by. Its majestic landscapes can impress anyone.
Vottovaara
One of the most mysterious places in the republic is Mount Vottovaara, located in the western part. It hides many secrets associated with seids (cult boulders), trees of the most unusual forms, a stone pool and the mystery of the atmosphere. To understand what is at stake, you must definitely familiarize yourself with this beautiful place of Karelia, the photo of which is given below.
The second name of this natural site is Death Mountain. It is believed that she began to be called because of the battles that took place on her slopes in 1942, during which the partisan brigade was defeated by the Finns.
But to this day no information has been preserved about who built many stone buildings on its slopes. It is generally recognized that this is the work of the ancient inhabitants, who endowed this area with unusual properties, conducting their rites here.
On the way to Vottovaara there are very difficult passable sections of the road. Sometimes rivers cross it, so it makes sense to go here with an all-wheel drive car.
From the top of the mountain overlooks Karelia of a slightly different nature. It appears as a mysterious ancient land, immersed in silence. For superstitious people, the mountain is a world of dark power, a transition to another world. Here both the lakes and the fauna are dead.
In addition, this mountain is the highest point of western Karelia. About 9000 years ago, there was a major earthquake in these places. As a result, a huge failure formed here.
At the moment, followers of various mystical beliefs are flocking here. They believe that there is a transition to other worlds. The higher you climb the mountain, the less vegetation there is on it. At the top, only twisted trees and mosses remain.
According to one version, the mountain range appeared about 2000 years ago, the structures were erected by the legendary Hyperboreans. These are the inhabitants of the mythical northern state of Hyperborea, whose existence has not been scientifically proven.
The "stairway to heaven" available here is very mysterious. It is unknown by whom and why steps cut down in the rocks. Their exact age is unknown, and historians announce that the ancient people here simply did not know about the stairs. As a result, scientists argue about whether these steps were hollowed out or formed naturally.
In an effort to unravel the original idea of architects of antiquity, historians formed a plan for the entire complex. But a clear figured composition did not appear, and the different age of the stones presented here is a pointer to the fact that the complex has been formed over many years. Vottovaara is probably a unique cult complex where sacrifices have been made for many centuries.
All the riddles associated with the mountain concern not only professional scientists, but also numerous researchers who have come here to conduct their own investigations. At the moment, a lot of psychics come here. Once a year on the mountain there is a meeting of the most respected sorcerers and magicians from all over the country. They claim that in no other place in Russia do they feel such a close connection with space. It is believed that energy here is unusually strong. It feeds the internal forces of man, like a battery. However, it is no coincidence that the inhabitants of antiquity, among a rich assortment of natural objects, chose this mountain for their mysterious rituals.
The mystical stories of eyewitnesses who visited the mountain are also known. Despite the fact that this physical research has not been carried out here, many say that it would be very interesting. After all, people who visited the mountain describe changes in the radiation background. For example, the reports contain stories that at the same time all the expedition members stopped their watches, clean memory cards overwhelmed themselves in the cameras, and people could not reach the perfectly visible target for many hours.
The strangest report thundered in the mid-1990s when a group of Moscow tourists came here. According to their stories, they heard "strange clicking sounds from stones." They did not have time to be horrified, when suddenly they were struck by an incomprehensible buzz. It came from above, as if someone was blowing up a firecracker. Then they had a vision of a woman in a yellow robe. All this, in general, left them with the impression that they saw something “located on the verge between the divine and the devil”.
Eagle owl mountain
This object is part of the track of the Great Patriotic War, which indelibly burned the north of the country. In fact, this is a bunker museum in the rock. It was reopened not so long ago, in 2016. The scale of the construction is amazing. This is one of the largest underground museums in Europe. In 1943-1944, the headquarters of the Finnish army was here.
An interesting fact is that many minerals are mined in the mountain. At the same time, some of them are mined only here in the Republic of Karelia. Nowhere else on planet Earth are there such minerals. The territory of these places is very picturesque. Patriotic festivals are held here, there is its own stylized cafe with traditional military and Karelian dishes. Not so long ago, a shooting range opened here, they are going to organize shooting in motion, obstacle courses, a military camp for games in teams, reconstruction of military operations.
Reserve "Kivach"
It is located in the village of Kivach and is one of the oldest in the country. This reserve was created in 1931. The Suna River flows through its territory, which creates the Kivach waterfall. For a long time, it was the second largest among the flat European waterfalls.
Kivach was first mentioned in a book in 1556, and poems about him existed in the 18th century. His images dating back to the same era were also found.
The Soviet authorities did not accidentally choose a place for the reserve, as it became necessary to protect local pine forests from deforestation. For example, one of the forests was completely cut down in the 17-18 centuries for the production of charcoal and ship materials.
At the moment, only coal pits, mines, adits remind of those events. In the place of clear-cutting, the forests turn green again, which amaze with their beauty. On average, trees here are about 135 years old, but individual specimens have already lived for 240 and 440 years. Around the local reservoirs grow beautiful herbs - black crowberry, heather, double leaf lane. From cracks in the rocks blistering bubbles. Viburnum blooms here.
In the reserve you can observe many Karelian landscapes - selga, "curly rocks", "ram's foreheads", which are roundness, smoothed by glaciers. This is the most beautiful place in Karelia in the summer, and in winter there are snowmobile tours.
Park "Ruskeala"
This is a place that you definitely need to visit while in the Karelian Republic. Marble Canyon is its main attraction and is a masterpiece of the symbiosis of man and nature. This is one of the most beautiful places in Karelia, a photo of one of the sections of which is presented below.
In the 18th century, Catherine ordered the extraction of marble here for St. Petersburg. The stone was needed for decorating castles, palaces, St. Isaac's Cathedral. In the 19th century, the quarry stopped working, filled with natural water. According to another version, it was flooded by the Finns.
The quarry is quite colorful. You can walk along its perimeter, following the hiking trails strewn with marble chips. There is also an observation deck and a descent into the adit. Here you can admire hundreds of beautiful shades of emerald. Walking along the edge of the canyon, enjoy the iridescent lake, which changes color with each step.
In half a meter above the water, underground tunnels and grottoes are visible. You can swim in them on boats or dive into the water to explore the bottom in the company of a professional diver.
Ladoga and Onega
The uniqueness of Ladoga and Onega lakes struck the minds of more than one generation. Lakes are similar to each other due to the indentedness of their shores, on which there are many bays, peninsulas, bays. It is also one of the most beautiful places in Karelia.
Lake Ladoga is a huge reservoir with an area of 18, 300 square kilometers, and its depth reaches 230 meters. The lake is fed by rivers, tributaries, streams. They flow through many regions of Russia and Finland. The Volkhov and Neva rivers flow from the lake. Many of the Ladoga islands are overgrown with wild forests, but there are also half-naked islands with bushes.
There are islands with their own separate lakes, for example, Puutsari. On it, among the granite mountains, is the beautiful Svyatoye Lake. On this island there are many birch forests, alders, dense spruce forests.
It is interesting that the ringed seal, listed in the Red Book, lives in the Holy Lake. Also here you can observe seals that are found only on Lake Baikal. This pond is very rich in fish. Thanks to this, it attracts fishermen from all over the country. The lake is very popular with tourists. It is very quiet here on summer evenings. It is better to come here in July - this month has the most calm days.
Lake Onega is somewhat smaller. Its area is 9720 square kilometers, and the depth reaches a mark of 127 meters. It is from it that the Shuya River originates. Its shores are very diverse - there are rocks, and sand, and boulders, and islands with bays. Ancient villages and wild taiga have been preserved on Shuya. On Lake Onega is the famous island of Kizhi.
