Golden Ring of Karelia

The Golden Ring of Karelia route combines many interesting sights of Russian Karelia. The harsh beauty of the northern nature cannot leave anyone indifferent. In Karelia, you can see not only natural attractions, but also architectural ones.

Significant inconveniences are still caused by the transport accessibility of some places, in particular the Vottovaara Mount. This creates problems for trips along the ring route, however, in recent years the situation with the quality of roads is changing for the better, and this affects the development of tourism.

Attractions of the Golden Ring of Karelia route:

1. Priozersk
2. Ladoga skerries
3. Valaam Island
4. Ruskeala waterfalls
5. Ruskeala Mountain Park
6. Mount Vottovaara
7. Girvas Paleovolcano
8. Marcial Waters Resort
9. Mount Sampo
10. Kivach Nature Reserve
11. Kizhi Island
12. Alexander Svirsky Monastery 
13. Mandrogi Village

Priozersk

Start your journey through the Golden Ring of Karelia in St. Petersburg and go to Priozersk. This city is located on the border of the St. Petersburg region and Karelia. The city of Priozersk from the 14th to the 18th century was a border town between Russia and Sweden. These lands belonged to the Korela tribe, which were allies of the Novgorod Republic, however, the Swedes also claimed it.  

In the 13th century, a first wooden Fortress Korela was built here. In Priozersk, visit the Korela fortress, then see the Lutheran Church, the Courtyard of the Valaam Monastery. After that, have a rest in the Recreation Park. 

Ladoga Skerries reserve

The Ladoga Skerries Reserve occupies the entire northern shore of Lake Ladoga in the Landepohsky and Pitkyarantsky regions. The archipelago of 650 islands, which consists of the Ladoga Skerries Reserve, begins near the village of Berezovo. Then it stretches for 170 kilometers north to Pitkyaranta. 

The most interesting motorboat route along the Ladoga Skerries is possible from the city of Sortavala. You can rent a boat and tour the routes between the islands: Havus, Hankosalo, Karnetsaari, Laukka. Here you will see all the beauty of Lake Ladoga.

Valaam Island

Valaam Island is the pearl of Karelia. All Orthodox people strive to visit the monastery on the island. The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery was founded in 1407. The monastery itself is located in the main harbor of Valaam, and there are numerous monastic sketes all over the island. They look very harmonious among the Karelian nature. 

You can get to Valaam Island by high-speed ships from the cities of Priozersk and Sortavala. If you travel around the Golden Ring of Karelia, it is best to go to Valaam from Sortavala. You can make a short sightseeing trip in one day. However, it is best to stay here for 1-2 days to walk around the island slowly.

Ruskeala Waterfalls

After returning to Sortavala from Valaam Island, go to the Ruskeala Mountain Park. Before reaching the Park 20 kilometers away, make a stop at the Ruskeala Waterfalls on the Tohmajoki River. They are 100 meters from the road.

In total, the Ruskeala cascade includes 4 waterfalls with an average height of 3-4 meters. The most beautiful of them is called Ahvenkoski, which means "Perch rapid". There is a parking and walking area near Ruskeala Waterfalls. Here you can relax, and the paths around the waterfalls pass through very picturesque places among low rocks and boulders.

Ruskeala Mountain Park

The Ruskeala Mountain Park can be compared with the royal palaces of St. Petersburg by its attractiveness. The main attraction of the Ruskeala Mountain Park is the Great Marble Canyon. For several centuries, marble has been mined here, on the banks of the Tohmajoki River. 

After the conservation of the quarry, it was quickly filled with water. So a very beautiful landmark appeared in Karelia. The excursion "Underground Ruskeala" is of great interest in the Ruskeala Mountain Park. Here you will see the tunnels of the Marble Quarry, which are very beautifully illuminated. Visit the Italian Quarry and the small park "Secret Paths of the land of Kalevala".

Mount Vottovaara

The next stop on the Golden Ring of Karelia route is Mount Vottovaara. However, while the transport accessibility of this mountain is very difficult. The distance from Ruskeala to Mount Vottovaara is 310 kilometers and the road has a dirt surface throughout.

Mount Vottovaara is one of the most famous anomalous zones in Russia. It is often called the Place of Power. On the mountain you can see a lot of amazing things that are difficult to explain from a scientific point of view: Sami seids, stones with perfectly smooth splits, twisted trees, Stairs to the Sky and just very beautiful landscapes of Karelian nature.

There are always many followers of occult teachings here. They believe that here is a portal to another world, that here you can feel the vibrations of the earth and receive energy from Space. Someone may take this with disbelief, but the presence of anomalies on the mountain is obvious.  

Girvas Paleovolcano

From Vottovaara Mountain, head towards the Kola highway, which connects St. Petersburg and Murmansk. Make a stop near the ancient Girvas Volcano. It is located between the cities of Kondopoga and Medvezhegorsk. 

According to geologists, the Girvas volcano was active more than 3 billion years ago. The last eruption occurred about 2 billion years ago. The height of the mountain at that time reached several thousand meters. Then the volcano went out and now nothing reminds of volcanic activity in Karelia. The mountain has leveled with the surface of the earth, but the entire neighborhood around the crater still consists of volcanic rock.  

Kivach Nature Reserve

From the Girvas Volcano, head to the Kivach Nature Reserve to see the famous waterfall. Kivach waterfall, despite its modest height, only 11 meters, is the third largest (volume of water) plain waterfall in Europe. The entire area around the waterfall is declared a national park, where the pristine nature of Karelia has been preserved.

A relict Karelian forest has been preserved near the waterfall. There is an arboretum here, where you can see the Karelian birch, which has practically not been preserved in the wild, as well as other trees of the Russian north. You can also visit the museum of the Kivach Nature Reserve.

Marcial Waters Resort

From the Kivach Waterfall, you will need to turn off the main Kola highway onto a secondary road that runs parallel. There you can visit the balneological resort of Marcial Waters. The distance between them is 40 kilometers. Marcial Waters is the very first resort in Russia, founded personally by Tsar Peter I in 1719.

The mineral water of the resort has a high content of iron ions, so it was called Marcial, in honor of the god Mars. The resort itself was named Marcial Waters. The wooden Church of the Apostle Peter, which was built by Peter I personally in 1721, has been preserved here.  In 1964, a sanatorium was built on the basis of the springs and healing mud of Lake Gabozero. Cardiovascular diseases, iron deficiency anemia, digestive and respiratory organs are treated here.  

Mount Sampo

Heading from the Marcial Waters towards Petrozavodsk, make a stop near the Sampo Mountain. This mountain rises on the isthmus between two lakes: Konchozero and Ukshozero. At the top there is an observation deck where you can admire beautiful views of the Karelian forests and lakes.  

Mount Sampo is a rock ridge left over from the ice Age. Its height is only 40 meters. In the Karelo-Finnish epic Kalevala Sampo was called a magical object that was a source of well-being and abundance. In 1959, a Soviet-Finnish cinematographic group shot a film about the epic Kalevala in Karelia. Stories about Sampo were filmed on this mountain. Since then, it has been called Sampo, and the mountain has become a landmark of Karelia.  

Kizhi Island

Kizhi Island is the pearl of Karelia. It was included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Lists as one of the first in 1990, along with the sights of Moscow and St. Petersburg. This underlines the exceptional cultural value of the Museum of Wooden Architecture.

Kizhi Island can be reached by boat, which departs from the main pier in Petrozavodsk. The primary monument of universal importance is rightly considered the 22-domed Church of Transfiguration of Our Savior built in 1714. There remained the four-tier iconostasis including 102 icons of 17-18 centuries painted by northern icon-painters. Nearby, in 1764 there was built the 9-domed steepled Church of Intercession of Our Lady, and in 1874 a bell tower was added to the architectural ensemble.

After visiting Kizhi Island, be sure to take a walk along the Petrozavodsk embankment, visit the Museum of Local Lore, where you can get to know the ethnography of Karelia better.

Alexander Svirsky Monastery 

From Petrozavodsk, return to St. Petersburg along the Kola Highway. After 180 kilometers from Petrozavodsk, there will be a turn to the Alexander Svir Monastery. You can make a short stop here. 

Thousands of pilgrims come to the monastery every year to venerate the relics of St. Alexander of Svirsky. During the lifetime of Alexander Svirsky, the monastery was divided into two courtyards: Trinity and Transfiguration. The Transfiguration Courtyard is open to the public. In 1641, the stone Transfiguration Cathedral was built there, which now houses the relics of Alexander Svirsky.

Mandrogi Village

Near the Monastery of Alexander Svirsky is the Village of Mandrogi. This is another attraction of Karelia. The "amazing village of Mandrogi", as it is called in official guidebooks, is located on the banks of the Svir River among the Karelian forests. It is a popular stopover for cruise ships following the route along Lake Ladoga to the Solovetsky Islands. 

A large theme park has been built for tourists. It has a 19th-century Village, as well as new pavilions. "Village of the 19th century" is a museum of wooden architecture. Here you can see original houses brought from remote villages of the Russian north.

Shlisselburg Fortress

Returning to St. Petersburg from a trip around Lake Ladoga, you can make a stop at the Shlisselburg Fortress. It is located not in Karelia, but in the St.Petersburg region, but this does not make it any less interesting. 

The Schlisselburg Fortress (Oreshek) is located on a small island at the source of the Neva River from Lake Ladoga, 50 kilometers from St. Petersburg. The strategic importance of this place is huge, so already in 1323, in the time of the Novgorod Republic, a fortress was built here.