Swamps of Russia

At first glance, the tourist attraction of the theme "Swamps of Russia" is not obvious. However, in this review we would like to suggest several tourist routes that have been created in national parks and other nature reserves. These routes are available for pleasant walks, wooden decking is made in wet places. All this allows you to enjoy the beauty of the nature of the Russia.

There are a huge number of swamps in Russia, and many of them are associated with "lost places" where no one will go on their own. In Russian folklore, stories about watermen, kikimores and other evil spirits are associated with swamps. There really are such swamps and we do not recommend going there. But the ecological trails that we offer are laid in accessible places. You can drive up to the beginning of these trails by car. The length of these trails does not exceed several kilometers.

If you decide to visit the tourist routes in the wetlands in the summer, then you definitely need to wear appropriate clothes. It should be tight, with long sleeves. In summer, there are quite a lot of mosquitoes and horseflies in all the swamps. They will prevent you from enjoying the beauty of nature.

Sestroretsk swamp

The Sestroretsk swamp is located on the northern outskirts of St. Petersburg, near the city of Sestroretsk. The oldest areas of the swamp at the mouth of the Sestra River were formed more than 8 thousand years ago. The Sestroretsk swamp has never been drained, so it is very interesting to see what these places looked like when Tsar Peter I founded St. Petersburg in 1703. As you know, the city was built on swamps.

The Sestroretsk swamp is a nature reserve with a special nature protection regime. Despite it is located within the city area, here you can see the beauty of the pristine northern nature. The length of the circular route through the swamp is 3.5 kilometers. In all places where it is damp, a wooden deck is made, allowing people people to walk comfortably through the swamp. There is no wooden decking in the pine forests, but a path has been laid.

National park Meschchera

Trail Along the ancient Ryazan road

The trail Along the ancient Ryazan road is laid in the area of the ancient road that connected Ryazan and Vladimir. This road was used until the early 20th century, when it was replaced by a narrow-gauge railway. Now all the wetlands of Meshchera are included in the National Park. The road through the Meshchersk lands appeared in the Middle Ages. Its length was 75 km, of which 30 km stretched along the marshes where no one lived. It is not difficult to imagine how much people were afraid to travel along this road. Fairy tales about goblins and mermen seemed to be a reality in these places. The "Robber Nightingale" from folk folklore also lived in these places on the road near Murom.

The old Ryazan Road, skirting the most swampy areas of Meshchera, crossed the Pol River in four places. The piles of one of these bridges near the village of Erlex have been preserved and are now an interesting attraction on the ecological trail "Along the ancient Ryazan road". The ecological trail begins on the auto road that connects Gus-Khrustalny and the village of Urshelsky. The length of the route from the barrier to the Sosnovaya camp is 2.5 km. At first, the trail stretches through a pine forest and only at the end it again comes to the swampy bank of the Pol River, which has overflowed into a small lake. There are several recreation areas in these places. There is also a Yutnaya camp behind the Sosnovaya camp.

The trail The Road to the Temple

The trail The Road to the Temple is the easiest route in the Meshchera National Park. The route is 1.2 kilometers long. The main goal of the route is the large Church of the Holy Trinity in the village of Erlex, which is located on the banks of the Pol River. Near the village of Erlex, the road goes to the bank of the Pol River, which at this place overflowed into a wide swampy lake. It is very picturesquely overgrown with reeds and low willows, and then the huge Gusev swamp begins.

On the bank of the Pol River, you can see the dam where the old Ryazan Road passed, which connected Ryazan and Vladimir. There is a sign on the embankment that a road passed here, and you can walk along it to get closer to the wooden piles left over from the 19th century bridge. After looking at the bridge, go back to the sand glade and walk towards the church.

The bell tower of the Church of the Holy Trinity rises above the trees. Now it seems amazing that such a large church was built in an abandoned village in the middle of a swamp. However, in the 19th century, the Ryazan Road was an important transport artery connecting Vladimir and Ryazan. In those years, the village of Erlex was a postal station where people could change horses and have a rest. The church was built in the classical style. The height of the bell tower reaches 75 meters.

The trail Trek into the world of Meshchera swamps

The trail Trek into the world of Meshchera swamps begins near the village of Erlex and stretches through the pine forest to the swampy bank of the Pol River. On this trail you can see the typical landscape of the Meshchera pine forest, as well as the Sergievo swamp, which is located south of the auto road connecting the town of Gus-Khrustalny with the village of Urshelsky.

To the north of this auto road there is a huge Gusev swamp. It occupies a significant part of the Meshchera lowland. For many years there has been industrial development of peat and there are no hiking trails there. The beginning of the trail is near the bus stop near the village of Erlex.

At about 2 kilometers of the ecological trail, you will see a branch to Camp site No. 10. The trail stretches through a pine forest and only at the very end comes to the viewing point near Sergievo swamp, which is located between the beds of the Pol and Buzha rivers. Here you can see the typical landscape of the swamp, watch the birds.

Valdai National Park

Beaver Trail

The Beaver Trail in the Valdai National Park is located on the eastern shore of Uzhin Lake, near the turnoff to the Northern Lights hotel. The length of the Beaver Trail is 2 kilometers. It runs in a circle around a small swamp. Walking along it, you will see different ecosystems of the middle plain of Russia.

A few dozen meters from the Valdaika river, the trail forks. A circular route begins, passing around the swamp. If you go to the right, the trail goes along a small ridge appeared after the glacier melting. There will be a swamp on the left, and the Valdaika River on the right, but you need to go down a slope of several tens of meters to it. There is a dense spruce forest growing here, the ground in many places is covered with a dense layer of moss.

There are viewing platforms on the northeastern side of the swamp. You can see the ecosystem of the swamp from them. Further from the swamp, you need to climb up the slope about 50 meters up. Here you will again see a narrow ridge called the Ozovaya Ridge. This is a relief left by the moraines of the glacier. Now it is overgrown with large pines.  At the top near the gazebo you can see a giant anthill. Its height reaches 1.5 meters.

Forest Secrets trail

The Forest Secrets trail is the most visited in Valdai National Park. The length of the Forest Secrets Trail is 2 kilometers. It is located near the village of Dolgie Brody. The trail has a circular route. Near the road where you can park your car, the trail splits. If you follow the trail straight, then after 300 meters, you will reach Sokolovsky Springs. Then the trail approaches the Kraskovsky swamp. This is one of the largest marshes of the Valdai National Park, located between Lakes Valdai and Uzhin. Almost the entire swamp is already overgrown with a dense layer of moss and has a raised bog type. An observation deck has been built on the Forest Secrets trail, where you can look at the surroundings of the Kraskovsky swamp.

A path begins at this site, which stretches deep into the swamp. Some people take a stick and try to walk on it. At the beginning of the trail, you can feel your feet sinking into the moist soil. There is no obvious danger of fall through moss, but it is dangerous to follow it further. There are not many people on the hiking trail who could come to the rescue.

After seeing the Kraskovskoe swamp, go further along the trail. The terrain of the soil becomes rugged. It was formed under the influence of glacier moraines during the Valdai glaciation. There are a huge number of anthills in this place. An information stand "On a visit to the ants" is installed on the trail. Walking along the trail, you will see dozens of huge anthills. The height of some exceeds 1 meter.

National park Ugra

Trail Galkino swamp

The Galkino Swamp trail is located on the territory of the Ugra National Park, in the northern part of the Galkino Forest. The beginning of the trail is located near the village of Galkino. Here you can go to the edge of the Galkino swamp, and then go to the Buchkov swamp. Previously, industrial peat extraction was carried out here, but now it is a protected  natural place.

Galkino swamp is located on the way to the Nikola-Lenivets Art Park (20 km away). Most visitors do not stop at the swamp, just go to see the art objects of the Nikola-Lenivets Park. However, if you have about an hour of time, then we advise you to make a stop and see the Galkino swamp. The length of the entire circular route of the trail between the Galkino and Buchko swamps is 2 kilometers, however, you can drive up to the Galkino swamp almost closely by car and there the distance for a walk will not exceed 300 meters.