Kizhi — Valaam — Solovki. Holy Legends of the North

Early departure for the tour from the hotel.

Breakfast — lunch box.

Transfer to the town of Sortavala (250 km).

Arrival in Sortavala.

Departure along Lake Ladoga to Valaam Island (50 min. on the way).

Sightseeing tour of the central estate of the monastery with a visit to the Transfiguration Cathedral, the Assumption Church, chapels, cell buildings, outbuildings and hotel buildings.

Lunch in the monastery refectory.

New Jerusalem tour.

The center of the "New Jerusalem" is the Resurrection Skete, located on the high Ladoga coast, which was completely restored and consecrated for its 100th anniversary in 2006.

The lower church of this hermitage, which resembles early Christian temples in its decoration, has a semblance of the cave of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

From the Resurrection Skete, the forest road goes towards the man-made Garden of Gethsemane, where, among the southern broad-leaved trees and picturesque lilac bushes, there is a small, cozy Gethsemane skete with the wooden Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The tour ends on Mount of Olives, where one of the most poetic views of Ladoga opens from the Chapel of the Ascension of the Lord.

The "New Jerusalem" tour can be replaced by the "Nikolsky Hermitage" tour.

Return to Sortavala.

Transfer to Ruskeala Mountain Park (30 km).

Marble Canyon tour.

During this tour you will get acquainted with the unique natural landscapes.

For more than 70 years (until the middle of the nineteenth century), decorative light gray marble was broken out in local quarries to decorate the temples and palaces of St. Petersburg, the fountains of Petrodvorets, the columns of Tsarskoye Selo and Gatchina.

Magical lakes with clear water in a beautiful Ruskeal marble bowl will make an indelible impression.

Later return to Petrozavodsk.

Early breakfast.

Room release.

Departure by bus to Belomorsk (370 km).

On the way, stop at one of the largest lowland waterfalls in Europe — Kivach Waterfall.

Visit Kivach Waterfall, one of the largest lowland waterfalls in Europe.

The route provides an opportunity to learn about the history of the protected lands, to see world-famous natural sites: Kivach Waterfall and Karelian birch.

The waterfall is viewed by the arboretum, a living collection of trees and shrubs. The secrets stored in the harmony of stone and water will be revealed to you.

The trees and shrubs of Karelian nature and guests from other continents represented in the arboretum will no longer be a "dark forest" for you. You will get acquainted with the history of human exploration of these places.

Lunch on the route.

Travel time to the White Sea petroglyphs.

Visit to the Besov Sledki exhibition pavilion, where one of the clusters of the White Sea Petroglyphs— a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is presented!

Acquaintance with one of the outstanding monuments of primitive art in Northern Europe — petroglyphs — rock carvings of ancient hunters and fishermen, located on the picturesque islands of the lower reaches of the Vyg River.

Arrival in Kem.

Accommodation at the hotel. Rest.

Breakfast.

Room release.

Transfer by ship across the White Sea to the Solovetsky Islands.

Arrival on Bolshoy Solovetsky Island.

Sightseeing tour of the Solovetsky Kremlin (duration of the tour is 2.5 hours).

The tour introduces visitors to the history of the Solovetsky Monastery.

Tourists visit the territory of the central complex of the monastery, active temples, monuments included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, objects of economic activity of the monastery.

Check-in at the hotel after 14:00.

Lunch.

The excursion "The history of the Solovetsky Archipelago" (the duration of the walking tour is 3.5 hours).

Sightseeing of the monuments of the village of Solovetsky with a story about the main historical epochs of Solovki: from the appearance of the first people on the islands in the VI millennium BC (stop at Cape Labyrinths) to the events of our time.

"Solovki as a mirror of Russian history" — this idea "runs through the guide's narrative like a red thread.

The fascinating story unfolds a secret scroll of the Solovetsky chronicle, telling how often the Solovki participated in famous historical events, changing the course of Russian history with their influence.

Breakfast.

Room release (things are checked into the luggage room).

Excursion "Solovetsky hermitages. History and Legends" (duration 4 hours).

Minibus tour of the northern part of Bolshoy Solovetsky Island with a tour of widely known places and iconic but rarely visited monuments of Solovki.

The first stop is the Holy Ascension Skete with its controversial history and Sekirnaya Gora, the "fortress of light and darkness", where the lighthouse church stands, which became a penal isolation unit during the time of the ELEPHANT.

From Sekirka, the forest road leads to the Savvatievsky monastery, the first settlement of the Solovetsky monks, which in the early 20th century became an ELEPHANT business trip and the site of the first execution of political prisoners in Solovki.

Further along the route, Jung Alley is the remains of the dugouts of the Solovetsky Jung School — this is where, during the war years, the elite of the USSR Navy were educated from 14—year-olds.

From there, the route leads to Red Lake, where the famous lake and canal systems of Solovki originate and there are material traces of the Solovetsky history.

The dam of the 16th century, the realized idea of "turning back the rivers", still performs a whole range of functions centuries later that changed the practice of economic activity of the monastery and the Solovetsky landscapes.

Worthy objects of display are worship and commemorative crosses, examples of cross—cutting craftsmanship.

A meaningful trip will allow you to enjoy the scenery and experience the beauty of the northern nature.

Lunch at a cafe.

Visit souvenir shops, a store of seaweed products from the White Sea.

Departure to the mainland.

Arrival in Kem.

Transfer to the railway station.