Gastronomic tour to Karelia

In the morning, we have breakfast at the hotel overlooking Lake Onega and set ourselves up for a very eventful, beautiful day!

Next, we will have a sightseeing tour of Petrozavodsk. 

We will walk along the beautiful embankment, the former Cathedral Square and the central streets, examining the historical and modern architecture.

Let's feel the spirit of Petrozavodsk in its cozy courtyards, hidden from the eyes of tourists.

A local guide will tell us about the legends of Karelia, the history of the development of Petrozavodsk and how the city lives here and now.

After the walk, lunch will be prepared for us in the pine forest! 

Fragrant fish soup cooked over a campfire and traditional Karelian gateways with various fillings. Accompanied by infusions of northern berries: cloudberries, cranberries and lingonberries.

Then we will have rafting on the Shuya River! 

Shuya is the simplest, plainest and most beautiful river. And it is perfect for the first acquaintance with Karelia! 

There is no need to get here for several hours off-road, and the rapids of the river are easy to pass for any guest. Our route is even called romantic.

The trip along the river will take about 1.5–2 hours, we will walk 8 km.

Let's move on!

After the rafting, we will have a culinary master class where we will learn all the subtleties of Karelian cuisine and, under the guidance of the chef, prepare a unique local dish — "fish on a log"! 

The master class will be held in an ethnic plague in the light of a real hearth.

We will bake the tenderest fillet of red fish on a hot hearth. First, we will cope with fixing the fish on a log, then we will put it at the optimal distance from the fire, be patient and wait for readiness!

We will eat everything cooked by us hot in our plague along with baked potatoes and fresh vegetables. 

And everyone will take away the recipe from the chef not only in his pocket, but also in the very heart!

In the evening we return to our hotel by the lake and look forward to the next day. 

Tomorrow we will head towards Finland!

Today, after breakfast, we are going towards Ladoga.

Along the way, we will take a look at a real Karelian village — one of the most beautiful in Russia!

It is here that you can plunge into history, learn about the traditions and way of life of the ancient Karelians and look into the chapel of the 18th century hidden in a spruce grove.

This is not a museum, but a living village! Now there are 15 houses here, six of which are monuments of cultural heritage.

This village has preserved a northern, unhurried way of life, which we can feel for ourselves over a cup of tea with Karelian gates from a Russian oven.

Along the way, we will see the Lyaskel waterfall — the pearl of Karelian nature, a place where you can feel the power and beauty of Karelian nature!

It's time to eat! We are going to the shore of Lake Ladoga to a restaurant that belongs to a trout farm. This is a local fish farm that grows rainbow trout in the clear waters of Ladoga. And here, in the restaurant, freshly caught trout is cooked. We will be located on the summer terrace right on the shore of the lake!

For an appetizer, we will be served the most delicate trout tartare with red caviar. 

Then we will taste the traditional festive Finnish soup "Lohikeito" — salmon soup with cream. The freshest fish and cream make the taste of the soup indescribably tender! 

And as a main course — juicy trout steaks, grilled with vegetables! 

And for dessert, ice cream with Karelian pine cones.

After lunch, we check into the country club hotel, which is located on the shore of Lake Ladoga, and stay here for two nights. We have a little rest and go to a real northern wood-burning sauna. A coniferous detox is waiting for us!

The sauna is located right on the water of Lake Ladoga, has its own pier and is heated with firewood. We warm up, swim in the lake and drink delicious Karelian tea with berries.

After the sauna, we will have a barbecue dinner in the fresh air - we cook juicy meat! 

Rich red wine and tinctures from Karelian wild berries will be a wonderful addition to dinner.

Enjoy and relax!

After a delicious breakfast with a view of Lake Ladoga, we head towards Finland, to the city of Sortavala — a trip to Valaam Island awaits us!

The waterway across the expanses of Ladoga to the island takes about an hour — we will go by speedboat. 

At this time, we are enjoying the majestic beauty of the largest freshwater lake in Europe and the second largest lake in Russia after Lake Baikal!

We will walk around the island with a guide and see the estate.

The island has its own unique microclimate, in which it is possible to grow even such southern fruit species as grapes and watermelon!

Then we will take a boat through the unique nature reserve — Ladoga skerries. This place is often compared to the Norwegian fjords, it is interesting that the word "skerries" itself comes from the Norwegian skjær — "rock in the sea".

Skerries are the straits and bays between the coast and islands with unusual relief and an archipelago of uninhabited islands. A very picturesque place!

Here we will go out on one of the uninhabited islands, where a picnic lunch awaits us. Baked white fish, potatoes and grilled vegetables.

Arriving back in Sortavala, we will stop by for a tasting of Karelian tinctures, jams and jams. Everything is from local manufacturers! 

The tasting itself takes place in the restaurant, which is located in an old House that is over 150 years old.

The first floor of the restaurant is designed in the style of the 19th century — there is a cafe here, the second floor is executed in an authentic Karelian style.

Absolutely everything is sold here: tinctures, berries, mushrooms, cheeses, fish, game. 
Everything that is being transported from Karelia can be purchased here!

For dinner today we will go to one of the best restaurants in Karelia, where we will be offered to taste delicious dishes of Karelian cuisine made from local products. 

The chef will serve us venison tartare with cranberry granite accompanied by full-bodied red wine.

Then we will taste the duck leg, glazed in a sauce of chokeberry with the addition of red wine. Served with bulgur and grilled red onion with hollandaise sauce.

At the end of the dinner, we will try a delicate ricotta cheese in milk chocolate with a filling of boiled condensed milk. It is served with sea buckthorn foam and sea buckthorn jam accompanied by Karelian tea.

After dinner, we return to the hotel!

Today we are having breakfast at our beautiful hotel on the lake shore. 

In the morning you will have time to walk around the island, enjoy the Karelian taiga and recharge the energy of Lake Ladoga.

Then we will be served lunch: fragrant fish soup with freshly caught fish and baked White Sea catfish with grilled vegetables.

Let's move on! To the most famous park of Karelia — Ruskeala. 

Beautiful landscapes, marble canyons and clear water surface. You can enjoy this park endlessly, it is in the top 10 best destinations for traveling in Russia outside Moscow and St. Petersburg (according to The Guardian).

On the way back from Ruskeala, we will stop at Ruskeala waterfalls. The place is very picturesque! 

Suspension bridges have been made directly above the waterfalls, from which stunning photos are obtained. 

It was here that the famous film "... And the dawns are quiet here" was shot in 1972.

We will also visit Mount Paaso, a settlement of ancient Karelians, located on a high cliff near the lake, which offers a very beautiful view! 

Archaeologists date the settlement to the 12th-13th century, but most likely it existed earlier, perhaps even in the Viking age.

Then you will have free time in Sortavala to walk around the city, the embankment of Lake Ladoga, buy souvenirs, products of local farmers and craftsmen.

Then we will take you to the Sortavala Railway Station. Happy and full of new experiences!

Have a great journey, and see you soon in new bright journeys!