Ruskeala — the Karelian saga | Big Country Travel

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This journey is your own saga in the ancient lands of the legendary Karelians, Sami and Veps, sung by storytellers-runes.

You will have a unique opportunity to visit the mountain kingdom of the Ruskeala Canyon and take an unforgettable steam train ride.

The Ruskeala landscape surprises and amazes the imagination of the guests. Nature and people have been interacting here for three centuries. The great works of generations of mountain craftsmen have given this place a special aura.

Contemporaries come here not only to have fun and relax vividly, but also to touch the history of mining, to look into the secrets of the Karelian depths, to worship the northern stone.

Location

Moscow

from

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Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)

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Tour highlights

The business card of Karelia

In the Ruskeala Mountain Park you will admire the turquoise lake framed by marble cliffs

The charm of Sortavala

Take a walk through the historical Karelian city and get acquainted with the architecture of the Northern Ladoga region

Traveling by retro train

Travel from Sortavala to the mountain park on the Ruskeala Express, a steam—powered train

Itinerary

Day 1 - Departure of the train from Moscow
16:50 Departure of train No. 160 from Leningradsky railway station in Moscow.
Day 2 - Tour of Sortavala. Ruskeala Mountain Park
08:22 Arrival of the train at the railway station of Sortavala, meeting with the guide on the platform.
08:30-10:30 Walking sightseeing tour of the historical Karelian city of Sortavale, acquaintance with the sights and architecture of the Northern Ladoga region.
Return with a guide to the railway station. Sortavala Center, boarding the Ruskeala Express retro train.
10:50 Departure of the Ruskeala Express train from the station Sortavala Center to the Ruskeala Mountain Park station.
12:05 Arrival at Ruskeala Mountain Park. Meeting with the guide on the platform, organized passage to the Ruskeala Mountain Park.
The most famous natural and man—made attraction of Karelia is the Ruskeala Mountain Park, based on the Ruskeala marble quarry.
Here they began to break out the magic marble "the colors of white nights" back in 1769, by decree of Catherine II, to decorate the most majestic temples and palaces of St. Petersburg: the Marble Palace, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Mariinsky Palace.
Today, the Ruskeala Mountain Park consists of canyons and crystal lakes, labyrinths of underground tunnels and picturesque steep marble cliffs.
The Marble Canyon tour is a great place to explore the park.
The Ruskeala Marble Canyon is one of the most popular attractions in the whole of Karelia, which consists of steep marble cliffs that go vertically down and break off into emerald-green water.
The main location of the park is the marble slopes of the canyon.
Go to the "Dry Tunnel" and visually get acquainted with the history of mining. A stone-working workshop has been opened on the route, where guests can watch the work of the master and buy author's souvenirs.
Free time for relaxing, walking in the park and buying souvenirs.
18:45 Departure of the train from the Ruskeala Mountain Park station to Moscow via the railway station. Sortavala with parking on the platform for 36 minutes.

5 more photos
Day 3 - Arrival of the train to Moscow
09:08 Arrival of the train at the Leningradsky railway station in Moscow.

Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Train

2 nights

Comfort

Midscale

The tour provides accommodation in wagons of the selected category along the route. Accommodation takes place only in mixed compartments, there is no division into male and female.

The cost of the tour for 1 person, RUB.:

Category	Four-seater compartment	Double compartment	Double compartment single occupancy
For adults	18 460	24 890	39 070
For children from 0 to 9 years old inclusive	16 960	22 890	—

The tourist train includes comfortable luxury, CB, compartment and second-class carriages.

SUITE 6 compartment	1 upper shelf + 1 lower (unfolds, it turns out the analogy of a bed is slightly smaller than a 2-bedroom bed), bathrobes + slippers, 1 medium + 1 large towel. Personal amenities in the form of a WC with a sink. A soft corner sofa, there is a TV (you can use a USB stick or disks). There are only 12 people in the carriage.
sv	2 lower shelves, 1 medium towel for 1 person, mini travel kit (toothbrush + toothpaste, slippers, refreshing napkin). Amenities per carriage. The maximum number of people in a carriage is 18.
COMPARTMENT	2 lower and 2 upper shelves. Amenities per carriage. Mini travel kit (toothbrush + toothpaste, slippers, refreshing napkin). The maximum number of people in a carriage is 36.
Reserved seat	9 open-type compartments, 9 side seats. The maximum number of people in a carriage is 54.
The general Ruskeala Express	The train is stylized for the beginning of the 20th century. A real steam locomotive pulls the train. There are 6 seats in each compartment. There is a restaurant car in the train.

Tour conditions

Group

up to 50 tourists

Duration

3 days 2 nights

Group meets at

Moscow

Included in price

travel in wagons of the selected category on the route Moscow — Sortavala / Ruskeala Mountain Park — Moscow;
travel by the Ruskeala Express retro train on the Sortavala — Ruskeala Mountain Park route;
Sortavale city walking tour;
entrance ticket to the Ruskeala Mountain Park;
excursion according to the program "Marble Canyon".

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Moscow and back;
nutrition;
excursion according to the program "Underground Ruskeala";
trolls (zip-line);
the purchase of one additional seat in a four—seater compartment is 12,600 rubles.;
travel in the dining car in the Ruskeala Express retro train on the Sortavala — Ruskeala Mountain Park route (available from 06/07/2024 to 06/28/2024) — 1,050 rubles/person.;
travel in a class I compartment carriage in the Ruskeala Express retro train on the Sortavala — Ruskeala Mountain Park route (available 06/07/2024 to 06/28/2024; payment for a compartment with a full capacity of up to 4 people) — 10,950 rubles.;
boat trip "Ladoga skerries" (available 06/07/2024 to 06/28/2024) — 4,000 rubles/person.;
personal expenses.

It's important to know

Air and railway tickets to Moscow are not included in the price of the tour. You can purchase them yourself or contact us for help.

1. Travel in the dining car in the Ruskeala Express retro train on the Sortavala — Ruskeala Mountain Park route — 1,050 rubles/person.

This service is available from 06/07/2024 to 06/28/2024.

The dining car is equipped with tables for 4 people, where every tourist can enjoy the pleasant views outside the window. Pre-paid meals (light snacks, hot drinks) are provided to tourists who have purchased tickets to the dining car.

2. Travel in a class I compartment carriage in the Ruskeala Express retro train on the Sortavala — Ruskeala Mountain Park route — 10,950 rubles (payment for a compartment with a full capacity of up to 4 people).

This service is available from 06/07/2024 to 06/28/2024.

This is the most comfortable accommodation option, which involves traveling in a separate compartment and individual service along the way. The carriage consists of four Class I compartments and a lounge area. Each compartment has a large table, a TV, cozy sofas and ottomans. During the passage, tourists are provided with: light snacks, hot and cold drinks.

3. Boat trip "Ladoga skerries" — 4,000 rubles / person (duration of the tour is about 1.5–2 hours).

This service is available from 06/07/2024 to 06/28/2024.

We invite you to take a tour of the beautiful Ladoga skerries — an analogue of the Norwegian fjords. Take a speedboat ride from the Sortavala Center pier to the rocky islands with a unique ecosystem, stroll through the rocky islands and relict coniferous forest.

During the trip, the captain will tell you about the Ladoga skerries, about who and when inhabited these deserted islands today, and what legends are associated with the domestic fjords.

On a water excursion you are expected:

stunning views of Lake Ladoga;
passage through the ridge of rocky islands — Ladoga skerries (for visiting the Ladoga Skerries National Park for tourism and recreation, a fee of 200 rubles per person is charged with payment to the ship's captain);
a walk along the rock of one of the islands.

The tour may be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, and the money will be refunded.

A visit to the water walk is held instead of a sightseeing tour of the city of Sortavala.

Dates and Prices

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7 – 9 May, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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8 – 10 Aug, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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Ruskeala — the Karelian saga

Location

Tour highlights

Itinerary

Accommodation

Tour conditions

Included in price

Paid extra

It's important to know

Dates and Prices

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