Spring in Karelia

Good morning! How did you sleep? Hopefully, it's good. It's time to have breakfast and gain new strength. A journey into a fairy tale awaits us. Ahead is the Northern Ladoga region.

07:00-07:30 Breakfast in the hotel restaurants.

09:00 Departure to the marble canyon of Ruskeala. The distance from Petrozavodsk to Ruskeala is 260 km, the travel time is 3.5–4 hours.

On the way, the tour guide will tell you about the history of our republic, you will pass by ancient Karelian villages and a huge number of beautiful lakes.

In front of the Ruskeala Mountain Park, we will make a stop at the Ruskeala waterfalls: the historical place where the film "And the dawns are quiet here ..." was filmed. 

If desired, for an additional fee, you can visit the "eco-trail": walk along the hinged wooden bridges directly above the waterfalls and feel the power and beauty of this place.

At about 14:00 we arrive at the territory of the Ruskeala Mountain Park, where we will have a walking tour of the marble canyon (1 hour).

The 1.5-kilometer eco-trail around Ruskeala has many panoramic platforms from which you can enjoy views of this unique place.

In addition, you will be able to move away from the main trail a little and go into the depth of the through cave (tunnel) and see the geology of the canyon. 

There are also deposits of Italian marble near the main canyon, which can be visited on their own.

After a sightseeing tour around the canyon, we provide free time. 

You can go boating for an additional fee (available from May 15 to October 15), fly over the canyon by cable car, and bungee jump (available in summer). 

In 2018, an "Underground Route" was launched on the territory of the canyon. 

All additional services are purchased on site, at the ticket offices of the mountain park: on a first-come, first-served basis and subject to availability. Unfortunately, the park administration does not provide the possibility of pre-booking.

In addition, on the territory of Ruskeala park there is an opportunity to eat in cafes and buy souvenirs in shops.

21:00 Arrival in Petrozavodsk.

Guests go for a walk around the city — there is time to buy souvenirs or sit in a restaurant of Karelian national cuisine, or relax in hotel rooms.

Breakfast at the hotel, room release.

Suitcases can be left in the hotel's luggage room in the morning or taken with you on the bus — there is a luggage compartment.

Good morning, dear travelers. 

Today we will visit four major attractions near Petrozavodsk: the picturesque Sampo Mountain; the first Russian resort "Marcial Waters", founded by Peter I; the ancient volcano Girvas; and the famous Kivach waterfall.

Sampo, according to Karelo-Finnish mythology, is an object that gives happiness. 

The world-famous "Kalevala" tells us about such an object, which has magical power and is considered a source of abundance, happiness and well-being. 

There is also a Sampo mountain in the Karelian territories, named after the miracle mill. 

Mount Sampo is a rocky hill, about 40 meters high. There are hiking trails and stairs with railings on its slopes. 

Thus, the ascent to the top is quite comfortable. Magnificent landscapes open up at an altitude. A century-old forest is rustling below and the most beautiful Conchesero stretches out.

Ahead of us lies the first Russian resort, called Marcial Waters. 

The unusual name of the place was given by the light hand of Peter the Great's assistant. He investigated the composition of local mineral waters, found a high iron content in them, and named them after the god of war Mars. 

The resort is famous not only for its waters, but also for its special microclimate. It is better to drink medicinal water from the springs immediately, because the local mineral water is not stored for a long time. After a fairly short time, a precipitate appears in it, and it loses its medicinal properties.

We will definitely combine the tasting of marcial water with a tour of local attractions — we will see with you the Caretaker's House, the Church of the Apostle Peter and the pavilions above the former source of medicinal water. The temple is the only building that has been preserved since Peter the Great. Moreover, it was built according to the project and handwritten drawings of Tsar Peter.

Our way lies to the remains of an ancient volcano, or rather to the town of Girvas. 

This is a dried-up waterfall. This was how it became after the waters of the Suna were diverted for the needs of the Palaeozersk hydroelectric power station. The places around Girvas are very picturesque: reddish granite rocks are framed by quiet backwaters, small waterfalls, abandoned trays for rafting forests.

Karelia, the land of thousands of lakes and rivers, is famous for its waterfalls. There are many of them here, but perhaps the most famous is Kivach. 

It is considered the decoration and pride of the region, because this waterfall is the second largest on the plains of Europe. Kivach lost the championship only to the Rhine Waterfall in Germany. 

Today Kivach is part of the reserve of the same name, which was established in 1931. At first, it was assumed that the protected area was being created for the sake of preserving the most beautiful waterfall in Karelia. Later it turned out that the local nature is very diverse and interesting, so the territory of the reserve expanded to 10 thousand hectares.

Kivach is a must—visit place for all tourists coming to Karelia. 

We will visit the waterfall itself, walk along hiking trails with shady gazebos, souvenir shops for everyone, as well as an arboretum with a grove of Karelian birch and a Nature museum. 

Kivach Waterfall is a business card of Karelia. 

During the tour, we will stop at a cafe where you can eat and gain strength. And then — return to Petrozavodsk.

Arrival in Petrozavodsk at 17:00. 

Then the guests go by train or for a walk around the city — there is time to buy souvenirs or eat at the restaurant of Karelian national cuisine.