To Karelia with a visit to Sampo Mountain and Girvas volcano. Railway cruise

Breakfast on the train.

07:50 Arrival of tourist train No. 928 in Petrozavodsk. 

08:30 Meeting with the guide on the platform, boarding the bus (the bus number is indicated on the voucher).

Bus sightseeing tour of Petrozavodsk, where the northern severity is perfectly combined with a calm, balanced Scandinavian charisma. You will get acquainted with the history and modern appearance of the capital of the Prionezhye region, take a walk along the embankment, which is the hallmark of the city. This is a real open-air gallery of modern art, where amazing sculptures are located.

Departure for a country nature tour "Sampo Mountain –Marcial Waters – Girvas Volcano – Kivach Waterfall".

The first object to visit is Sampo mountain "mill".  It was here that the legendary Soviet fairy tale film "Sampo" was shot, based on the Karelo-Finnish epic "Kalevala". Karelian rocks are unique, they are surprisingly harmonious and beautiful, and it is from Mount Sampo that a wonderful panoramic view of the surrounding area opens.

Then we go to the first Russian resort "Marcial Waters". We will have an excursion and tasting of the healing water from three springs of the first Russian resort. We will also see the Church of the Apostle Peter in the village of Marcial Waters, which is a unique monument of the era of Peter the Great, and after the Konchezersky factory it ranks second among the preserved monuments of that time. The history of this Orthodox church dates back to 1721, and the church's design, according to legend, was prepared by the tsar himself.

Lunch at a cafe, on the way.

Transfer to the ancient Girvas Volcano Park. The Girvas volcano in Karelia is very ancient: it is about 3 billion years old! Although the volcano is considered extinct for a long time, lava flows can still be seen on its surface, frozen forever. We invite you to wander around the ancient volcano, admire the unusual outlines, and discover traces of the crater.

Excursion to the Kivach Nature Reserve, a state nature reserve that can be called one of the oldest natural monuments located in the country. This facility became the first national nature reserve in Karelia. Its main attraction was the beautiful Kivach waterfall, which gave its name to a unique natural object. The nature of Karelia, the land of forests, lakes and granite cliffs, is harsh, but majestic and beautiful. Nowhere in the world have giant glaciers left behind such a picturesque landscape. But there are particularly poetic places in this region, which fascinates the traveler with its harsh, lyrical, and cheerful landscapes. And perhaps the most impressive of them is the Kivach Waterfall, the second largest plain waterfall in Europe (after the Rhine). The waterfall is incredibly beautiful and majestic. The waters of the Suna River, compressed by basalt rocks, fall down from an eight-meter height in a heavy cast stream, forming a powerful whirlpool in wisps of foam and creating an impressive noise.  Kivach Waterfall was admired by the first governor of the Olonets Region (as Karelia used to be called), the great Russian poet Gavrila Derzhavin, "The mountain is pouring diamonds..." he wrote. Indeed, the falling water and its power are fascinating. Everyone should see this.

Return to Petrozavodsk.

Transfer to the railway station.

22:20 Departure of the tourist train No. 928 to Sortavala.

Overnight on the train.

Breakfast on the train.

07:30 Arrival of tourist train No. 928 in Sortavala at Karelskaya station.

07:35 Meeting with the guide on the platform.

Walking sightseeing tour of the historical Karelian city of Sortavala, exploring the sights and architecture of the city.

Free time for independent walks and souvenir shopping.

Return with a guide to the railway station. Sortavala Center.

10:05 Departure by retro train to Ruskeala Mountain Park.

Meeting with the guide on the platform of the railway station Ruskeala Mountain Park and organized passage to the park.

Ruskeala Mountain Park is the most famous attraction in Karelia. The magic marble "the color of white nights" began to be broken out here as early as 1769 by decree of Catherine II. It was used to decorate the majestic temples and palaces of St. Petersburg: the Marble Palace, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Mariinsky Palace. Today, Ruskeala Park and its landscape are stunning man—made canyons and crystal lakes, labyrinths of underground tunnels and picturesque steep marble cliffs. Nature and people have been interacting here for three centuries. The great works of generations of mining masters have given this place a special aura. Guided tour of the Marble Canyon program – you will learn how marble was mined in these magical places, and get acquainted with the history of mining and processing of the northern stone.

14:10 Transfer by "rail bus" from Ruskeala Mountain Park to the station. Sortavala (alternative – bus transfer).

14:50 Arrival at Karelskaya railway station in Sortavala.

15:09 Departure of the tourist train No. 928 from the station. Sortavala in Vyborg.

17:45 Arrival of tourist train No. 928 in Vyborg. Meeting with the guide on the platform, boarding the bus (the bus number will be indicated on the voucher).

An exciting bus and pedestrian sightseeing tour of Vyborg awaits you - the only city in Russia where you can experience the atmosphere of medieval Europe and appreciate the necklace of squares – Market, Cathedral, Petrovsky, and of course Thorgilskaya, where there is a monument to the founder of the city, Thorgils To Knutsson. You will see the Town Hall Square, the House of the Merchant Guild of the Holy Spirit, the Townsman's House, the Clock Tower, the Burgher's Manor and the House on the Cliff. And you will definitely have the opportunity for an external inspection of Vyborg Castle on Castle Island.

Dinner at a cafe in the city.

Transfer to the railway station.

23:43 Departure of the tourist train No. 928 to Moscow.

10:16 a.m. Arrival of tourist train No. 928 at Leningradsky railway Station in Moscow.

The time in the program is indicated approximately.