Pearl necklace of Karelia. An abbreviated program

09:00 Breakfast at the hotel.

09:30-11:30 Boat tour of Ladoga skerries with access to the largest and highest island in the Sortavala skerries system.

The Northern Ladoga region is a completely unusual, original and incredibly picturesque region of Karelia.

We will take a walk through the Ladoga skerries – a unique ecosystem of huge rocks, islands of stone, madness of water and vegetation.

Delight in Karelian landscapes: cutting through the water surface, we will admire the sheer cliffs and a noisy waterfall and even see the island of Valaam in the distance.

We will land on one of the islands, and also try to find the Red Book Ladoga seals (the best time for photo hunting is May and June).

Before sailing, our captain will talk about safety on the water.

The walks take place in a chamber atmosphere: we share our impressions, suggest camera angles for photos and corners of the island for contemplating the beauties.

Of course, you will learn about the flora, fauna and history of Ladoga – for example, about what Peter I did here.

You will hear the myths and legends of the region, ancient and modern.

11:45-12:45 Visiting the Kronid Gogolev Gallery.

Upon returning from the Ladoga skerries, we go on an excursion to the unique and one-of-a-kind Kronid Gogolev house Museum.

It is located in an old Finnish building built in 1899. But the building is not as interesting as the creations of Kronid Gogolev.

In front of us is an exhibition of paintings made in a unique manner of wood carving. Did you think that nothing could surprise you after Balaam? Well, be surprised!

These are probably the very first paintings in 3D format. The theme of the Russian North, expressive nature, ordinary people, their way of life and holidays – all this is in the works of Kronid Gogolev.

13:00-13:40 Delicious lunch at the Sortavala restaurant.

14:00-16:00 Excursion to the Viking fortress-museum "Bastion".

After lunch, we will go to the Viking age art space Svartbjornborg (Svartbjornborg is the fortress of the black bear).

This is a large interactive platform where visitors are directly immersed in the era, turning from a spectator into a participant.

You can touch everything here, absolutely any object, with your hands.

To look at this or that thing from all sides and visually imagine how people in the past could use this particular object.

To understand what materials were in use, how they were extracted, and what was the difficult path of the extracted raw materials before they turned into a necessary everyday item.

Any costumes, uniforms, or armor can and should be tried on and, at least for a short period of time, feel like a brave warrior, craftsman, or merchant.

At the end of the tour on the territory of the fortified settlement of the "Viking age" on the shores of Ladoga, you can see:

• fortress walls in the form of a stockade with corner and gate towers. Along the wall, you can walk around the entire territory of the museum, climb any tower, from where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire museum and the Ladoga skerries, since the museum is located on the very shore of the lake.;
• a Scandinavian military house under an earthen roof, which features an exposition of Viking life, costumes and weapons; an active blacksmith shop – an exposition of blacksmithing;
• a pier with replicas of wooden ships of the VIII – XI centuries. All models are valid and during the navigation period everyone has the opportunity to sit at the oar of a real Viking dragon boat.;
• a model of the sanctuary with carved wooden sculptures;
• two playgrounds: a shooting range, with the opportunity to practice shooting with historical bows and crossbows, as well as learn how to throw battle spears and axes; and a wrestling ring – a prepared space for tournaments and funny duels (on protected weapons);
• The pearl of the museum is the long Scandinavian house – "Honey Hall" – the largest recreated Viking dwelling in Russia. The roof of the house is made in the form of an inverted dragon boat. The Honey Hall houses one of Russia's richest collections of household items, costumes and weapons.

16:00-18:30 Panoramic tour of Mount Paaso and Vakkosalmi Park (Mount Kuhavuori).

And now we will go to conquer the Ladoga Mountains.

Don't worry, there will be no difficult ascents, along well-equipped and very picturesque stairs.

Mount Paaso is a 10th–12th century Karelian settlement discovered by Finnish archaeologist Otto Appelgren.

You will admire the fantastic panoramas and find out why the ancient Karelians settled on the highest cliffs.

A wonderful addition will be a walk through Vaccosalmi Park – climbing the ancient steps to Mount Kuhavuori, you will discover an amazing view of the city.

In the evening, we will have dinner and a cozy hotel.

08:45 Breakfast, room release in Sortavala.

09:30 Departure to Ruskeala by bus, those who wish can take the retro train (10:05-11:20 Sortavala — Ruskeala railway).

We will go to one of the main pearls of Karelia, the Ruskeala marble canyon.

Everyone can go there by retro train!

Ruskeala Express is a steam–powered retro train running on the route Sortavala — Ruskeala Mountain Park — Sortavala.

The interior of the cars is made in the original design of the Nikolaevsky Express, in the style of the late 19th – early 20th century.

Important! Tickets for the retro train are not included in the price of the tour and must be purchased independently in advance on the Russian Railways website at 10:05 on the Sortavala — Ruskeala route.

If you don't want to take a retro train, we'll take a bus with a guide and part of the group to Ruskeala.

10:45 Arrival at Ruskeala, sightseeing tour (1.5 hours).

Ruskeala Marble Canyon is a Karelian brand of modern times.

Ten years ago, desolation reigned here. Now we can see an amazing natural object.

There is everything here for a tourist! Great views, trails, caves.

We are also waiting for a walking tour of the Marble canyon (1.5 hours).

The 1.5-kilometer eco-trail around Ruskeala has many panoramic platforms offering views of this unique place.

In addition, you can move away from the main path a little and go into the depth of the through cave (tunnel).

Here you will discover the real secrets of the canyon, its heart.

You can also look at the deposits of the "Italian" quarry.

Free time.

2:15 p.m. Lunch.

Today we will eat at the Lutheran Church.

The Karelians and Finns living on this land will hospitably welcome and feed us, after which we will move on.

14:45 Visit to the Tokhminsky waterfalls.

It's time to drive towards Petrozavodsk.

On the way, not far from Ruskeala, we will see Tokhminsky or Ruskeala waterfalls.

The famous Soviet film "And the dawns here are quiet..." was shot here. A mandatory keepsake photo is a very picturesque place.

For those who wish, there is a newly opened ecological trail with bridges suspended directly over the waterfalls.

18:45 Dinner at the recreation center on the banks of the Shuya River: Karelian cuisine, warm conversations in the middle of a pine forest.

20:30 Arrival in Petrozavodsk and accommodation at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

10:00 a.m. Master class on baking Karelian gate cakes and tea party.

Big sightseeing tour of Petrozavodsk.

An introduction to the industrial history of the city at the former site of the factory and a visit to the Alexander Nevsky Temple.

14:00 Lunch.

15:00 Interactive exhibition dedicated to the cultural symbol of Karelia — the Karelo-Finnish epic "Kalevala".

17:00 Concert of the national Kantele Ensemble, which has been performing since 1936. The artists will present instrumental, vocal and dance performances.

Free time and rest.

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:30 Pick up at the river station (20 minutes walk from the hotel).

We will walk along the beautiful embankment to the river station of Petrozavodsk. It is from here that, in just over an hour, the high-speed "Comet" hydrofoil will take you to the fabulous Zaonezhye, perhaps the most picturesque part of Lake Onega.

10:00 Departure to Kizhi.

11:30-15:30 Guided tour and free time on Kizhi.

The tour price includes a visit to the main exposition of the Kizhi Museum, namely, an inspection of the exterior of all the monuments on the island, as well as a visit to the interiors of the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Oshevnev house from D. Oshevnevo or Yelizarov house from the village. The middle (according to the decision of the guide, in the summer).

Additionally (for a fee), the Kizhi Museum offers a visit (in summer):

• Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord — a tour of the unique decoration of the main pearl of Russian wooden architecture;
• Shchepin's houses — demonstration of women's crafts;
• Yakovlev's houses — an introduction to Karelian traditions;
• Sergeyev's houses in Kizhi Harbor — an immersion in the topic of shipbuilding and a demonstration of the "sewing" of a Kizhi boat;
• blacksmiths in Kizhi harbor — making souvenirs with your own hands together with a Kizhi blacksmith;
• the tent bell tower of the Kizhi churchyard — ascent to the main Kizhi belfry and a bird's-eye view of the island;
• Chapel of the Archangel Michael — a tour of the unique "sky" of the ancient church.

If you haven't been here before, we envy you. What kind of Paris is there, to see Zaonezhye and... no, we will only die of delight.

Especially when passing by islands and bays on the "Comet", along the Zaonezhsky skerries-labyrinths, we find ourselves next to Kizhi Island, which is decorated with wooden churches.

The very sight of them makes one's breath stop. Is it really man-made?

The Kizhi Museum-Reserve, located on the island, is the center of the traditional peasant culture of the Russian North, one of the largest and most famous open–air museum reserves in Russia.

For many years, scientists and masters of wooden architecture have been carefully and painstakingly collecting architectural monuments, icon paintings and household items that were created in Karelian, Vepsian and Russian villages over the centuries.

Chapels and peasant houses were transported here from all over Karelia.

But the main treasure is the Kizhi churchyard, consisting of the Transfiguration, Intercession churches and the bell tower, which has been standing here for more than 300 years.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world come to the museum to admire the ensemble of wooden churches of the XVIII century, a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site.

Even the nature is different here – its own Zaonezhsky microclimate, warmer and milder. Kizhi Island is a place where culture, history and Orthodoxy are intertwined in one tangle.

To see Kizhi means to see the real Karelia.

Since we have only 4 hours on the island, we advise you to take a light snack with you — sandwiches, fruits, cookies.

You can freely walk around the island, ride bicycles or horses, find a beautiful place with a view of the panorama of the island and relax. And later we'll go on the way back.

17:00 Arrival at Petrozavodsk river station. Independent walk to the hotel.

18:00 Late lunch at the hotel.

Free time.

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Departure for the tour.

We will visit five major attractions near Petrozavodsk: the picturesque Sampo Mountain; the first Russian resort "Marcial Waters", founded by Peter the Great; the ancient volcano Porog Porog; and the famous Kivach waterfall.

Mount Sampo is a rocky hill, about 40 meters high. There are hiking trails with signs on its slopes and stairs with handrails. Thus, the climb to the top is quite comfortable.

There is an observation deck at the height, which offers magnificent landscapes. A century-old forest is rustling below and the most beautiful Konchezero stretches out.

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

The unusual name of the place was given by the light hand of L. Blumentrost, assistant to the life physician Peter I. 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 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 definitely visit the museum, which includes the Caretaker's House, the Church of St. Peter the Apostle and the pavilions above the ore mining site and the former source of healing water.

The temple is the only building that has been preserved since the time of Peter the Great. Moreover, it was built according to the design and handwritten drawings of Tsar Peter. The interior and exterior of the church have been preserved intact since it was built in 1721.

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

It's a dried-up waterfall. This was how it became after the waters of the Suna were diverted for the needs of the Palyeozerskaya hydroelectric power station.

Before that, the Porog Threshold, or Deer, was a powerful waterfall with a height of almost 17 meters. The water was rushing down three huge steps for 50 meters in a torrent.

The places around Por Threshold are very picturesque: reddish granite rocks are framed by quiet backwaters, small waterfalls, and abandoned rafting stands. It was here that the famous imperial photographer Prokudin-Gorsky took a photo with the inscription "Eliza" on the stone.

2:15 p.m. Lunch.

14:45-16:15 Nodding.

Karelia, the land of a thousand 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.

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 created to preserve 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. There are a lot of interesting things here. Hiking trails with shaded gazebos, cafes, souvenir shops, an arboretum and a nature museum are available for guests.

A delicious lunch awaits you during the tour. And then – return to Petrozavodsk.

17:30 Arrival in Petrozavodsk.