A lot has been written and spoken about the beautiful northern nature of Karelia. Karelia is a taiga region. Its forests cover more than half of the territory. These are mainly coniferous forests. Pine forests and spruce forests occupy most flora of Karelia. They occupy more than 80 percent of forests. The rest is occupied by alder, aspen and birch forests, mainly in the southern regions. On the Zaonezhsky Peninsula, in Prionezhye you can find Karelian birch. This small tree with a ribbed trunk can be considered one of the valuable tree species. Its beautiful, patterned wood is highly valued among cabinetmakers. Products made from Karelian birch can be found in almost every Karelian home and in many famous museums and palaces. In the southeastern forests of Karelia there are plantings Siberian larch. She forms here western border its great potential. In the south of Karelia there are broad-leaved species, such as maple, linden, and elm. There is also black alder here, which is highly valued in carpentry for its reddish wood. Karelia has the most pine forests. Pine can grow on a variety of soils, ranging from dry sandy to swamps. It grows best in moderately moist soil rich in minerals. Here, under the canopies of tall and mighty trees, clusters of berries such as blueberries, lingonberries, wild rosemary and many forest herbs grow. In the undergrowth you can find rowan, willow, bird cherry, wolf's bast and juniper. On rocky ridges and sandy soils, pine plantations form a group of lichen pine forests. Resin moss and lichens grow under the cover of trees. They are the favorite food of the northern forest deer. You can see beautiful colorful lichens on boulders and rocks. In such pine forests you can perfectly collect mushrooms. Best place You simply can’t find boletus (ceps) and lingonberries for collecting boletus mushrooms. Under the swampy pines, blueberries and cloudberries, whiteberry and cassandra, wild rosemary and sphagnum mosses grow. Spruce forests occupy much less area than pine forests. In the shade of green trees, green mosses predominate, and in the sparse spruce forests, forest herbs and blueberries predominate. If we judge Karelian forests from an age point of view, then young trees predominate in Karelia, plantings are up to 40 years old, then there are overmature forests and end up middle-aged. With such a ratio of various age groups, the forests of Karelia are excellent from a tourist point of view. For tourists there is a magnificent collection of mushrooms and berries, a variety of landscapes, and the amazing beauty of the forests. With such data, the republic has quite a high tourism potential. The mountains bring diversity to the republic's vegetation cover. At the most high mountains you can see how the taiga is gradually replaced by forest-tundra crooked forests. And it gradually turns into mountain tundra. Here you can also find rocky wasteland. Tourists can see this in national park Paanajärvi, on the hills. In the Onega region and Ladoga region in the south of Karelia, in some areas you can find large fields and meadows. As a rule, they are formed from forest clearing. And the meadows White Sea, located along the coast, were formed on marine sediments. Here you can observe a variety of grass cover. This depends on the influence of salty sea waters. And of course the fauna of Karelia. Many animals belong to the inhabitants of the middle and northern taiga. This is for everyone known predators, artiodactyls and many birds. Predators here include bear, wolf, lynx, artiodactyls, wild boar, reindeer, and elk. There are about 270 different species of birds. This is such a truly magnificent republic with its unique nature and fauna.
Amazing natural world Karelia amazes with its wealth those who have visited these places for the first time and those who regularly prefer to spend their summer holidays here.
And this is not surprising, because Karelia summer vacation offers to spend in a pristine natural environment, without the bustle of resort towns and the pollution of megacities.
Forests of Karelia
More than half of the area of the Karelian Territory is occupied by forests. The remaining part belongs to rivers and swamps. The forest part is presented coniferous species, mainly pine and spruce trees. Deciduous trees occupy about 1/10 of the entire forest belt.
Karelian land is rich in valuable medicinal plants. In the forests you can find huge harvests of blueberries and cloudberries, raspberries and cranberries, blueberries and lingonberries. In addition to berries, local residents easily collect huge reserves of various mushrooms. There are numerous scattered in the forest recreation centers in Karelia inexpensively Anyone can relax in them.
Lakes of Karelia
Thanks to the proximity of the Baltic Glacier, the Karelian lands are rich in reservoirs. Many people call this area nothing more than the Land of Blue Lakes. About 25 thousand rivers and 60 thousand lakes stretch on Karelian land. Among the largest bodies of water in Europe we can name two lakes from Karelia: Onega and Ladoga. The latter lake is the deepest in this region, its depth reaches 250 meters. Most are of glacial origin and feature rugged and rocky coastlines.
One of the longest and widest lakes, Paajarvi, is distinguished by modest depth indicators - “only” 126 meters. Nevertheless, its length reaches 23 kilometers, and the widest part is more than one and a half kilometers.
Fauna of the Karelian region
The rich fauna attracts numerous hunters and lovers of all living things here. About 60 species of mammals alone can be found. Among the most miniature, the shrew stands out - a small rodent whose weight does not exceed 3 grams. The largest animal is considered to be the elk, weighing more than 400 kg. It is worth noting that even the brown bear, also living in Karelia, has a more modest weight, not exceeding 3 centners.
Considering the widest possibilities in hunting and fishing in holidays in Karelia prices can be considered quite acceptable .
The bird world is also rich and diverse. Of the more than 250 species, about 200 are breeding. More than half live in forests, about a third live near bodies of water, and only 1/10 of the birds live in open landscapes.
Karelia hospitably opens its doors for hunters and fishermen. There are 25 species of animals allowed for hunting. Fishermen can relax here while catching more than 70 species sea fish and almost 50 are freshwater. The most popular fish species are salmon, pike perch, burbot, and bream. Among the small ones, trout and roach can be distinguished.
The nature of Karelia fascinates everyone who has ever visited these places. Amazing beauty northern nature, wild rivers with steep rapids, pristine purity of forests, Fresh air, filled with the intoxicating aroma of pine needles, stunningly beautiful sunsets and the richness of the world of flora and fauna have long attracted tourists and travelers to Karelia.
Karelia is located in the north-west of the Russian Federation. Most of the republic is occupied by coniferous forests, famous for their tall pines and slender spruce trees, juniper thickets and an abundance of berries.
There are more than 60 thousand lakes in Karelia, the most famous of which are Onega and Ladoga. Many rivers and streams run through the republic, but the rivers are mostly short. The longest Karelian river, the Kem, is only 360 km long. Karelia has its own swamps and waterfalls.
It is the reservoirs in combination with the Karelian forests that create that amazing climate that enchants everyone. It is no coincidence that Karelia is called the “lungs of Europe”. By the way, it was here, not far from Petrozavodsk, that the first Russian resort was created, founded in 1719 by decree of Peter I.
Many artists and poets admired Karelia. Kivach Falls is one of the most famous attractions of Karelia, Marcial Waters is the first Russian resort, founded in 1719 by decree of Peter I, Kizhi and Valaam are among the most mysterious places in Russia, and the mysterious petroglyphs of the White Sea still haunt archaeologists and historians .
Flora of Karelia
The features of the Karelian flora are due, first of all, to geographical location republics. Main part flora formed during the post-glacial period. IN northern regions and at the heights of the mountains grow plants characteristic of the tundra: mosses, lichens, dwarf spruces and birches.
But most of the republic is occupied by coniferous forests. Pine forests grow closer to the north. Approximately in the Segozero area there is a border between northern and middle taiga forests. Here begins the forest strip, where spruce and pine trees grow mixed. The closer to the southern outskirts of Karelia, the more spruce forests, which are interspersed with mixed ones.
Of the conifers, the most common are Norway spruce and Scots pine. Finnish pines are often found in the west. Birch, alder, aspen, linden, elm and maple trees grow in mixed forest thickets.
The lower layer of forests consists of numerous shrubs. Where pine trees grow, there are fewer bushes. The closer to the south, the more thickets of lingonberries and cloudberries, blueberries and blueberries, wild rosemary and swamp world appear.
Near reservoirs, the soil is covered with gray mosses and lichens. Heather and moss are easy to find here.
And Karelian forests are the kingdom of mushrooms. Boletuses and boletuses are the most collected. Porcini mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, saffron milk caps and chanterelles are often found in the southern regions.
Fauna of Karelia
The fauna of Karelia is rich and diverse. All the animals that traditionally live in the taiga are found here. But another feature of the Karelian Republic is that there are many bodies of water. This means that there are much more representatives of the North Sea representatives of the animal kingdom than in any other corner of Russia.
From large mammals in the Karelian forests you can find lynx, brown bear, wolf and badger. Numerous white hares have long become the desired prey of local hunters. Quite a few beavers and squirrels. Rivers and lakes are favored by muskrats, otters, martens and European minks. And in the White Sea and Lake Onega there are seals.
The fauna of the southern regions is somewhat different from the northern ones. The south is home to moose and wild boars, raccoon dogs and Canadian minks.
The world of birds is also diverse. The passerine family is best represented. In the north there is a lot of upland game: wood grouse, black grouse, hazel grouse and white partridge. Of the birds of prey, it is worth noting hawks, numerous owls, golden eagles and harriers.
Waterfowl of Karelia are its pride. Ducks and loons settle on the lakes; the sea coast is favored by gulls and eiders, which are valued for their fluff. And waders settle in the swamps.
Karelian fish can be divided into three categories:
Migratory species (whitefish, salmon, salmon, smelt);
Lake-river (pike, roach, perch, burbot, ruffe, in the south - pike perch, grayling and river trout);
And marine (herring, cod and flounder).
The abundance of water bodies also led to a large number of reptiles and insects. Of all the snakes that are found in Karelia, the most dangerous is common viper. And from the end of May to the beginning of September, hikes in the forest and picnics are overshadowed by clouds of mosquitoes, horseflies and midges. In the south, by the way, great danger represent ticks, especially in May-June.
Climate in Karelia
Most of Karelia is located in a zone of temperate continental climate with marine elements. Although winter lasts a long time, severe frosts are rare here. Winters are generally mild, with plenty of snow. Spring, with all its delights in the form of melting snow, blossoming trees and increasing daylight hours occurs only in mid-April. But until the end of May there remains a possibility of frost returning.
Summer in Karelia is short and cool. In most of the territory, for real summer weather is established only by mid-July. Temperatures rarely rise above +20ºC. But already at the end of August it feels autumn mood weather: cloudy skies, heavy rains and cold winds.
The most unstable and unpredictable weather prevails on the sea coast and in the area of Lakes Ladoga and Onega. Frequent cyclones come from the west. The weather is most often cloudy, with constant winds and plenty of precipitation. The highest cloudiness in the entire republic is observed on the White Sea coast.
February 10th, 2016 , 01:10 pm
In my previous posts I showed several cities in Karelia -,. The capital of the republic, Petrozavodsk, still lies ahead. But Karelia is famous not for its cities, but for its unique nature, diverse, fascinating, endless. And in my stories about cities, I would like to take a break to show those pieces of Karelian nature that we visited. We didn’t see about the same number of well-known and easily accessible natural sites of the republic, and it’s not worth talking about the dense and secluded corners of Karelia, which you just can’t get to. Therefore, I hope that this story about the nature of Karelia in the history of my blog will not be the last.
Under the cut is Kivach waterfall, Lake Onega in summer and winter, the shore of the White Sea at midnight, an abandoned fishing port in Belomorsk, White Sea petroglyphs, the release of water at the dammed Girvas waterfall, Kizhi, the Ruskeala marble canyon and several more views.
1. I’ll start with, in my opinion, the most famous natural attraction of the republic - the Kivach waterfall. It is located near Kondopoga, on the Suna River. A reserve of the same name is organized around it. There is a civil path with several observation platforms leading to the waterfall itself. The ticket price (currently 150 rubles) also includes a visit to a small nature museum and arboretum.
2. We got to Kivach in amazing weather the beginning of winter, with pure snow and temperatures just below zero. Now it seems to me that he cannot appear more beautiful.
3. Kivach is the fourth (in some sources - the second) largest flat waterfall in Europe. At the beginning of the 20th century, a cascade of dams and hydroelectric power stations was created on the Suna, one of which - Kondopoga - we met in the post about Kondopoga. The other one - Palyozerskaya - waits below. Because of them, the Kivach waterfall has seriously lost its power and picturesqueness. However, he still has enough of the latter:
4. Karelia is simply dotted with lakes. If you look at the map, surprise and admiration is caused not only by the number of water spaces, but also by their bizarre shapes. It was as if some artist had drawn them with shaking hands. And how were people able to navigate the labyrinth of these lakes, oxbow lakes, bays, estuaries and lips, find suitable places to live, and build roads? It’s easier to appreciate all the intricacies of water in Karelia from above. On earth, all that remains is to enjoy the views of the water surfaces that regularly appear here and there.
Lake Onega in a snowstorm, within the boundaries of Petrozavodsk. Because of the wind, standing on the shore takes no more than a few seconds. The water is leaden, visibility is several tens of meters: 
5. Finland is proudly called “the land of thousands of lakes” by its inhabitants. Karelia, however, is not much inferior to it, and in terms of the number of reservoirs per square kilometer it ranks first in the world. And if we remember about the middle zone and Siberia, then Russia, by analogy with Finland, can be called “the country of millions of lakes.”
Lake Onega in the middle of summer, the city of Medvezhyegorsk. It doesn’t seem like a storm, but it’s still restless: 
6. And this is Lake Onega in clear weather. Onega is the 2nd largest lake in Europe. The first, Ladoga, however, is also located in Karelia, and we will see it later in this post.
7. In addition to the Ladoga and Onega lakes, there is another one on the territory of Karelia large body of water- White Sea. Here is its swampy, rugged shore. About twelve o'clock at night:
8. Generally speaking, I already have a hefty post about the nature of the Karelian coast of the White Sea. It can also, with a clear conscience, be classified as one of the “beauties of Karelia,” but we stayed there for quite a long time and studied the area in great detail so as not to limit ourselves to fragments. Well, the nature on the White Sea is very specific, very different from the rest of Karelia. Although formally this is Karelia, this area can be distinguished into a separate natural and ethnographic region of Pomorie, the second half of which is located in the Arkhangelsk region.
9. Standing apart in Belomorsk, about which in general, stands an abandoned fishing port. Here you can enjoy the views and air of the White Sea in the company of rusting iron and abandoned buildings:
10.
Another object that I left out of the story about Belomorsk is petroglyphs. These are ancient drawings carved in stone. They are concentrated a couple of kilometers from the city, in the floodplain of the Vyg River, and scattered over a fairly wide area. The second most dense place is in a kind of stone clearing. The place is called "Zalavruga":
11.
You will have to leave the highway onto a broken dirt road and ride along it for a couple of kilometers to the river bank. There is a large forest parking lot here, and then you have to walk. First, you cross this beautiful wooden bridge, then another two kilometers through the swampy Karelian forest. If the weather is rainy, wear shoes that you don't mind! The path is not equipped in any way.
The bridge here has been demolished more than once. His latest version, as well as some other infrastructure, is built and maintained here by a local enthusiast, Alexey Verbov. This bridge, by the way, a week after this shot was taken, was also flooded when water was released from the Belomorsk hydroelectric power station, but it seemed to have survived.
12.
Alexey himself can be found directly on Zalavruga in a tent with souvenirs. He does not refuse tourists brief overview on the history and territory of petroglyphs and answers to questions. We bought a booklet from him by him with brief information about these places, which they did not regret later. The territory itself is under the jurisdiction of the White Sea Local Lore Museum. The republican authorities also do not seem to forget about the petroglyphs, and there is hope that someday they will centrally arrange tourist site, at least like in Kivach.
Most of the drawings are not striking; you need to look closely at them. In the photo they look brighter and more contrasting than in real life:
13. It must be said that the White Sea cluster of petroglyphs in Karelia is far from the only one. Another place with a comparable number of rock paintings is located further south, on Cape Besov Nos on east coast Lake Onega.
As far as I understand Alexey, this is the largest rock carving of a deer in the world:
14. But even the White Sea petroglyphs are not limited to Zalavruga alone. They may be less bright and in less concentration, but they are everywhere here within a radius of a couple of kilometers. If you set aside more time for this, you can make a voyage on foot while simultaneously inspecting hundreds of drawings from the route via Zalavruga to the Belomorskaya hydroelectric power station, and from there return to the city. In general, petroglyphs and hydraulic structures and the processes here are inextricably linked, because the “deposit” of petroglyphs is located in the middle of the Vyg River delta, in close proximity to two hydroelectric power stations. This place, for example, is generally in a potential flood zone when water is released at a dam:
15. The largest concentration of petroglyphs - "Demon's Footprints" - turned out to be in the immediate flood zone, and during the construction of a hydroelectric power station it was imprisoned in a protective bunker so that the water would not damage rock art. However, in our time, the bunker was declared unsafe and closed to visitors. The situation turned out to be idiotic - there seem to be drawings, but no one has been able to look at them for ten years. Pay attention to the door to the pavilion. She moved here from a submarine.
16.
The bunker is opened only in special cases, not for mere mortals. It is located right next to the dam of the next hydroelectric power station in the cascade - Vygostrovskaya - near the only asphalt road in the area, which leads from Belomorsk to the Kola highway.
17. From the dam of the Vygostrovskaya hydroelectric power station there is a view of the village of Zolotets with its church. Along the road leading from Belomorsk to the highway, there are several villages and a couple of large settlements. Because of this, a false feeling of comfort and familiarity arises. In fact, the places here are very remote. Except for these three villages along the road, living settlements There are only along the White Sea Canal, but there are a couple of those too. And if you believe the statistics, all of them, including the city of Belomorsk, are rapidly losing population.
18. Another Karelian waterfall - Girvas. It surpasses Kivach in its power and picturesqueness, but you can only see it a couple of times a year. The fact is that the waterfall, located on the same Suna River as Kivach, was included in the Suna cascade of hydroelectric power stations, and the Palyeozerskaya hydroelectric power station was built in its place.
19.
The bed of the waterfall is encased in a dam and is used as an idle spillway. They “turn it on” only at the end of May, after the spring flood, and after special occasions. We were lucky to come across one of these cases: the summer of 2015 was rainy, and the reservoir located above was overflowing. To restore balance in the system, the gates holding back the waterfall were opened, and a rapid stream of water rushed down.
20. The spectacle is mesmerizing: unlike the languid aristocratic Kivach, the dashing Girvas, yearning in his stone prison, rages with a powerful stream, and God forbid anything or anyone gets in his way.
21. At the same time, there is no normal observation deck here, safety precautions are completely zero. You have to go down to the edge of the reservoir along a sloping wet path. It costs nothing to slip and fall down into the seething waters of the waterfall. The only insurance here is the trunks of pine trees and huge anthills at their feet. But it is precisely thanks to this wildness and unsettledness that you realize with all your skin the power and greatness of nature and your defenselessness in front of it. Similar delight in contemplating dangerous natural phenomena at arm's length, without any fences or safety equipment, they have been tested in our country more than once, for example, in Belaya Kholunitsa.
22.
Don’t think that it only makes sense to come here for a couple of weeks a year. On days when there is no discharge and only a small stream flows from the dam, the crater of the ancient extinct volcano Girvas with hardened lava, which became the bed of the Suna. The canyon itself, in which the reservoir is located, surrounded by high pine banks, looks more like a majestic Siberian river, reminiscent of the distant Yenisei:
23. Let's return to Lake Onega. Not on the coast, but in the depths of its watery expanses. On the Meteor from Petrozavodsk we are going to the famous Kizhi island.To be honest, we went there with a bit of skepticism, just for show. It seems like it’s impossible not to see Kizhi, but at the same time there was no strong desire - they thought there would be a lot of beautiful architecture, blurred by crowds of tourists and infrastructure for selling everything in the world, as often happens in super-popular tourist places. And as usual, we were wrong.
24.
Kizhi is not just an exhibition of wooden architecture, it is a real time machine. There are cafes and souvenirs only at the pier. On the territory itself, the atmosphere of a traditional Onega settlement is strictly and meticulously recreated. As far as I understand, the museum employees don’t just work on the island - they live here, in the very in a broad sense words. They grow and spin flax, cultivate the land, and keep livestock and poultry. All this is successfully woven into an interactive experience for tourists, but at the same time it is not only an entertaining decoration, but also a part of their life. Unusual? Strange?Even more strange was the fact that in the northern part of the island, which is not a museum, several families of descendants of the indigenous inhabitants of the Kizhi Pogost live in the village. They have nothing to do with the museum, they just have houses here, inherited from their ancestors. They also live by subsistence farming. Well, they probably still have something from the crazy tourist flow. Among them there are Old Believers, to whom the museum staff treats in a very peculiar way, because They are reluctant to make contact, and marry only with other Old Believers.
Villages on the Onega Islands. Quite habitable and, judging by the appearance of the houses, country houses. For most Russians, the thought of traveling to the dacha on a speedboat or motorboat probably sounds crazy. He put the dog on the stern, loaded the seedlings and off he went. No Friday traffic jams. You just really depend on the weather.
25. Of course, not all indigenous residents of Kizhi are dense conservatives stuck in the 19th century. Most left for the cities modern life. But the island still has dachas. Having a dacha here is probably the dream of many people, but you can’t buy it. You can only get it by inheritance. I hope this status does not change.
The most important, famous and postcard view of Kizhi, consisting of two churches and a bell tower. The main one, Preobrazhenskaya, is apparently under reconstruction. This ensemble was built right here, in Kizhi, and thanks to it, the museum was formed here. These three buildings, like a magnet, attracted masterpieces of wooden architecture from all over Lake Onega to the island.
26.
Getting to Kizhi is expensive and not so easy. The flow of tourists here is simply crazy. There are up to eight tourist Meteor flights a day, one and a half pair of regular ones, and many large cruise ships also stop here. We discard the latter immediately, because No one will use them as a method of transfer specifically to Kizhi. By a strange coincidence, the regular ones travel extremely inconveniently (at night - to the island, in the morning - back) and there is almost no information about them in publicly available sources; you can apparently find out something about them only in Petrozavodsk. Yes, and spending the night in Kizhi is a difficult question. As far as I understand, there are no full-fledged hotels here, and the stay of tourists with tents is strictly limited. The tourist Meteoras remain. All of them, again by a strange coincidence, belong to a fashionable Petrozavodsk hotel. The fleet itself is clearly Soviet-built, and one can only guess how so many ships, apparently previously used on this route, ended up in private hands.
I won’t talk about Kizhi in detail. Firstly, there is already a ton of material about them on the Internet. Secondly, photographs do not convey half the beauty of this place. To appreciate Kizhi, you need to come here.
27.
Of course, the prices are simply outrageous. You can ride there and back for one person for about 4 thousand. On the island itself, you spend a little more than four hours, which is catastrophically short. This price includes transportation itself, an entrance ticket to the museum and an excursion, which is quite good in itself. It seems that there are options to pay only for travel, without an excursion, and not for the same “Meteor” round trip, as most tourists are sold, but for different ones, so that you can spend the whole day on the island. But being in Moscow before the trip, we were unable to find out about all these options. Finally, even these expensive and not very interesting tickets cannot be bought just like that. You need to book 3 months in advance, otherwise there will be no places.
In addition to churches, there are also various barns, craft houses, a mill and, of course, homes of both poor peasants and wealthy families.
28.
The funny thing is that such a stir is created mainly by foreign tourists. For them, Kizhi is one of the main points in traveling around Russia, fortunately it is located not far from St. Petersburg - the main magnet for foreign tourists in the Russian Federation. Plus, the infrastructure and process of serving foreigners in Kizhi have been perfected since Soviet times. Among the guests there are not only Finns, as one might think. Behind short term During our stay on the island we managed to see the Chinese, Japanese, Germans, and South Europeans. According to the guide, only a couple of years ago the number Russian tourists in Kizhi for the first time in history exceeded 50%.
An ancient cemetery on the territory of the Kizhi churchyard: 
29. If in the previous frame there is the second largest lake in Europe, Onega, then this is already the first - Ladoga, in the area atmospheric the village of Lyaskelya, which apparently has well preserved Finnish non-ceremonial architecture. It was a surprise for me that the nature of the west of Karelia is strikingly different from the center: some rocky hills of noticeable height appear here, which gives the impression that we are approaching the mountains. Coupled with endless expanses of water, this gives a rather beautiful effect:
30. And this is the Ruskeala mountain park. This is a fusion of an extreme sports center with a natural landscape museum based on a flooded marble canyon. Located near the village of the same name, 30 kilometers from. There is something to see here: impressive size lake with clear blue water framed by rocky shores and virgin forest. No less beautiful than Kivach for sure.
31.
But thanks to lake alone, Ruskeala would not be so popular and interesting: it’s just beautiful places in our country in bulk. It’s also about the amazing organization of space and infrastructure. There are routes throughout the park thoughtful and paths that are comfortable for walking; there are many stands with clear and interesting information. As the walk progresses, all sorts of additional entertainment arises: bungee jumping, ziplining, boating, going down into caves. At the entrance to the territory there are several cafes and shops. All this at very reasonable prices and in excellent condition.
Zipline in action:
32.
As far as I know, all this was done by private individuals. The place is neither a nature reserve nor a museum. It feels like people have traveled around the world, looked at “how it should be” to arrange such places and have collected the best here. Everything here is done with skill, soul, love and care for nature, at the level of the best European tourist sites. For Ruskeala, her owners are enormously gratefulrespect. If only there were more places like this in our country...
Abandoned marble quarry:
33. Another complex of waterfalls- Ruskeala, not far from the mountain park. Not as large-scale, of course, as those previously shown, but if you find yourself in Ruskeala and don’t have time to go to large waterfalls (they are at least 300 kilometers away), these will do. Despite the fact that you still can’t deny them picturesqueness:
34.
There are generally a lot of waterfalls in Karelia, and not all of them are located in such convenient transport accessibility. You can go on a tour to some of them in a UAZ or Niva; I would regret my car. To others - only with a long hike.
35. The exit point from the M-18 “Kola” highway to the city of Medvezhyegorsk turned out to be unexpectedly beautiful. There are indeed some low tree-covered mountains here, and the damp, cool weather only adds to the associations with the Transfegeras highway in Romania or Rose Peak in Sochi.
36. Finally, a view of the M-18 highway. As if to contrast with the terrible regional roads of Karelia, it, as well as the Petrozavodsk-Sortavala highway, was brought to last years V ideal condition. And this, among other things, greatly contributes to aesthetic pleasure. When you don’t think about how not to fly into a ditch or go around a pothole, the landscapes rushing by are perceived much better. And the road with smooth asphalt, neat shoulders and bollards is beautiful in itself.
36 pictures are, of course, a drop in the ocean of Karelian beauties. But this is enough to understand how beautiful it is there and why Karelia is so popular among tourists. On the other hand, it all looks much more impressive in real life. Before the trip, of course, I saw photos of all these places, but then it seemed that there was “nothing special” here, nature as nature. Seen with your own eyes, Karelia is perceived completely differently. I hope I will return there again and visit what was not included in this trip.
The last point of my story about Karelia will be its capital - Petrozavodsk. The regional center, which is quite good by the standards of modern Russia, can only be shown in a few parts. Next time we'll start.
In our age of widespread urbanization, corners are becoming increasingly valuable. globe, despite everything, retaining their pristine freshness and beauty. There is one such place in Russia, and its name is . Our virtual trip today will be dedicated to the natural attractions and riches of the Republic of Karelia.
Features of the nature of Karelia
What is so special about the nature of Karelia that people come here on vacation not only from all over Russia, but also from all over the post-Soviet space? Karelia is a northern region, taiga. Anyone who goes here on vacation at least once will not be able to resist the temptation to return to Karelia at least once more in their life. And this is not surprising, because in a relatively small area, dense forests full of berries and wild plants, and crystal lakes, and swamps covered with simply fantastic mosses and lichens. It is here, in Karelia, that a city dweller will have a unique opportunity to see Her Majesty Nature in all its glory. And it doesn’t matter at all what time of year you decide to go to Karelia - both in winter and in summer it will find something to impress its guests.
- The Lahdenpokhsky district of Karelia, which is located just 150 km from St. Petersburg and less than 50 km from Finland, without exaggeration, can be called the door behind which all the riches of this unique region are hidden. Compared to the rest of Karelia, the climate in the Lakhdenpokhsky region is the mildest, with moderate frosts in winter and fairly cool summers. Starting from mid-May, amazing white nights await guests in this part of Karelia. But the most important natural attraction of the Lakhdenpokhsky region of Karelia was and is Lake Ladoga, which is the most big lake in Europe. It is Lake Ladoga that is the habitat the rarest representatives local flora and fauna, many of which have found their place on the pages of the Red Book. Coastline Lake Ladoga is very picturesque - islands of various sizes, bays and straits, rock formations, channels and capes are woven into a bizarre lace.
- Enjoy all the riches mineral waters Karelia can be found in its Medvezhyegorsk region, where more than forty healing springs emerge from the bowels of the earth. Three of them - Tsaritsyn Key, Salt Pit and Three Ivans - for unique medicinal properties acquired the glory of saints among the people. In addition, guests of this part of Karelia will encounter picturesque, pine forests the banks of which are so rich in wild berries and mushrooms. A forest walks It will be interesting to combine it with a tour of the architectural and historical sights of Karelia, because it is in this area that they are most concentrated.
- In the very heart of the republic, in its Kondopoga region, there is the first protected reserve of Karelia - “Kivach”. It was formed in the 30s of the last century, and in its relatively small territory it accommodates all forms of relief characteristic of Karelia. The flora of “Kivacha” is represented by more than 600 species of various plants, and the fauna includes more than 300 species. The territory of “Kivach” also has its own water resources - the Suna River, which has more than fifty waterfalls and rapids.
- In the north-west of the Republic of Karelia is located national park"Paanajärvi", which was published at the very end of the 20th century. On its territory you can see all the wealth wildlife Karelia, starting from centuries-old pine forests and ending with the lake of the same name. Lake Paanjärvi, although it has a small area, is quite deep. Its waters are inhabited by rare species fish, and most representatives of the taiga fauna - wolves, foxes, moose, wild boars - wander quietly along the banks. In addition to the lake, in Paanjärvi Park you can see beautiful mountains, rivers and waterfalls.
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