Karelia– a unique world that amazes with its majestic nature and mystery.

To this day, untouched rivers, lakes and forests have been preserved here, the cleanest in the world. And it’s not for nothing that tourists come here, escaping from the concrete jungle for a breath of clean air and for the caressing beauty of nature.

But not only amazing landscapes attract tourists here, the culture of this unique place, a fusion of northern Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes, is quite mysterious and mysterious. For example, Mount Vottovaara, considered sacred. In its vicinity there are seid stones, which were worshiped by local residents. They claim that if you perform the pagan rite “karjala-aho” near them, then through many centuries you can see the half-humans, half-gods who lived in those days, perhaps even the Atlanteans.

Whether it’s a fairy tale or not, judge for yourself, but in the vicinity of this mountain mysterious and inexplicable phenomena occur, which only enhances the mystery of this place. However, you can find out more about everything in numerous books sold in Petrozavodsk or Medvezhyegorsk.

Karelia also preserves monuments of wooden architecture, the famous island of Kizhi, Valaam, founded by St. Andrew the First-Called, and the monastery on Ladoga.

Well, now let’s come down to earth and deal with this region in more detail.

Types of tourism in Karelia

First of all, tourists come here for active, cultural and ecological tourism thanks to numerous historical and cultural monuments, pristine nature and vast spaces where no human has set foot (at least not “inherited”).

Lovers of water tourism come here, who will find a variety of entertainment here, from cruise ships on Ladoga and Lake Onega to rafting on mountain rivers lasting from several hours to a week.

Motorists and cyclists, fishermen and hunters travel here. Quite popular are jeep tours that take place along old roads that once connected ancient Karelian villages.

Tourist - hunter attracts here a huge wealth of diverse fauna. The license, which can be obtained from the regional branches of the State Committee for Hunting of Karelia, will allow you to hunt elk, wild boar, bear, beaver, and among birds, black grouse and wood grouse. However, the number of licenses is limited, and without it, hunting is possible for hares, foxes, mink, squirrel, ducks, hazel grouse, etc. For tourists, beginners or those who love comfort, there are hunting tours with meals and accommodation.

Tourists - fishermen They go, first of all, to the well-promoted brand - Lake Syamozero, where comfortable conditions have been created. In the center and north of Karelia there are rivers with good fishing for salmon, grayling and whitefish. Fishing is popular both on Pyaozero and Lake Onega.

Winter also does not stop tourists from coming here; their interests simply change. At this time, lovers of all types of skiing come, you can have a lot of fun on snowmobiles, dogs or deer.

There is also health tourism; since 1719, thanks to Peter I, the oldest resort has been operating here - in the village of Martialnye Vody.

General information about Karelia

Karelia is located in the north-west of Russia, from the north it has a border with the Murmansk region and the White Sea, from the west - Finland for 800 km, from the south - a border with the Leningrad and Vologda regions, and, finally, from the east - with the Arkhangelsk region.

The capital of the republic is Petrozavodsk.

The terrain of the region is mainly hills, with the exception of the West Karelian Upland, where the highest mountain in the region, Nuorunen, is located. Karelia is called the land of lakes; on its territory there are 61 thousand (!), and 27 thousand rivers. A quarter of the entire territory is occupied by water, and another half by forest.

Along the edge lies part of the Blue Road, an international tourist route.

How to get to Karelia

The easiest way to get to Karelia is by arriving in Petrozavodsk, the capital of the region.

Airplane

The fastest way, of course, is to get to Petrozavodsk by plane (Besovets airport). There are daily flights from (Domodedovo), tickets from 3,600 rubles. Tickets to Petrozavodsk can be selected using this SEARCH ENGINE. Enter Petrozavodsk, the departure city, and see the required flights on the required dates.

Train

You can travel from Moscow to Petrozavodsk by train No. 18/17, a ticket in a reserved seat costs 1,606 rubles, in a compartment – ​​2,619, and from train No. 657/658. In addition, there are trains from Kyiv and Minsk (a reserved seat ticket from Minsk costs 733,000 Belarusian rubles).

We look for train tickets using this SEARCH ENGINE .

Automobile

The federal highway M-18 runs from north to south through the republic. An experienced tourist can cover 969 km along it in 12–14 hours.

You can choose a good hotel. Choose the number of stars, price, dates and choose what you like.

Climate of Karelia

The climate is mild, but rather capricious, moving deeper into the continent, moving from maritime to temperate continental; there is a lot of precipitation, both in winter and summer.

Summer is short, sometimes there are frosts in June. Heat is a rare phenomenon, especially in the north.

Sights of Karelia

Waterfalls of Karelia

One of the tours will introduce the tourist to the second largest lowland waterfall in Europe, Kivach, Ruskealskie, White Bridges (19 meters), Kumi waterfalls and many others. An independent inspection of the reserve will cost a tourist 120 rubles.

Marble was mined here from 1765 to 1939, until the Finns flooded it. Now this place is a mountain park (on Fridays and Saturdays it is also illuminated in the evening). The excursion costs 250 rubles, tourists can come on their own, paying an entrance fee of 150 rubles.

Located 68 km from Petrozavodsk. One of more than one and a half thousand islands of Onega Island, famous for its monuments of wooden architecture, including the main Transfiguration Church, built in 1714 and the Intercession Church - in 1764. There are 89 buildings in total.

Entrance for a foreign tourist is 625 rubles, for a Russian one – 250.

In addition to the indescribable natural beauty, where pine trees seem to grow straight from the rocks, the island is also famous for its monastery, founded in the 10th century. Its center is the Transfiguration Cathedral, built in the 19th century; in addition to it, the Valaam monasteries and St. Nicholas Church are worthy of attention

It is located near the villages of Gimoly and Sukkozero. The height is 417 meters, but it is not famous for its height. The mountain is furrowed with deep, straight cracks, as if polished.

There are many legends around it; ever since a partisan brigade died here during the war, it is also called Death Mountain. The instruments here sometimes seem to go crazy, there are no animals or birds, local residents claim that shamans live on the mountain, and the mountain itself is a gateway to other worlds.

Ski resorts

Tourism in the republic is of great importance for the economy of both Karelia itself and the whole of Russia.

Karelia is part of the North-Western recreational region. Such famous tourist routes as the “North-Western Meridian” (Lake Peipsi > Pskov > Novgorod > St. Petersburg > Karelia > Kola Peninsula) and the “Silver Ring of Tourism” (St. Petersburg > Pskov > Novgorod > Vologda > Velikiy) pass along it Ustyug > Arkhangelsk > Petrozavodsk). The strict northern nature of Karelia attracts not only ordinary tourists: it is not for nothing that the president constantly vacations here.

The potential for tourism development in Karelia is enormous, and therefore large-scale work is underway in the republic to develop and reconstruct tourism infrastructure. In a short period of time, a number of cottage villages were built in the republic, new sanatoriums, holiday homes and hotels appeared, and the number of guest houses increased. In turn, this has created opportunities for developing new tours and improving existing excursion routes and active recreation programs.

Tourism in Karelia is recognized as a priority sector of the economy, which is becoming increasingly important in the development of the entire economic potential of the republic.

Types of tourism

Almost all types of tourism are developed in Karelia.

Classic excursion programs. First of all, this is, of course, Kizhi - Valaam - Solovki. The “Gallop through Karelia” tour and others are also popular.

Individual excursion programs, New Year and Christmas programs. On New Year and Christmas holidays, festive banquets, winter costume picnics and other events are organized for guests.

Leisure: extreme tours, rafting on the rivers and lakes of Karelia (rafting), summer hikes, ski slopes, bike tours, jeep tours. In Karelia you can do any kind of winter sports. Everyone will find something to their liking, regardless of age.

Active tourism has recently received increasing support from travel agencies. The work of instructors who constantly monitor the situation on the routes they carry out, and the availability of special gear and equipment from travel agencies allow people who do not have special knowledge and skills to join new forms of recreation. The most popular tours in this direction in Karelia at present are hiking and water trips.

Water travel along rapids rivers in Karelia has been in demand for many years. To ensure safety, travel agencies offer rafting - inflatable rafts. Rafting trips are organized for both beginners and experienced tourists (see Appendix 4).

Ecological tourism: fishing and hunting, water routes on a yacht.

Fishing in Karelia is very popular, because there are a great many different bodies of water here: mossy swamps, mirror-like transparent lakes, rivers. Work is underway in the republic to organize this type of recreation: special fishing houses are being built, located on picturesque islands and coasts 30 or more kilometers from populated areas. Particularly popular for fishing are: Pyaozero, Lake Onega, Lake Ladoga, Vodloozerye, as well as forest rivers.

Karelia is one of the most attractive places in Russia for organizing hunting, both for professional and novice hunters. Almost all types of animals live in the taiga forests of Karelia - elk, bear, wolf, lynx, hare, otter, wolverine, reindeer. Game includes a lot of wood grouse, black grouse, partridge and hazel grouse, ducks and geese. This is due to the natural features of the region, and the richness of the animal world, and the fairly well-functioning work of the republican and local hunting unions and hunting farms of the republic; it is these factors that provide unlimited opportunities for organizing an interesting, unforgettable, successful hunting and recreation. The deadlines for harvesting wild animals and birds permitted for hunting are established annually by the Department for the Protection, Control and Regulation of the Use of Game Animals of the Republic of Karelia and the Karelian state enterprise “Karelohota”. The list of species of wild ungulates allowed for hunting, brown bears in the spring, as well as the list of types of hunting for game birds and specific hunting dates are established by order of the head of the Department for the Protection, Control and Regulation of the Use of Game Animals of the Republic of Karelia. Spring hunting is permitted for a period of no more than 10 days for all types of hunting at the same time.

Hunting for a brown bear- deadlines for hunting brown bears in the autumn-winter period from August 1 to February 28 (29). It takes 2 days to collect a wounded animal, not counting the day of injury. It is prohibited to shoot female bears with cubs of the current year of birth before they go to the den. When hunting in a den, if there are several animals in one den, the hunter can shoot all the animals, followed by additional licenses.

Hunting for wild ungulates can be carried out during the following periods: - elk - males from August 20 to January 15, other age and sex groups from October 1 to January 15. Roar hunting for adult male moose from August 20 to September 30. - wild reindeer - all age and sex groups from August 1 to February 28 (29). - wild boar - all sex and age groups with the exception of adult females with offspring of the current year, from June 1 to January 15, adult females with offspring of the current year, from October 1 to January 15.

Hunting for fur-bearing animals, badgers and hares: the necessary document for the right to hunt fur-bearing animals is a permit (license), issued in the prescribed manner. When hunting fur-bearing species of animals, hunting is permitted only for the species of game animals specified in the permit (license). Hare hunting is permitted from September 25 to February 28 (29). Hunting for hares and foxes with hounds and greyhounds that have a certificate or certificate of origin is permitted from September 15.

Cottage holidays

The variety of choices, the range of prices, and, accordingly, living conditions, is very large. The tourism infrastructure of Karelia is constantly growing: new cottages, hotels and tourist centers are appearing. During the summer season (mid-May - end of August), as well as for New Year and Christmas (mid-December - end of January), the demand for cottages and camp sites is very high, so it is better to make reservations as early as possible.

Health tourism: rest and treatment in the sanatoriums “Lotsiya”, “Kivach” and “Martialnye Vody”.

Attendance at traditional festivals. In the republic, especially in the summer, a large number of holidays are held, many of which have become traditional. These are: “Day of the Republic of Karelia” (June 8), “Day of the City of Petrozavodsk” (last weekend of June), “International Chamber Music Festival” (August), “Festival of Folk Humor “Kindasovo””.

The abundance of routes and programs make Karelia attractive to supporters of almost all types of tourism. Without a doubt, both in summer and winter in Karelia everyone will find something to their liking: both fans of excursion and active tourism, and those who value family vacations.

It is a unique place that has managed to preserve its primeval beauty to this day in almost its original form. And today here are the cleanest rivers in Europe, the densest forests and the clearest lakes. It is not for nothing that those who are forced to live among the concrete jungle throughout the year especially like to spend their holidays in Karelia.

Arriving here, you can see such famous monuments of wooden architecture as the monastery on Lake Ladoga,Valaam archipelago and Kizhi Island, located on an island in Lake Onega. Tradition says that the founderValaam Monastery was St. Andrew the First-Called. All these objects are considered the hallmark of Karelia, which can be found in the section "Sights of Karelia"

The Republic has prepared a lot of interesting things for you Karelia: tourism, excursions, water trips, jeep tours, hunting and fishing - these are the best tours in Karelia. The tour operator "Forest Fairy Tale" made sure that tours to Karelia gave you only positive impressions, and you wanted to never stop coming to this amazing corner of Russia.

If you are a fan of active recreation, come toKarelia, tourism , including extreme, is special here, thanks to rafting along rapids rivers and jeep tours to the most beautiful places in Karelia, many of which are considered long forgotten. IN surrounded by picturesque lakes and unprecedented beauty of rocks,You will visit the Kivach waterfall, spend the night at Mount Vottovaara . Local residents claim that mysterious, inexplicable events often occur here. Maybe you too will be lucky enough to become part of the legend! During the jeep tour, you will have the opportunity to admire the beauty of dozens of amazing rivers and lakes, and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding nature.

In an amazing cornerKarelia, tourism the individual also finds his admirers. For lovers individual rest , combined tours have been developed in Karelia that combine jeeping and rafting in Karelia.Combined tours- more as an example of what can be organized, because for tourism in Karelia All roads are open, so you can develop and organize almost anyindividual tour of Karelia based on the individual wishes of the tourist.

In addition to summer tours, tourism in Karelia It also happens in winter. Winter tours in Karelia are a real magical adventure in which you are welcomedog sled tours, snowmobile safari and travelhovercraft to the island of Valaam.

Each of the tours to Karelia is thought out to the smallest detail, thanks to which no one will remain indifferent to this corner of the earth.

Tourist and recreational potential of Karelia

Geographical position

The Republic of Karelia is located in the north-west of the European part of Russia. It borders with Finland, Leningrad, Vologda, Arkhangelsk and Murmansk regions. In the east it is washed by the waters of the White Sea.

Territory - 180.5 thousand km², population - about 645.2 thousand people (2010). Administrative center of Petrozavodsk (270.6 thousand people in 2010). The distance from Moscow to Petrozavodsk is 925 km.

Natural recreational resources

Landscapes

Karelia has a hilly-moraine relief, in the west and north-west there is the Manselka ridge (up to 576 m). An important role in the creation of the modern topography of the republic was played by repeated glaciations of its territory. Glaciers and glacial waters gave the relief a specific appearance: smoothed boulders and rocks - “ram’s foreheads”, undulating sandy plains, high pebble-sand embankments - eskers, rocky ridges and ridges - selgi stretched from northwest to southeast. The predominant heights of Karelia are 100-120 m with absolute elevations up to 250 m above sea level. The most elevated places are in the west and north-west of the republic, the least elevated are in areas adjacent to the White Sea, Ladoga (5 m) and Onega (33 m) lakes.

Bioclimate

The climate of the republic is moderate continental with marine features. It is characterized by long, relatively mild winters and short, cool summers, high cloud cover and significant precipitation throughout the year.

The polar night in the north of the republic and the low altitude of the sun above the horizon in its middle and southern parts cause a negative surface radiation balance in winter. In spring and summer, daylight hours increase to 19-20 hours in the south, and in the north the day lasts the whole day, and the period of “white nights” begins.

Due to the influence of the Atlantic and proximity to the Arctic Ocean, the climate of Karelia is extremely unstable, one type of weather abruptly gives way to another. The average annual temperature is from 0 to + 3° C. The average January temperatures are from -8 to -13° C, July from +14 to +16° C. The duration of the frost-free period is from 80-90 days in the north-west of the republic, to 120-130 days in the Ladoga and Onega regions.

Annual precipitation ranges from 450-550 mm in the north to 600-700 mm in the south. The maximum amount of precipitation falls in summer, with rainfall prevailing. In winter, precipitation is half as much as in summer. A long cold period contributes to the accumulation of large reserves of snow: by the end of winter the snow cover reaches 60-80 cm.

Hydro resources

White Sea. The sea is relatively shallow (up to 300 m). In summer, coastal waters warm up well, especially in the Onega skerries area, and in winter they are covered with solid ice. The sea off the coast of Karelia has favorable climatic conditions and is rich in flora and fauna.

The Pomeranian coast has an indented coastline with many small bays, bays and a vast coastal shallow area with islands and underwater shoals (the western part of Onega Bay). The Karelian coast (the western coast of the basin and Kandalaksha Bay) adjoins the deep part of the sea.

Rivers. The number of rivers in Karelia reaches 11,200, their total length is 54,300 km. The White Sea basin includes the river systems: Vyg and Kem, somewhat less in length - Vonga, Shuya, Pongoma, Kuzema, Whitefish, Keret, as well as Suma, Virma, Kolezhma, Nyukhch. The Baltic Sea basin includes rivers flowing into Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga: Suna, Shuya, Olonka, Vidlitsa, Tulemajoki.

The Vodla (about 400 km) and Kemi (about 360 km) river systems have the greatest length. The rivers of northern Karelia are mountain-taiga in nature and abound in rapids (fall of 10 m/km or more), which attracts water tourists here.

Lakes. Karelia is home to the largest lakes in Europe - Ladoga and Onega. Vygozero (more than 1000 sq. km), Topozero, Segozero, Pyaozero, Vodlozero, Kuito, Samozero are also notable for their size. In total there are about 60 thousand lakes with a total area of ​​more than 40,000 square meters. km.

All lakes of Karelia belong to the basins of the White and Baltic seas. All large, medium and most small (from 1 sq. km) lakes are flowing or drainage, which is favorable for the life of fish and other living organisms. About 31,000 small lakes, forest lambins ("dead forest lake") with an area of ​​up to 1 sq. km are temporary. They are either completely fishless, or are inhabited by crushed perch, roach, and burbot.

A characteristic feature of the Karelian lakes is the large number of islands on them (on Vygozero - more than 500, Tiksheozer - about 350, Vodlozero - up to 200, Kereti - more than 140, Konchezero - more than 100).

The average maximum depth of the lakes is 21.3 m, which largely explains the wide distribution of cold-loving fish here - grayling, trout, vendace, and whitefish.

The vast majority of medium and large lakes have a water transparency of 6-8 m with a bluish-green color, which allows for underwater photography.

In July - August, in small and medium lakes, in shallow bays of large lakes, the water in the surface layers heats up to 24-25 degrees, and in the large lakes of northern Karelia (Topozero, Pyaozero) - up to 18. A sharp cooling of the water usually begins at the end of August.

The White Sea-Baltic Canal passes through the republic.

Hydromineral resources

The marcial waters of Karelia are ferruginous, nitrogen, hydrocarbonate-sulfate, weakly mineralized, slightly acidic (pH 6.5), cold 5°C. These are mineral waters with a rare chemical composition and a record iron content (up to 100 mg/dm3), the amount of which is much greater than in other iron sources in our and foreign resorts. From wells with a depth of 7 to 14 m, water of various mineralizations self-flows and, what is especially characteristic, with different iron content - from 17 to 95 milligrams in 1 liter of water (the norm is at least 10 milligrams per 1 liter of water).

Marcial Waters Resort and the sanatorium of the same name is located 55 km from Petrozavodsk in a forest zone, where there is a valley of ferruginous mineral springs and healing mud, which served as the basis for the creation of the first resort in Russia.

Healing factors: mineral ferruginous waters and high-quality medicinal mud. Marcial spring water contains sodium, magnesium, calcium, and manganese. Marcial water is purified by passing through shungite deposits. Marcial waters increase the body's resistance to infections, affect the secretion of the digestive organs, improve appetite, have a positive effect on the composition of the blood, increasing the hemoglobin content, and contribute to the overall strengthening of the body. Martial water can be taken for prophylactic purposes as ordinary table water, especially for people who are anemic and weakened after illnesses. Mineral water is prescribed by the attending physician individually for each patient, depending on the nature of the disease.

Bioresources

The vegetation of Karelia is located in the coniferous forest and taiga zone. The total area occupied by forest is approximately 15 million hectares (about 87% of the territory) and has been subject to forest management in most of the republic.

Pine forests predominate in Karelia, which is explained by the distribution of sandy deposits. Spruce dominates on loamy and clayey soils, mainly in the southern part of the middle taiga zone. In a few isolated areas of the coast of Lake Onega, spruce forests are combined with linden and maple, and in the southeast of Karelia - spruce and pine forests with Siberian larch. The most common deciduous trees are downy birch, aspen and gray alder.

Among the wild flora there are medicinal plants: bearberry, lily of the valley, watch, orchis, and wild food plants include berries (cranberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, blueberries, raspberries, blueberries) and mushrooms.

The fauna of Karelia is rich. Mammals include lynx, marten, mink, ferret, ermine, weasel, wolverine, badger, otter, brown bear, wolf, fox, raccoon dog, elk, wild reindeer, squirrel, mole, many shrews, mice, and rats. The muskrat settled in many reservoirs of southern and central Karelia. The white hare is of wide commercial importance.

There are more than 200 species of birds, most of them migratory. Capercaillie, black grouse, hazel grouse, partridge, etc. are permanent residents. There is a variety of waterfowl - loons, grebes, ducks, geese and swans. There are sandpipers, hawks, bitterns, harriers, ospreys, buzzards, owls, cranes and corncrakes, many woodpeckers and blackbirds, waxwings arrive in the fall, and occasionally even a golden eagle is found.

Fishes of the White Sea are represented by 55 marine species and 11 anadromous or semi-anadromous. Sea fish - herring, cod, navaga, smelt, flounder and river fish - salmon and whitefish are of commercial importance. Freshwater species include perch, roach, pike, ide, bream, pike perch and burbot, and valuable species include lake salmon, lake trout, river and brook trout, whitefish, salmon, vendace, palia, and grayling. Fishing for salmon, brown trout, trout and trout is prohibited.

In the summer, a huge number of mosquitoes, midges, gadflies, horse flies and other blood-sucking creatures appear - this is one of the unfavorable factors in the development of tourism.

The natural reserve fund of the Republic of Karelia includes 168 specially protected natural areas (SPNA).

Kandalaksha Nature Reserve located in the Murmansk region and partly in Karelia, on islands and sections of the coasts of the Barents Sea and Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea. Area 70.5 thousand hectares. Founded in 1939. In 1975, protected areas of Kandalaksha Bay received the status of wetlands of international importance. Tundra vegetation is represented by crowberry, dwarf birch, and tundra willow. The flora includes 633 species of higher plants, the fauna includes 160 species. Marine invertebrates are numerous. There are sea hare, harbor seal, and ringed seal. On the territory of the reserve there are archaeological monuments of the early metal era and the remains of one of the first silver mines in Russia.

Kivach Nature Reserve , area 10.5 thousand hectares. Founded in 1931. Located 30 km northwest of Lake Onega between Sundozero in the north and Pertozero in the south. On the territory of the reserve there is a waterfall of the same name. The vegetation is represented by middle taiga forests with a predominance of pine forests on outcrops of bedrock, pine-spruce forests on a hilly moraine and spruce forests on fluvio-glacial deposits. Inhabited by brown bear, wolf, fox, badger, pine marten, polecat, otter, and beaver. 197 bird species have been recorded. The fauna is most fully represented by semi-aquatic and waterfowl (lamella-billed loons, waders, cranes, gulls).

Kostomushsky Reserve located on the border with Finland. Area 47.6 thousand hectares. Founded in 1983; since 1990 - part of the Russian-Finnish reserve Druzhba. Located on the eastern slope of the West Karelian Upland, height up to 250 m. Forests, mainly pine, occupy 80% of the territory, swamps - about 20%. Common fauna include elk, reindeer, marten, ermine, weasel, otter, wolf, fox, brown bear, wolverine, and birds - white-tailed eagle, osprey, golden eagle, hazel grouse, wood grouse, black grouse, and white partridge.

Vodlozersky National Park located in Karelia and the Arkhangelsk region, area 404.7 thousand hectares. Founded in 1991. Occupies the Vodlozero basin and the lower reaches of the river. Ilexa. Typical taiga animals include: brown bear, elk, deer, lynx, marten, wolverine, fox, wolf, badger. The avifauna includes more than 200 species; capercaillie, black grouse, and partridge are common. Rare and endangered bird species include the white-tailed eagle, osprey, and golden eagle. About 20 species of fish live in rivers and lakes. The park is interesting as one of the most extensive areas in Europe with preserved indigenous forests.

Paanajärvi National Park , area 103.3 thousand hectares. Founded in 1991. Located in the basin of Lake Paanajärvi and the river. Olanga near the Russian-Finnish border. Covers the most elevated parts of Karelia. About 600 large and small lakes, 60 rivers. The vegetation cover is represented mainly by spruce forests, with an admixture of pine and birch. The flora contains 550 plant species. Rare and endangered birds include the golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, and osprey. In the lake Paanajärvi and R. Olanga is home to brown trout, trout, grayling and whitefish.

National Park "Kalevalsky" , area 74.4 thousand hectares. Founded in 2007. Located on the territory of the Kostomuksha City Council, near the border with Finland. The park is a reserve of old-growth pine forests. The park is a reserve of old-growth pine forests

Natural attractions

• On the territory of Karelia there are two largest lakes in Europe - Ladoga and Onega , and White Sea-Baltic Canal (length 228 km), connecting the basins of the Baltic and White Seas.
• Kivach waterfall , located on the Suna River, 100 km from Petrozavodsk. This is the second largest, after the Rhine, flat waterfall in Europe. The height of the water fall is 10.7 m. A beautiful forest road leads to the waterfall, along which 30-40 thousand tourists pass annually.

Forests, lakes and rivers provide an excellent opportunity for organizing both a relaxing holiday in Karelia in the lap of nature, and active types of tourism: hunting for various types of game, fishing, safaris on snowmobiles and ATVs, river rafting on rafts, kayaks and boats, eco-tours and jeep safaris.

Cultural and historical potential

The Republic of Karelia has excellent opportunities for developing various types of tourism and recreation, satisfying the interests of travel lovers and connoisseurs of beauty: there are over four thousand cultural, historical and natural monuments and objects on the state register.

Three islands, three “pearls” of Karelia - Valaam, Kizhi, Solovki with monuments of world culture on them not only constitute the main cultural attraction of Karelia. They are iconic symbols of the entire cultural heritage of Russia, large-scale cultural and spiritual phenomena of world significance, a magnificent frame of the cultural space of Karelia, filled with bright and original cultural monuments, historical sights, museums, living artistic and folklore traditions.

The historical and cultural uniqueness of Karelia, which distinguishes it from other territories of Russia, is also determined by the cultural heritage of four indigenous peoples who historically lived in this region - Karelians, Finns, Vepsians, Russians, who created a unique and original culture over ten centuries of cohabitation.

The main tourist sites of Karelia:

• Historical, architectural and ethnographic Kizhi Museum-Reserve on the island of the same name in Lake Onega. On about. An open-air museum of wooden architecture has been created in Kizhi. Here is the twenty-two-domed Transfiguration Cathedral, erected without a single nail. Today Kizhi is not only an open-air museum of folk architecture, folk traditions are being revived here: artistic crafts, folk festivals, folk games, customs. The bells sounded again in the Kizhi belfries, and services were resumed in ancient churches.
• Natural landscape territory “Valaam” on the archipelago of the same name in Lake Ladoga. The Valaam archipelago, numbering about 50 islands, is located in the northwestern part of Lake Ladoga. On about. Valaam operates the Valaam Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, founded in the first centuries of the spread of Christianity in Rus' - X-XI. The cultural monuments of Valaam - grandiose architectural ensembles, man-made gardens, engineering structures, an ancient monastic necropolis - coexist with the even more ancient and majestic nature of the island. The annual flow of tourists to the islands of the Valaam archipelago reaches 90 thousand people (including pilgrims), which corresponds to the maximum recreational load.
• The Solovetsky Islands, historically associated with Karelia, are located at its northern administrative borders in the White Sea on the territory of the Arkhangelsk region. In the 15th century, the Solovetsky Orthodox Monastery was founded here, which played an outstanding role in the development of the Russian North and became one of the largest spiritual and cultural centers in Russia. Its ensemble includes unique archaeological complexes of the pre-Christian period, the grandiose Kremlin - a powerful fortress made of wild boulders, majestic white stone temples, a network of man-made canals between island lakes, and an ancient botanical garden.
• On the eastern shore of Lake Onega, about 800 various rock carvings have been discovered on granite rocks - petroglyphs . 6-8 km from Belogorsk, at the mouth of the river. There are about a thousand rock paintings in Vyg, known as “Demon Sledki” and “Zalavruga”. On the Kuzov Islands in the White Sea, stone labyrinths (seids) have been preserved - a monument to the ancient culture of the Sami people.
• Karelia is the birthplace of Karelian-Finnish epic "Kalevala"- a literary monument of world significance, the birthplace of rune singers and epic storytellers. Ancient Karelian, Vepsian, and Pomeranian settlements with original architecture, built several centuries ago and of great interest to lovers of ethnographic tourism, have been preserved.

Infrastructure

In terms of the degree of recreational development, the area can be considered moderately developed. The main limiting factors for the development of tourism in Karelia are:

High cost of tourism services;

Quality of roads;

Poor development of tourism infrastructure;

Inactivity of most tourist sites;

Insufficient tourist image;

Lack of availability of economy class hotels and a number of others.

Transport. Air, international airport "Petrozavodsk". Railway, road. Navigation on Lakes Ladoga and Onega.

The tourist centers of the region are Petrozavodsk, Belomorsk, Medvezhyegorsk, Kem, Kizhi Island, Valaam, Solovetsky Islands.

Petrozavodsk hosts annual specialized exhibitions “Tourist Karelia” and the exhibition-fair “Hunting and Fishing”.

Sanatorium-resort holidays in Karelia are possible at various tourist centers, resorts, sanatoriums and holiday camps.

Sanatorium and hotel complex "White Keys" located 8 km from the center of Petrozavodsk in the southwestern part of the city in a forested area in a protected area. This is the only place in the city of Petrozavodsk that provides a unique combination of business, hotel and health services. Built as a balneological resort, it accepts people for health improvement under various medical programs. "White Keys" operates as a business center and hotel, inviting conferences of various levels.

Sanatorium "Palaces" located 54 km from Petrozavodsk, in the same place where in 1719 Tsar Peter I opened the first Russian resort. Peter I experienced the effects of marcial waters himself. The results of the treatment were so favorable that he ordered the construction of a royal palace near the springs (hence the name of the village - Palaces).

Treatment: diseases of the nervous system, circulatory system, respiratory system, digestion, musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, genitourinary system (except for diseases of the female genital organs). The sanatorium specializes in the treatment and prevention of iron deficiency anemia.

Natural healing clinic “Sanatorium Kivach” - clinical base of the Department of Lymphology and Endoecology of the Peoples' Friendship University. P. Lumumba is located 50 km from Petrozavodsk, in the zone of iron-containing mineral springs. The area of ​​the clinic is 23 hectares. This is a forest with a predominance of coniferous species. The calm ecological situation, highly ionized air of the pine forest, and the softening influence of the thermal air masses of the North Atlantic create a unique microclimate of the health resort. Marcial waters contribute to the overall strengthening of the body and are used for diseases of the digestive system, kidneys, cardiovascular diseases, some blood diseases and metabolic diseases. Gabozero mud has an analgesic, antispasmodic, immune-correcting effect and has a pronounced therapeutic effect for many diseases.

Tourist potential

In recent years, tourism in Karelia has become one of the leading sectors of the local economy. The total income from inbound tourism in the republic exceeds 2 billion rubles. in year. The share of this sector in the gross regional product is 6%. The number of Russian and foreign guests to Karelia annually exceeds 1.3 million people. Active tourism is developing at the fastest pace. The main tourist flows to Karelia are formed in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Among the largest investment projects implemented in recent years are the completion of the construction of the hotel and tourist complex “Black Stones” on the lake. Yanisjärvi, reconstruction of the Karelia tourist complex and the Kivach sanatorium. With the attraction of foreign investment, the Karelia theme park is being created. Hotel construction is actively underway throughout the republic, especially in places where the main tourist potential is concentrated. Priority is given to small country hotels and cottages.

State regulation of regional tourism is entrusted to the Department of Tourism Development and Social Sphere of the Ministry of Economic Development, as well as to the State Committee for Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Types of tourism in the Republic of Karelia:

• ecological tourism;
• sports tourism;
• active and adventure tourism;
• hunting and fishing;
• rural tourism;
• cultural and educational (excursion) tourism.

Amateur tourism is also actively developing in Karelia - when tourists independently go on various sports trips (hiking, automobile, water, skiing). The main areas of amateur tourism are northern Karelia with a network of rivers and lakes, southern Karelia with Lakes Ladoga and Onega and the rivers flowing into them. River rafting: Shuya, Kem, Pongoma, Ileksa, Vodla, etc.