KARELIA ADVENTURE / Along meandering trails of Karelia

5.30 am (7.30 am) – arrival by night train in Lodeynoe Pole from Moscow or 2 am - arrival by train 658 in Lodeynoe Pole from St Petersburg. Meeting at the railway station by your local Karelian guide, transfer to Umostu cottage village located on the shore of Lake Vekkoylayarvi (90 km), accommodation in double rooms in “Umostu” cottage village. Time at leisure.

Breakfast. Safety briefing, outfitting, getting equipped and instructed in snowmobile driving. Set off for the snowmobile adventure (105 km) along forest roads and tracks across the snow of the lakes. Start from Kukshegory village to Tuloksa village and Lake Ladoga, the largest in Europe lake. Continue to Varachniy cape to see the stone marking the historical border of Russia and Sweden during the Northern War. Snowmobile further to Vidlitsa village, Syandeba village, return to Kukshegory. Lunch as a snack on the way. Return to Umostu cottage complex by 6 pm. Dinner, Russian Banya (sauna), overnight

Breakfast. Continue your snowmobile safari (110 km in the forest and on the lakes) from Kukshegory village to Ninisel’ga village and further along the route abandoned Varlov les village - Kinerma village – Yurgilitsa village – Lake Shotozero - Lake Syamozero. Enjoy the harmony of nature and settlements, the peacefulness of the Winter-covered land. The wooden houses and chapels, unhurried lifestyle of small villages make an impression of time standing still in this part of Karelia.

Stop in Kinerma village, a natural 440 years old monument of traditional wooden architecture of the Karelian livvik ethnic group. Visit in Kinerma a tiny museum arranged by a local family and meet the hostess. Lunch.

Continue snowmobiling and arrive at Lake Syamozero in the evening. Accommodation in a simple guesthouse in double rooms. Russian banya, dinner, overnight

Breakfast. Start your another day of snowmobiling (90 km) along the forest roads and snowmobile tracks from Lake Syamozero to Gomsel’ga village – picturesque Lake Ukshezero – The Shuya river – Petrozavodsk gulf of Lake Onega, the 2^nd largest lake in Europe. Lunch as a snack on the way. Arrive in late afternoon in Petrozavodsk. Check-in at a hotel (twin-basis).

Upon desire walk around the city and along the embankment in the company of your guide or otherwise free time to explore Petrozavodsk at night on your own. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Late breakfast in the hotel restaurant. It’s time to continue our snowmobiling adventure - now we start the second part of the itinerary on the Onego lake. The distances are smaller but we will be busy with discovery of culture heritage of Russian Karelia.

Check-out and start your snowmobile tour (112 km) from The Petrozavodsk Gulf of the Onego lake across the lake ice and along forest tracks to Ivanovsky islands – Shardonsky islands, picturesque rocky islands towering over snowdrifts – The Bolshoye Onego Gulf – Yuzhniy dvor village with St Nicholas church with an impressive belfry visible from far away – Kizhi island – Bolshoy Klimenetskiy island. Lunch as a snack on the way.

Arrival at the guest house at around 5 pm, accommodation in double rooms, Russian banya (sauna), dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Todays’ snowmobiling distance is not great (appr 60 km), but the day will be full of impressions, as we head for the Kizhi island, a UNESCO heritage site, an open-air museum of wooden architecture with an amazing creation of the XVII-XIX centuries’ masters of the Russian North – an ensemble of traditional wooden structures - church, mills, barns, and Russian houses (izbas). Snowmobile around the Kizhi Necklace – the islands of the Onego Lake with small traditional wooden chapels surrounding the Kizhi island like a precious necklace. Route: Yeglov island that hosts Yeglovo village with a line of traditional peasant houses along the shore of the lake facing the tiny island with the Blessed Virgin – Podyel’niki village - Vorobiy village.

Lunch in a house, time at leisure.

Dinner, sauna (optional at extra-charge), overnight in the same guesthouse

Breakfast. Start your last day of adventures and discoveries (appr 100 km). Travel along the route Potanevschina - Oyatevschina village – Ivanovsky islands – return to Petrozavodsk. Lunch as a snack on the way.

Arrive in Petrozavodsk, wash off the tiredness of the trip in sauna, have dinner and relax in a café downtown. Transfer to Petrozavodsk railway station and departure by overnight train* to Moscow at 19.00 or to St Petersburg at 23.00

7 AM – arrival in Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia, by overnight train 658, meeting by your Karelian guide at the railway station, transfer downtown for breakfast.

Getting equipped, safety briefing and instructions. Start your snowmobile tour (112 km) from The Petrozavodsk Gulf of the Onego lake (the 2nd largest lake in Europe) across the lake ice and along forest tracks to Ivanovsky islands – Shardonsky islands, picturesque rocky islands towering over snowdrifts – The Bolshoye Onego Gulf – Yuzhniy dvor village with St Nicholas church with an impressive belfry visible from far away – Kizhi island – Bolshoy Klimenetskiy island. Lunch on the way.

5 PM – arrival at a guest house, accommodation in twin rooms, Russian banya (sauna), dinner.

Breakfast. 11.00 – start the 2nd day of your snowmobile adventure (60 km) with Kizhi island, the UNESCO heritage site, an open-air museum of wooden architecture with an amazing creation of the XVII-XIX centuries’ masters of the Russian North – an ensemble of traditional wooden structures - church, mills, barns, and Russian houses (izbas). Head for the Kizhi Necklace – the islands of the Onego Lake with old wooden chapels surrounding the Kizhi island like a precious necklace. Route: Yeglov island that hosts Yeglovo village with a line of traditional peasant houses along the shore of the lake facing the tiny island with the Blessed Virgin – Podyel’niki village - Vorobiy village.

15.00 – lunch in a house, time at leisure (you can rent skis at the guesthouse)

Dinner, sauna (optional for extra-fee)

Breakfast. 11.00 – leave for more adventures and discoveries (93 km), to Petrozavodsk on the ice of the Onego lake. Travel to Oyatevschina village – Ivanovsky islands – return to Petrozavodsk. Lunch on the way.

16.00 – arrival at Petrozavodsk, check-in at a hotel (double-basis). Dinner

Time on your own for exploration of the Petrozavodsk city (you can walk around the city in the company of your guide). Overnight in Petrozavodsk

Breakfast. Continue our snowmobile safari from Petrozavodsk westwards, in the depth of Karelia. 85 km along forest roads and snowmobile tracks to Lake Ukshezero – Gomsel’ga village – picturesque Syamozero lake. Lunch on the way.

Arrival at Syamozero, accommodation in the guest house in double rooms, Russian sauna, dinner, overnight.

Breakfast in a café of the tourist center

10.00 – continue your snowmobile adventure from Lake Syamozero along the route (110 km in the forest and on the lakes): Lake Shotozero – Yurgilitsa village – Kinerma village – Varlov les village – Ninisel’ga village – Kukshegory village.

Enjoy the harmony of nature and settlements, the peacefulness of the Winter-covered land. The wooden houses and chapels, unhurried lifestyle of small villages make an impression of time standing still in this part of Karelia.

Stop in Kinerma village, a natural 440 years old monument of traditional wooden architecture of the Karelian livvik ethnic group. Visit in Kinerma a tiny museum arranged by a local family and meet the hostess. Lunch.

Accommodation in double rooms in Umostu cottage complex situated on the shore of Lake Vekkoylayarvi. Dinner, Russian banya (sauna).

Breakfast. Start the last day of snowmobiling(105 km) along forest roads and tracks across the snow of the lakes. Start from Kukshegory village to Tuloksa village and Lake Ladoga, the largest in Europe lake. Continue to Varachniy cape to see the stone marking the historical border of Russia and Sweden during the Northern War. Snowmobile further to Vidlitsa village, Syandeba village, return to Kukshegory. Lunch as a snack on the way. Return to Umostu cottage complex by 6 pm. Time at leisure (you can rent skis). Dinner

Late transfer by minibus to the railway station Lodeynoye Pole (90 km) and departure by overnight train no 657 to St Petersburg at 2-3 am (arrival at 7 am in the morning)

JANUARY

Jan 25 – Jan 30

(Lodeynoe Pole-Petrozavodsk)

FEBRUARY

Feb 01 – Feb 06

(Lodeynoe Pole-Petrozavodsk)

Feb 08 – Feb 13

(Lodeynoe Pole-Petrozavodsk)

Feb 15 – Feb 20

(Lodeynoe Pole-Petrozavodsk)

 

MARCH

March 01 – March 06

(Lodeynoe Pole-Petrozavodsk)

March 11 – March 16

(Petrozavodsk- Lodeynoe Pole)

March 18 – March 23

(Petrozavodsk- Lodeynoe Pole)