Karelia in winter: what to see? Reviews about winter holidays in Karelia. Where to relax in winter in Karelia Karelia in winter tours

Great opportunities for active rest and sightseeing, breathtaking landscapes with snowdrifts, elegant pine trees and ancient wooden houses, ringing air - that’s what it’s all about Karelia in winter. If you want to escape from the everyday bustle, touch the secrets of amazing nature and rich history, taste all the delights of the cold season - be sure to go on a trip to Karelia in winter with the tour operator Alem-Tur.

Take a walk through a snow-covered forest, take a windy ride down a hill, take a steam bath in a real wood-burning sauna... there are a number of worthy answers to the question - what to do in Karelia in winter? Extreme sports enthusiasts, lovers of active recreation and winter species sports - a lot of entertainment awaits tourists here, and this is not just a turn of phrase, but a real fact, confirmation of which you will find further.

Attractions

Thanks to geographical location and natural and climatic features, the republic has not yet become a place of a very massive influx of tourists. And this is good for preserving its unique natural resources. Looking for an answer to the question: what to see in Karelia in winter?- many are surprised to discover that this land is rich not only in natural beauties.

Besides them, the sights of Karelia, which are easy to explore in winter by car, - This

• well preserved architectural monuments distant antiquity,
• masterpieces of wooden architecture,
• hunting and fishing bases,
• unique zoos, zoo complexes, sled dog nurseries.

Marble Canyon Ruskeala

A unique place is the Ruskeala mountain park. This marble canyon was formed in a huge quarry from which marble was extracted for more than two hundred years. Nowadays it is a canyon stretching for several kilometers, flooded with clear waters.

Visit Ruskeala in winter in Karelia nice: there are no large crowds of people. Nothing distracts you from communicating with calm and majestic nature. You can't go down on the ice, but this one marble canyon It is especially beautiful from above. The trail passes through a cave-adit, illuminated at night.

Kivach waterfall

One of the most famous attractions of the republic is the Kivach waterfall on the Suna River. It falls over stone rapids from a height of more than ten meters, captivating with its power and majesty. The waterfall is in perfect harmony with the natural beauty of the surrounding reserve of the same name.

Even in Epiphany frosts, the Kivach waterfall does not freeze. It always rolls river waters along icy ledges, past trees whose branches are generously shrouded in sparkling snow.

Mount Sampo

Mount Sampo is a “place of power” with bright natural energy. This mythical rock made from Kalevala runes looks especially colorful in winter. It’s worth climbing the mountain if only because of the extraordinary beautiful view, which opens from its top onto the lake and surrounding forests. And, of course, take a series of amazing photos.

For tourists, Mount Sampo in Karelia in winter is quite accessible, as in summer: there are stairs, railings, and observation platforms. But caution is a good idea: the steps can be slippery.

Where to relax in Karelia in winter

Place, Where to stay, everyone chooses based on their own preferences and capabilities. This could be a hotel in Petrozavodsk or in the suburbs of the city, for example, the countryside recreation center “Verkhovye” is well suited for this, or a separate “hunting lodge” or a cottage on the lake shore.

For those who want not only to relax, but also to improve their health, the health resorts of the republic are waiting for you. The village of Marcialnye Vody in the Kondopoga region, 55 km from Petrozavodsk, is the first resort in the history of Russia, founded in 1719: year-round, balneological and mud resort.

Karelia is a haven for ski lovers. There are well-equipped trails in Malaya Medvezhka, on Spasskaya Bay; on Yalgora, and on Gorka, which is directly inside Petrozavodsk. There are plenty of ice fishing opportunities on the local lakes.

By snowmobile you can get to the main attractions of the republic: Kizhi and Valaam traditionally occupy the highest places on the list of places to visit in Karelia in winter.

Winter recreation centers

The best way to escape from the intense rhythm of modern civilization is to stay not in a city hotel, but at one of the recreation centers that are located “in the very heart” of Karelia.

Like, for example, the Verkhovye base. This complex fits well into the surrounding natural landscape and offers the most soulful holiday in the winter of 2019. An increasing number of tourists choose recreation centers from year to year, thanks to an affordable pricing policy and a wider range of services - here you can walk through the forest and make snowballs in the yard, And New Year unusual to meet.

Cottages in Karelia in winter

Before traveling, you need to decide: what accommodation format will be best for this winter vacation? Should you stay in a separate room or, together with a friendly company, rent cottage?

Traditionally, accommodation is offered in cottages on the shore of one of the lakes, or in close proximity to it. There are even options for separate island, with its own bathhouse and equipped shore.

Rent a house in winter in Karelia

An excellent accommodation option for couples in love; families with children; small companies - rent a house in Karelia in winter. As a rule, such a house has a terrace with a table, chairs/benches and a view of the forest; wood-burning bath/sauna; barbecue and woodpile.

There can be one, two, or three bedrooms in the house, and they are most often built from local environmentally friendly wood.

Excursions and tours in winter Karelia

In one weekend tour you can visit most of the republic’s attractions - both natural and man-made. In just a few days you can get a complete picture of what it is Karelia in winter. Tours from Moscow and St. Petersburg include in your itinerary the Kizhi museums and Valaam Monastery, Kivach waterfall, tasting mineral waters, as well as: Ruskeala marble canyon, Holy Trinity monastery, Sheltozero ethnographic museum, the ancient Karelian village of Rubcheyla, the Three Bears zoo complex. As part of the winter tour you can ride on dog sledding and snowmobiles. You will need to set off early in the morning and return to the hotel late in the evening. These will be busy days, full of fresh impressions and positive emotions.

Fishing tours in winter

Subglacial fishing in Karelia in winter usually available from January. Sometimes earlier, depending on weather conditions. The best time The very end of winter is considered, and March and April too - in the Russian North these are still more winter than spring months. During this period, the wilderness ends and fishermen can count on a richer and more varied catch.

Husky riding

An unforgettable winter entertainment in Karelia is dog sledding. A number of breeders of husky sled dogs, in different villages of the republic, offer this service, and a couple interesting routes through a picturesque area.

Communication with a husky cannot leave anyone indifferent, because dogs of this breed are friendly, fluffy and affectionate, and how skillfully they pose for photos!

We offer you celebrate the New Year and spend a bright Christmas holiday in Karelia, in the country hotel "Gardarika", located in a picturesque corner of southern Karelia on the shores of Lake Yanisjärvi.

Winter holidays in Karelia at the hotel-club “Gardarika” - it’s not only snowdrifts, frosts and beauty northern lights. This includes comfortable accommodation, an interesting program, a banquet, fun competitions and games for fresh air, picnic, sledding, skiing, skating and snowmobiling, ice fishing, snowmobile safari, overnight stays in a real house on the island, among the icy silence of Lake Janisjärvi and a Russian bathhouse on the shore.

On the territory of the hotel-club "Gardarika" you can hold a New Year's corporate party, a family holiday, or celebrate a birthday. For large companies apply Special offers and discounts.

Holidays in Karelia for children

Winter holidays in Karelia will especially appeal to children. Still would! Every year at Christmas Finnish Santa Klaus harnesses his reindeer team and sets out on a journey around the world to give out gifts. He always visits Karelia and meets with children who are vacationing on the Gardarik at this time. Children's holiday at Gardarik there is a puppet theater, skiing and skating, downhill skiing, various master classes and much more.

Leisure

Karelia, a country of thousands of lakes, will offer the fisherman everything he can only dream of. Winter fishing, frost, sun – it’s a delight! Fish soup cooked over a fire is the reward for this day!

Snowmobile tours to the Marble Canyon, along Lake Yanisjärvi, overnight in a house on the lake, a blazing fire and a Russian bathhouse on the shore, fish caught with your own hands and cooked over a fire. It's hard to forget!

Winter holidays in Karelia include magnificent ski trips along the lake, hills, forests, gorges, and fields. These are picturesque landscapes, crystal clear air, snow-white snow shimmering in the rays of the bright sun. This is a hot fireplace in a house on the shore of a sparkling ice lake, this is snow in the face, mighty fir trees resting their tops on the piercing blue sky, this is a child's delight from meeting Santa Claus, a lot of entertainment, and so much more magic and Christmas surprises that there are impressions and memories enough for a whole year.

You will remember your winter holiday in Karelia for many years, and the time spent on “Gardarik” will become one of the unforgettable memories for you and your children.

Karelia in winter is a place specially created by nature for frost lovers, large quantity snow, active pastime, connoisseurs of pristine beauty and those looking for a real winter fairy tale.

In winter, Karelia is extremely beautiful. But it is worth considering that this is the coldest time in this region, there is a strong wind, and due to large number lakes – high humidity. Therefore, you should approach the selection of equipment wisely if you are planning a vacation in Karelia in winter.

But if you have warm, waterproof boots in your suitcase, a good winter jacket and protective cream, then traveling to Karelia will bring nothing but pleasure. Here you can celebrate the New Year in a truly fabulous way, go sledding, skating, snowboarding, play snowballs as much as you like, go skiing... There are plenty of options for an active and fun holiday.

In January, the International Sled Dog Race “On the Land of Sampo” is held annually in Petrozavodsk. Athletes run short and medium distances. Hundreds of tourists gather to watch such competitions of strength, speed and agility. And if for the participants the competition is a real struggle, then for the spectators it is an entertaining spectacle with a cultural program.

The capital of Karelia again becomes the center of a big event in February. The international winter festival "Hyperborea" brings together old and new participants and annually presents new surprises. The program includes dozens of competitions. One of the most anticipated is the international competition of snow and ice sculptures. A whole sculpture park of a variety of compositions is growing on the embankment. The festival also hosts a winter carnival. Its participants march through the streets of the city and always wear bright carnival costumes.

There is a special charm to winter holidays in Karelia. Karelian forests saturate the winter sunny atmosphere with pure oxygen. In such air one can breathe sweetly on the ski and hiking along the banks of frozen Karelian lakes and fast rivers. Winter holidays in Karelia mean a dark bottomless sky, bright constellations and colorful starfalls that we will never see in cities. In winter, the never-freezing Kivach waterfall awakens true charm, when the sun's rays are refracted in the diamond water dust and turn into ice on the fly.

Holidays in Karelia in winter are a wonderful opportunity to rush in a snowy whirlwind across the ice of Lake Onega on board a hovercraft to the lace of wooden churches of Kizhi Island or take a snowmobile safari, and then from the windows of the guest house "Kizhskaya Blagodat", which is on the shore of Lake Onega, endlessly admire the majestic silhouette of the twenty-two-domed Transfiguration Church.

Having chosen a winter holiday in Karelia, we will be able to go skiing on the island of Valaam, fully enjoy dog ​​sledding and snowmobiling, and even master the ancient Karelian “skis” - snowshoes. Snowshoeing always brings a feeling of delight, joy and cheerful laughter. Try it and you won't regret it. Without a doubt, we will enjoy communicating with four-legged sledding friends in the sled dog kennel. And the children will simply be delighted!

Relaxation in the shungite room will restore our strength to continue active winter recreation.

We will definitely visit the Ruskeala waterfalls and the Ruskeala marble quarry, where observation platforms you can cook a barbecue and enjoy the beautiful view of the marble lake, take a unique selfie.

We will not fail to get acquainted with the first resort in the history of Russia, “Marcial Waters,” founded by Peter the Great almost 300 years ago, and we will definitely drink water from the famous natural springs.

A memorable winter holiday in Karelia will be for us a stunning winter tour, where a snowmobile ride alternates with a dog sled ride and winter fishing, in which we will not be left without trophies and rich Karelian fish soup.

What about the tempting prospect of crossing the Arctic Circle, fishing in the White Sea, skiing and taking part in a snowmobile safari in the Khibiny Mountains? Mountains, sun, frozen lace of the White Sea waves and a hot bathhouse.

Defender of the Fatherland Day, March 8, wide Maslenitsa - winter holidays in Karelia on these holidays will give them freshness and uniqueness. Such a celebration will be a real gift for our families and friends.

Winter holidays in Karelia also mean relaxation in boarding houses and cottages, entertainment, disco games and a water park, winter rides, sports and fun.

Karelia is one of the most beautiful regions in all of Russia. Pure glacial lakes and virgin forests attract tourists here not only from all over Russia, but also the world.

Karelia is popular throughout the year, but especially in winter. At this time of year she is especially beautiful and charming. Snow envelops the branches of fluffy pine trees. It feels like you are in a real fairy tale. Holidays in Karelia in winter will bring a lot of impressions to children and adults.

About Karelia

Karelia is a republic whose territory exceeds Leningrad region almost 2 times the area. It covers an area of ​​180,500 km², of which 14.7% is occupied by water basins.

In total, there are 61 thousand lakes on the territory of the republic, of which two are the largest in Europe - Onega and Ladoga. 19 waterfalls are open for visits, although there are about a thousand of them; they are very beautiful, but unfortunately, they are not yet suitable for recreation.

This is an amazing region of Russia; one visit is enough to fall in love with this pristine nature.

This extraordinary beauty every year attracts an increasing number of not only tourists, but also poets, musicians, and writers. Some people come here to relax with the whole family, some to find inspiration to create their next masterpiece, and some to go fishing or hunting.

Spasskaya Bay, this ski resort, which has long won the love of skiers.

This is due, firstly, to the easy availability and huge selection of equipment for rental.

Secondly, this is where the best downhill slopes are located. The length of one of the tracks is 350 meters. There are also three descents on this route, two of which are extreme. They are intended for professionals.

This ski resort can offer tourists modern equipment, high quality service, 4 main slopes, 2 of which are illuminated, as well as a snowboard park and a cozy restaurant with low prices.

Yalgora is the largest tourist ski center throughout Karelia. This ski region can delight its visitors with 4 slopes of varying difficulty, equipment rental, absolutely safe lifts, training from instructors, high quality service, as well as a cafe with free Internet access.

Malaya Medvezhka

Little Bear, this is ski slope. Here they can offer their tourists two trails, the length of which is 350 and 400 meters, and one trail designed for training children and adults.

For snowboarders, there are pristine slopes for descent, and there are also tracks for fast descent with jumps.

A slide called “Karapuz” was built for small children. Malaya Medvezhka can offer cable lifts, 2 slopes, rental ski equipment, a first aid post where first aid and European service will be provided.

Slide

Gorka, this entertainment center. This complex appeared recently, but has already managed to win the hearts of residents.

“Gorka” boasts two slopes. Both slopes have modern lifts, so you can enjoy skiing all the time.

For snowboarders there is a track with jumps. Every winter, a skating rink is installed on the territory of the “slide”.

Professionals teach the basics of skating to beginners. "Gorka" can offer all the necessary equipment.

Mound

Kurgan is a ski resort. This complex trains national teams for biathlon and cross-country skiing.

Mass sports activities are held here for tourists. Every winter, skating rinks are built for children. On the territory of the center there are ski slopes, the length of which is just over 10 km.

Hunting

Karelia is one of the most attractive places Russia for hunting, both among professionals and among beginners.

On the territory of the republic there are all kinds of animals - bear, elk, otter, hare, lynx, deer. Game: partridge, goose, black grouse. The dates for the hunt are set by the Animal Welfare Department.

• Fox – hunting is allowed 15.09 – 28.02;
• Ermine, lynx, marten, wolverine – hunting is allowed 10/15–2/28;
• Reindeer – hunting is allowed 01.08 – 28.02;
• Wild boar – hunting is allowed 01.06 – 15.01;
• Bear – hunting is allowed from 01.08 – 28.02.

Holidays in Karelia in winter also mean fishing, which starts in December and lasts until the end of April.

Fishing can also be combined with other recreational activities, such as skiing or skiing.

The most productive periods of fishing can be divided into three main periods:

1. Formation of ice. Fishing lasts from early December until January;
2. Spring fishing. It lasts from early March to mid-April;
3. The last ice. Fishing lasts from mid-April to the end of April.

In winter, it is best to catch pike, roach, perch, and pike perch. When fishing in Karelia, it is not prohibited to use any fishing gear, which is divided into two categories - a girder and a winter fishing rod.

Spoons, maggots, dung and earthworms are used as bait.

Fishing methods:

• Roach lives in all reservoirs of Karelia. It is customary to catch it with a worm and maggot;
• Perch swims close to the shore. It is customary to catch it with maggots and spoons;
• Whitefish - the “hunt” for this fish begins from the beginning to mid-winter. It is customary to catch it with jigs and spoons. In winter, you can catch an individual weighing up to 1 kg;
• Pike - winter fishing begins with the arrival of the first ice and ends with the arrival of spring. It is customary to catch it with a jig and a spoon;
• Grayling - fishing for it is carried out in shallow water. He bites on jigs, maggots and vertical spoons.