Discovering the Russian North: 5 must-see places for travelers

The Russian North is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination. This is the best option for travelers who are tired of crowded summer beaches – and at the same time the hectic life of megacities. Of course, communications are quite well developed in its boundless expanses, but they are still not congested here – after all, most of the region is covered with picturesque rocks, ponds and impenetrable coniferous forests.

The Russian North has its source just 380 kilometers from Moscow – in the annalistic city of Belozersk in the Vologda region. And yet, the most popular point of this region is Karelia. In recent years, many excursion routes have appeared here, as well as places for a comfortable stay.

The Russian North has always been inextricably linked to Saint Petersburg. At the beginning of the 18th century, valuable materials were brought from here to the city of Petrov for the construction of palaces and sidewalks. Today, St. Petersburg is considered the most convenient starting point for a trip to northern Russia. Some places in the Leningrad region are even included in popular tourist routes in this direction – but more on this later.

Every day from the stations of St. Petersburg there are buses, minibuses, electric trains and trains to Karelia. But let’s be honest: the road by public transport is quite long. Not all of the popular spots in the area can be reached directly – and with transfers the journey can take even more than a day.

Another thing is to travel from St. Petersburg to Karelia by car. The best way to make such a trip is by using off-road vehicles. An updated version of the OMODA C5 crossover – with all-wheel drive and an improved engine – as if it was created for such places. Its intelligent control system makes light off-road driving comfortable and has special modes for driving in snow, mud and other weather conditions.

Ruskeala Mountain Park is the center of attraction for tourists. However, to get there, you have to cross almost all of Karelia. You cannot do without stops: but thanks to them, the journey through the Russian North becomes more atmospheric.

The starting point of the route “St. Petersburg – Karelia” takes Sortavala – an ancient city on the shores of Ladoga, where you can see many architectural monuments of the past. It’s also from here that a retro steam train leaves for Ruskeala: with interiors worthy of a social media feed and delicious dining car doors – national Karelian pastries with potatoes or northern bays.

The retro train to Ruskeala and back only runs once a day and is in high demand with tourists. While waiting for your departure – or if you decide to drive to the park – you can visit other attractions. For example, the local park-hotel “Winter’s Dacha”, which meets all the traditions of modern ecotourism.

The resort is located on Cape Taruniemi. Here you can take a long walk along the rocky shore of the lake or through the coniferous forests on the other side. Or even walk on the tops of evergreens – along the rope park trail. The hotel du parc also has an impressive bath complex with several types of saunas and panoramic views of the local beauty.

Ruskeala Park is interesting not only for its marble rocks and emerald ponds, but also for the secrets underground. Here you can descend into the caves and reach the mysterious lake – and learn about local legends and beliefs, the omens of which are written on the walls in depth. And then you can walk along one of the hiking trails – on 32 hectares of the park there are viewing platforms and several routes of varying difficulty.

The next point on the route is Vidlitsa, a 2.5 hour drive from Ruskeala. This is a small village where the river of the same name flows into Lake Ladoga, the largest after Lake Baikal. Tourists are attracted here by the possibility of immersing themselves in life far from the bustle of the world – alone with a coniferous forest and a kilometer-long sandy beach. Right by the lake there is a hotel of the Tochka na Karta chain, with modular houses for secluded vacations and private saunas inside.

You can return from Karelia to St. Petersburg by the same route via Sortavala. Or you can make a circle and drive along the other side of Lake Ladoga – stopping in the small town of Lodeynoye Pole, not far from the border of the Leningrad region, along the way.

The main attraction of local latitudes is the Svir River, which connects Lake Ladoga and Onega. In summer, pleasure boats sail there. Some of them take tourists to St. Petersburg, while others can continue the journey through northern Russia and head to the fabulous city of Kizhi. But this is a completely different story, which we will certainly tell later.