This page introduces the sights of Karelia, a region of lakes, forests, rivers and old wooden architecture in north-western Russia. It helps travellers decide what to see and how to fit places into a trip. Browse the highlights, open the entries that interest you, and check the official source for current access, transport and local conditions before you go.
Kizhi Island, Karelia
Kizhi Island, located 68 km from Petrozavodsk on Lake Onega in Karelia, is home to an open-air museum containing 83 monuments of…Open daily 09:00–18:00
Ruskeala Mountain Park, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
A flooded marble quarry transformed into an adventure park, featuring a dramatic turquoise canyon, underground tunnels, boat rides and zip-lining across cliffs.…Open daily 10:00–18:00
Kivach Nature Reserve, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Established in 1931, Kivach Nature Reserve is a strict nature reserve created to study and protect the taiga of the Republic of…Open daily 07:00–23:00
Petrozavodsk Lake Onega Embankment, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
A picturesque landscaped zone stretching about 1.5 to 2 kilometres along Lake Onega's shore, paved with granite stones and featuring a collection…Open 24 hours
Kizhi Open-Air Museum, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Kizhi Open-Air Museum is a UNESCO World Heritage site on an island in Lake Onega, featuring the iconic 22-domed Church of the…Open daily 08:00–20:00
Ladoga Skerries National Park, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Ladoga Skerries National Park spans 122,000 hectares on the northern and northwestern coasts of Lake Ladoga, protecting unique natural complexes with no…
Valaam Island and Monastery, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
A stauropegic Orthodox monastery located on Valaam, the largest island in Lake Ladoga in Russian Karelia. Famous for the monastery from the…
Kivach Waterfall, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
A 10.7-meter-high cascade waterfall on the Suna River, located in Kondopoga District in the Republic of Karelia. By water volume, it is…Open daily 08:00–21:00
White Bridges Waterfall, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
A 19-meter cascade waterfall on the Kulismajoki River with two arms and ruins of a white stone bridge. The tallest waterfall in…
Girvas Paleovolcano, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
A Paleoproterozoic paleovolcano dating back 2–3 billion years, preserved as frozen lava flows and crater traces in the Suna River bed. One…
Lake Ladoga, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Lake Ladoga is the largest lake located entirely in Europe, a freshwater expanse of 17,891 km² located in the Republic of Karelia…
Petrozavodsk, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
The capital of Karelia on the shore of Lake Onega, founded as a cannon factory in 1703. A gateway to Kizhi Island's…
Kinerma Village, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Kinerma is a unique historical monument of the traditional wooden architecture of the Livvi Karelians. In 2016 Kinerma was included in The…
Paanajärvi National Park, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
A remote wilderness park on the Finnish border containing Karelia's highest peak and the region's deepest lake. Accessible only by advance booking,…
Vodlozero National Park, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Vodlozero National Park is one of Europe's largest protected wilderness areas, covering 4,280 square kilometers across Karelia and Arkhangelsk Oblast. The park…Open 24 hours
National Museum of the Republic of Karelia, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Founded in 1871, this is one of northwestern Russia's oldest and most important cultural institutions. The museum holds around 120,000 artifacts spanning…Open 10:00–18:00, closed Mon
Sortavala, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Sortavala is a historic town on the northern shore of Lake Ladoga in Karelia, featuring Finnish Art Nouveau architecture and serving as…
Lake Onega, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Lake Onega, located in the Karelian region of northwestern Russia, is the second-largest lake in Europe, covering approximately 3,700 square miles (9,700…
Mount Vottovaara, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
The highest peak of the West Karelian Upland, a windswept ridge crowned with over a thousand mysterious stone formations called seids and…
Lake Onega Petroglyphs, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Neolithic rock art dating to circa 4,500 BCE to 3,500 BCE, with 22 carving sites featuring about 1,200 figures on the eastern…
White Sea Petroglyphs, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Stone carvings from 6–7 thousand years ago depicting hunting and sailing scenes, animal and human footprints, located on islands in the lower…
Kalevala Village, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Kalevala Village is a small settlement in northern Karelia named after the national epic, with wooden houses, forests, lakes and cultural programmes…
Akhinkoski Waterfalls, KareliaMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
A series of cascading waterfalls on the Tohmajoki River near Ruskeala in southern Karelia, featuring a well-maintained ecotrail with wooden bridges and…
Final thoughts
Pick a few sights that appeal to you and plan your days around them, leaving time for slow moments by the water. Before you travel, check the official source for current access and conditions, and carry cash, since cards issued outside Russia do not work. Then enjoy the calm landscapes of Karelia at your own pace.
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