Ladoga lake(has the second name Ladoga, previously called Nevo) is considered the largest freshwater reservoir in Russia. Ladoga in its popularity is only slightly inferior to Baikal, known throughout the world. Hundreds of tourists come to its coast every year to enjoy the wonderful views and capture the beauty of these places in their memory.

In this article you will learn the main features of this reservoir - where it is located, what characteristics it has, what surrounds the lake, what flora and fauna there are, what it is like in winter and summer.

Lake Ladoga belongs to two territories - the eastern and northern shores are located in the Republic of Karelia, and the southern and western shores delight residents Leningrad region. The lake belongs to the pools Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea.

Characteristics

Lake area

If we take the total area of Ladoga, we get an impressive figure - 17,870 km², and if we also take into account the islands, then it comes out to 18,320 km². The volume of water in the lake is 838 km³. The maximum recorded width is 125 kilometers, and the total coastal length is as much as 1,570 kilometers.

The height above sea level is small - only 4.8 meters, but the depth is dozens more. It is impossible to accurately measure the depth throughout the lake, it is uneven - in the northern part the range in figures is from 70 to 220 meters, in the southern part - from 19 to 70 meters. But it was possible to measure the greatest depth; in Lake Ladoga it is 230 meters.

Water temperature

Like the entire Leningrad region, Lake Ladoga is in a cold and rainy haze all year round. The average water temperature in warm periods of the year is about +19. In autumn it drops to +10 degrees, and in winter frosts it drops to -3 degrees. In August, if the year is successful, you can catch a temperature of +24 degrees on the surface of the lake, but closer to the bottom it will be only +17 degrees. At a depth of more than 200 meters, the water temperature is almost always +3, +4.

Nature of Ladoga

The northern and eastern shore (Karelia) belongs to the middle taiga zone, and part of the lake in the Leningrad region belongs to the southern taiga subzone. The northern subzone is characterized by the appearance of mosses and shrubs (mainly blueberries, blueberries), and an abundance of spruce forests; The southern part is characterized by dark coniferous forests, sometimes linden and maple are found, but the moss cover is less developed.

In Ladoga, scientists count more than 110 species of aquatic plants. There are more than 76 subspecies of blue-green algae alone, and there are also green algae and diatoms. Along with the lush underwater world, planktonic animals also found refuge. The lake is home to cladoceran copepods, rotifers, daphnia, cyclops, water mites, a wide variety of worms, mollusks and other crustaceans.

The waters of Ladoga are rich not only in mites and single-celled organisms; more than 50 species of fish are found here. For example, Ladoga slingshot, trout, whitefish, salmon, bream, smelt, rudd, pike perch, catfish, cheese, asp, palia, roach, perch, pike, sturgeon, silver bream, burbot and many others. The area of the lake richest in seafood is the shallow southern zone, where the depth is only 20 meters. But in the northern deep-sea region, the catch will be less varied.

In addition to fish, this reservoir can also show tourists more than 200 species of birds. The most attractive place for birds to live is the southern zone, however, many birds can be seen in Karelia. On the territory of Lake Ladoga there are: gulls, dabbling ducks, geese, swans, cranes and waders, eagle owls, grebes, short-eared owls, ospreys, falcons, herbal birds, golden plovers and even a white-tailed eagle.

Lake Ladoga became the habitat for the world's only representative of pinnipeds - the Ladoga ringed seal (a special subspecies of the ringed seal). There are about 4,000 of them in the world, so these animals are listed in the Red Book and are strictly protected by law.

Cities

The following cities are located on the shores of the lake itself: Priozersk, Novaya Ladoga, Sortavala, Shlisselburg, Pitkyaranta and Lakhdenpokhya. The largest of them are Priozersk and Novaya Ladoga, although the number of people there does not exceed the 50 thousand level.

Larger cities are located near Lake Ladoga, for example, St. Petersburg. From the northern capital of Russia you can get to Lake Ladoga in various ways, starting from public transport(trains, buses, trains, ferries) and ending with travel by car. In this case, the travel time will be no more than three hours, and if you use a car and plot the correct route on the map, you can get it done in an hour and a half.

From the northern part, the closest city to Ladoga is Petrozavodsk. From there you can also get there by car or by public transport. However, you will have to spend a little more than 4 hours on the road.

Climate and seasons of Lake Ladoga

It is no secret to avid tourists that in the autumn and winter months Ladoga looks extremely inhospitable. Even in Karelia, where there are picturesque rocks all around and wildflowers making their way among the thick grass, Lake Ladoga is inhospitable.

During cold periods, the lake is affected by an Arctic anticyclone, which brings strong gusts of wind, storms, prolonged rains and sub-zero air temperatures. In October, the storm season begins, it becomes damp and wet, and frequent fog appears on the lake. The only outlet for lovers autumn holiday It is September, in this month Ladoga is more or less ready to share its beauty - heavy rains do not come often, the water surface is calm and clean, the air retains a piece of summer.

In summer, the reservoir kindly welcomes guests with a southern anticyclone, delighting with picturesque places and clear water. Only seasoned people will be able to swim here, but everyone will be able to enjoy the beauty. The average air temperature in July and August exceeds +20 degrees, so tourists will definitely be able to capture the glare of the sun playing on the surface of Ladoga.

There is such a charming region in Russia, the attractiveness of which is given by the magnificent mirror surface of countless lakes. Some information about this wonderful place can be found in this article. Here we will talk about the diversity of the landscape of this region, about where Lake Ladoga is located. A description will also be provided.

This territory occupies the northwestern part great Russia. She is discreet and at the same time surprisingly attractive and diverse. Taiga landscapes give way to swamps rich in cloudberries, lingonberries and cranberries. The more elevated areas are decorated with spruce and small-leaved forests.

This is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe. The length is 219 km, and the greatest width is 138 km. Its eastern and northern parts belong to Karelia, and the southern and southeastern shores belong to the Leningrad region. The water capacity of this lake is 908 km³.

Previously, the Littorina Sea was connected to the lake by a wide strait, and the river. The Mga flowed to the east and also flowed into it.

Where it is now, the land rose quickly, and thus the lake, over time, turned into a closed reservoir. The water level began to increase, its waters flooded the river valley. Mga and broke into the Tosny valley. 4000 years ago, a strait appeared between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga, which is now the valley of the river. Neva. The relief has remained virtually unchanged over the last approximately 2.5 thousand years.

The northern section of Lake Ladoga is located on the Baltic crystalline shield, and the southern section is on the East European Platform.

From the history of Lake Ladoga

The lake described is present at one of the very first geographical maps of the Moscow State, which was compiled in 1544 by Sebastian Munster (German cartographer). More detailed map was introduced in 1812 at the Admiralty Department.

Ladoga has always been a territory of important strategic importance for Russia. In the 9th century, an important waterway from the Varangians to the Greeks passed here. There is also documentary evidence of the existence of Nevo (the name of Lake Ladoga in the old days) - an ancient Russian chronicle dated 1228. And the first capital before Kievan Rus was at the confluence of the river into Lake Ladoga. Volkhov. Peter's time is also associated with this lake. Lake Ladoga also witnessed battles during the Northern War.

Where Lake Ladoga is located, a huge number of significant events took place. historical events. It’s impossible to list everything. But it is important to note that Lake Ladoga was the “Road of Life” during the Second World War. Most of the lake coast was under German-Finnish occupation during this difficult time for the country. The people of Leningrad were cut off from the whole world. Only the southwestern part of the lake was open to communication with Soviet troops (1941-1943). This route started from the port of Osinovets on Lake Ladoga and ended at the docks of Leningrad.

Over the entire period of the existence of this road, more than 1.5 million tons of cargo were transported and transported along it, which allowed the surviving residents of Leningrad to hold out until the blockade was lifted. Also, about 900 thousand people were evacuated along this road.

This great lake holds a lot of history. Today, in the place where that most important “Road of Life” lay, there are 102 memorial pillars and 7 monuments. All of them are included in the "Green Belt of Glory". This is a memory of past very difficult times.

Lake Ladoga is the largest freshwater lake in Europe, located in the Leningrad region and Karelia. The length from north to south is 219 km, maximum width is 138 km, depth is from 70 to 260 m in the northern part and from 20 to 70 m in the southern part of the lake. In the northern part of the lake, depths of more than 100 m predominate. The greatest depth is 260 m. Through the Svir River, Lake Ladoga is connected to Onega, and through the Volkhov River - to Lake Ilmen. The Neva River is the only one that flows from Lake Ladoga. 32 rivers flow into it. The higher and steeper the shores of the lake, the greater the depths near them. The northern coast is considered the deepest, where great depths are located directly next to the skerries. On the shores of Lake Ladoga are the Karelian cities of Sortavala, Pitkyaranta and Lakhdenpokhya.

In ancient Russian chronicles, the current Lake Ladoga is referred to as “Great Lake Nevo” - from the Finnish word nevo, which means “sea”. In the ancient Scandinavian sagas the lake was called Aldoga - from the Finnish aalto, which means “wave”. The name Lake Ladoga has come into use since the beginning of the 18th century.

The water reserve in Ladoga is 908 cubic kilometers. This value changes periodically. In the old days, the low water level in Ladoga was often explained by the influence of supernatural forces. According to legend, the water level on Ladoga rises for 7 years and falls for 7 years.

The nature of Ladoga is quite harsh, and the waves that arise at the depths and on the surface, for all their apparent harmlessness, are very dangerous. So navigation on Ladoga is a very difficult matter. A relatively calm area of Ladoga is the southern lips, where waves of 2.5 meters occur only with very strong winds. The quietest month on Ladoga is July. At this time, the lake is mostly calm.

Lake Ladoga is home to trout, salmon, whitefish, vendace, pike perch, pike, perch, burbot, bream, roach, smelt, blue bream, and silver bream. There are river lamprey, brook lamprey, sterlet, and Baltic sturgeon. There are 53 species and varieties of fish in Ladoga. Ladoga salmon reaches a weight of 10 kg. It lives mainly in the northern, deeper water part of Ladoga, spawning in the Svir, Burnaya, Vidlitsa rivers. There is also a paliya in the northern part. Of commercial importance are whitefish, smelt, perch, roach, pike perch, vendace, bream, pike, salmon, trout, and ruff. The most commercial fish on Ladoga is pike perch. It lives mainly in the southern, shallower part of the lake. Reaches 8 kg of weight.

Ladoga is home to the only representative of marine mammals that lives in a freshwater lake - Ladoga seal. It is listed in the Red Book of Russia. The average life expectancy of the Ladoga seal is 30–35 years. In February-March, seals give birth to 4-kilogram cubs - one for each female. They dig a “maternity hospital” in snow hummocks on the ice. When Ladoga is free of ice, animals come out to rest on land and bask in the sun on the coast of the islands of the Valaam archipelago (Goliy, Svyatoy, Cherny, Bolshoi Bayonny, Sosnovy, Vostochny Sosnovy, Lembos, Krainy, Krestovy, Lisiy islands). It must be said that these islands belong to a specially protected area - natural park"Valaam Archipelago". So you need to get permission to visit them.

Since the 9th century, a waterway “from the Varangians to the Greeks” passed through Lake Ladoga.

During the Great Patriotic War in 1941-1944, most of the coast of Lake Ladoga was occupied by German-Finnish troops. From September 1941 to March 1943, the Road of Life ran along the southwestern part of the lake, connecting besieged Leningrad with the “mainland”. Necessary food and supplies were delivered to the city along the Road of Life and people were evacuated.

Since 2002, participants in the “Secrets of Sunken Ships” project have been compiling a register of sunken ships and aircraft in Lake Ladoga and Gulf of Finland. Many sunken objects are quite well preserved at the bottom of the lake due to the cold fresh water.

There are a lot of islands on Ladoga - 500, large and small. And almost all of them are located in the north of the lake. The biggest - Valaam Islands or Valaam archipelago, with coastal slopes descending steeply into the water. There is the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery. At one time, it was his monks who were sent by the Russian Orthodox Church to spread Christian faith among the peoples of Alaska. Other large islands— Konevets, Vossinansaari, Heinäsensaari, Mantinsaari, Lunkulansaari. The nature of the islands is incredibly beautiful. The small islands are separated from each other by the famous Ladoga skerries - small straits.

On Konevets Island located Konevsky Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery. The name of the island comes from a boulder located here weighing more than 750 tons - the so-called Horse Stone, which until the end of the 14th century was a place of pagan sacrifices. The monastery was founded in 1393 by the Monk Arseny. Here stands a temple in the name of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the first half of the 19th century. The relics of St. Arseny Konevsky rest in it.

There is a city on the Karelian shore of Ladoga Priozersk. There was a Karelian settlement on this site back in the 12th century. In 1310, the Novgorodians built the Korelu fortress at the mouth of the Vuoksa River. In 1580, the Swedes took it and renamed it Kexholm. However, in 1710 the fortress came into the possession of Russia. In the city there is the Korela fortress with the Round Tower built in 1364, a low defensive wall and earthen ramparts, old and new arsenals, and fortress gates. There is also the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church of All Saints, and a Lutheran church built in 1930.

City Novaya Ladoga founded in 1704 by Emperor Peter I and located on the left bank of the Volkhov River, at its confluence with Lake Ladoga. In the city there are the Nikolo-Medvedsky Monastery, the Gostiny Dvor building of 1841, the barracks of the former Suzdal Regiment (XVIII century), the monument to A.V. Suvorov, the Staraya Ladoga Canal (the first half of the XVIII century).

Famous Shlisselburg, known since Peter's times as Oreshek, is located on the left bank at the sources of the Neva River near Lake Ladoga. The city was founded by the Novgorod prince Yuri Danilovich in 1323, who founded a wooden fortress on Oreshek Island. In 1613, the fortress captured by the Swedes was renamed Noteburg. In 1702 it was recaptured from the Swedes by Peter I, who gave the city its current name. Among the city's attractions are the Oreshek fortress, the monument to Peter I by architect M.M. Antokolsky, the Staraya Ladoga Canal, the Annunciation Cathedral, and St. Nicholas Church.

Near the Osinovets lighthouse there is a museum “The Road of Life”, dedicated to the route along which, during the siege of Leningrad, food was brought into the city, and people were taken out from there.

Complex of memorial structures in "Green Belt of Glory of Leningrad" on the borders of the Leningrad Battle of 1941-1944 on the route of the Road of Life, which connected Leningrad with the country. The complex includes 7 monuments, 46 memorial pillars along the highway and 56 pillars along railway. Among them: memorial Complex“Flower of Life” at 3 km of the Road of Life, monument-locomotive at railway station Lake Ladoga, the “Broken Ring” memorial complex at 40 km of the Road of Life highway, etc.

Important

Rocky terrain and deep water require increased attention and caution, as well as swimming skills. When traveling around Ladoga, it is better to wear life jackets. Here, as throughout Karelia (except big water), there are bloodsuckers. Therefore, revealing clothes can cause a lot of trouble. You should definitely check yourself after the excursion for ticks. Mosquito and tick repellents may help. There are vipers here, so you need to watch your step carefully. Windproof clothing will come in handy. Shoes must be waterproof.

In addition, any independent tourist group arriving in Karelia for the purpose of active rest, must register and receive safety instructions at the Karelian Republican Water Rescue Service, which is located in Petrozavodsk on Onezhskaya Flotilla Street, building 43-A. Phone number of this service: (814-2) 73-35-16.

Registration can also be carried out in the administrations of the regions of Karelia, as well as in the search and rescue teams of the rescue service, which are located in Kondopoga - (814-51) 5-10-85, Medvezhyegorsk - (814-34) 2-13-01, Kemi - (814-58) 5-68-90 and Sortavala - (814-30) 2-29-13. While moving along the chosen route, the group leader must contact rescuers by phone at least once a day and report his location. The Unified Rescue Service can be contacted by phone 01 or cell phone 112-1.

On the island of Heinäsenmaa, after the end of World War II, experiments were carried out with military radioactive substances, the storage of which was served by a captured destroyer. Until 1996, similar experiments were carried out on Konevets Island. As a result, some islands were exposed to radioactive contamination; the permissible concentration of heavy metals in the water was exceeded. Large industrial enterprises located on the shores of Ladoga and often without treatment facilities do not improve the situation.

Local features

Excursions around Ladoga or to Ladoga can be booked at any more or less big city standing on the lake. Good vacation, fishing and hunting are offered by the recreation center “13th Cordon”, named after the popular film “Peculiarities of the National Hunt”. There are water, walking and cycling routes here.

The climate here is mild, quite humid, closer to the sea. Winter is cool, but without severe frosts. Summer is not hot at all. The average temperature in January is -12°, in July +15°. Ice usually covers Ladoga from late October to early May, while the central part of the lake is covered with ice only in severe winters. Due to the long and strong cooling in winter, the water in the lake remains very cold in the summer, warming up only in the upper layer and near the shores. The quietest month on Ladoga is July. At this time, the lake is mostly calm. You can come to Ladoga at any time of the year, depending on the purpose of your trip.

Events and holidays

For more than 10 years, the off-road trophy-raid “Ladoga” race has been held annually around Lake Ladoga. This international sports and tourism event starts and finishes in St. Petersburg. The length of the raid is about 1200 kilometers

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Lake Ladoga is located in the Republic of Karelia and the Leningrad region of the Russian Federation. It is considered one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe. Its area is about 18 thousand square meters. kilometers. The bottom is uneven: in one place the depth can be 20 meters, and in another - 70 meters, but the maximum is 230 meters. 35 rivers flow into this water area, and only the Neva flows out. The Ladoga region is divided into Northern and Southern, Eastern and Western.

Formation of the water area

Scientists say that Lake Ladoga is of glacial-tectonic origin. On the site of its basin, approximately 300-400 million years ago, there was a sea. The change in relief was influenced by glaciers, which led to the rise of the land. When the glacier began to retreat, a glacial lake with fresh water appeared, Ancylovoe Lake appeared, which connected with Ladoga. New tectonic processes took place 8.5 thousand years ago, due to which the Karelian Isthmus was formed and the lake became isolated. Over the past 2.5 thousand years, the relief has not changed.
In the Middle Ages in Rus' the lake was called “Nevo”, and in Scandinavia – “Aldoga”. However, its real name comes from Ladoga (city). Now this is the name not only of the city, but of the river and lake. It is difficult to determine which particular object was first named Ladoga.

Climatic features

In the area of Lake Ladoga, a temperate and transitional climate has formed: from continental to maritime. It depends on the circulation of air masses and on the location. The amount of solar radiation here is small, so moisture evaporates slowly. The average number of days per year is 62. The weather is mostly cloudy and cloudy. Length of daylight in different time year varies from 5 hours 51 minutes. until 18:50 From the end of May to mid-July there are “white nights”, when the sun sets below the horizon at about 9°, and the evening smoothly turns into morning.

The water resources of the lake are the main climate-forming factor in the Ladoga region. The water area helps smooth out some climate indicators. Thus, air masses from the continent, passing over the surface of the lake, become sea masses. The minimum atmospheric temperature drops to -8.8 degrees Celsius, and the maximum rises to +16.3 degrees, the average is +3.2 degrees. The average annual precipitation is 475 millimeters.

Recreational wealth

Despite the fact that even in summer the water in the lake is very cold, a large number of people come here on vacation every year, so there are beaches for tourists. Many vacationers go on catamarans and kayaks.

There are 660 islands on the lake, and they are mainly concentrated in the northern part of the reservoir. Among the largest are the Western and Valaam archipelagos, and largest islands– Riekkalansari, Valaam, Mantsinsaari, Tulolansari, Kilpola. On some islands, monasteries were built (Konevei, Valaam), where the relics of saints rest and sacred relics are located. There is also a memorial “Road of Life”.

On the territory of the Ladoga basin there is the Nizhnevirsky Nature Reserve, where they live different kinds fauna, including rare ones. These types of flora grow here.

Lake Ladoga is the largest freshwater lake in Europe. Located on the territory of Karelia and the Leningrad region.

The first name of the lake was different. In ancient Russian chronicles it was called Nevo. Scientists believe that the name comes from the Finnish word for “swamp, quagmire.” In treaties concluded with Hanseatic cities and in the Scandinavian sagas it is called Aldoga, from the Finnish “wave”. The modern name has come into use only since the beginning of the 13th century. The lake began to be called Ladoga, forming the name from the name of the city of Ladoga.

Scientists have proven that the basin of Lake Ladoga is of glacial-tectonic origin. During the Paleozoic era, waters splashed here ancient sea, later a glacier formed at this place, which largely shaped the modern topography of the reservoir and its surroundings. The area of the lake is 18,400 square kilometers. Its length from south to north is about 219 km. The maximum width of the reservoir (from west to east) is 138 km.

Due to its origin, Ladoga is characterized by uneven depths. The “shallowest” part of the lake is the southern one. Local depths do not exceed 70 m. But in the northern part average depth Lake Ladoga is about 100 m. There are places where the water thickness reaches 260 m.

There is a noticeable pattern on Lake Ladoga: the steeper the shores, the greater the depths around them. The highest and steepest banks are in the north, directly next to the skerries. In the south they are flatter and the depths there are shallow.

By the way, the peculiarity of Ladoga is the uneven water level. In the old days they said that it grows for seven years and falls for seven years. On average, the lake's water reserves are 908 cubic kilometers. For comparison, Baikal is 24,000 km³.

32 rivers flow into Lake Ladoga, and only one flows out of it - the Neva. Many rivers connect Ladoga with other lakes. Through the Volkhov it is connected to Lake Ilmen, through the Svir River - to Onega, through Vidlitsa - to Vedlozero, through Tulema - to Tulmozero.

Sunset on Svir. The Svir River connects Lakes Ladoga and Onega.

The lake is rich in islands. Most of them are in the north. These are the famous Ladoga skerries, a beautiful necklace of islands that are separated from each other by a whimsical labyrinth of straits. An integral part of the Ladoga skerries is the famous Valaam archipelago, where the ancient Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery is located.

Among the large northern islands include Lunkulansaari, Konevets, Mantinsaari, Vossinansaari and others. In the southern part of the reservoir there are very few islands and they are all small: Ptinov in the Volkhov Bay and Zelentsy in Shlisselburg Bay.

On the shore of Lake Ladoga.

The unique inhabitant of the lake is the Ladoga seal. This is the only species of marine mammal that has adapted to life in fresh water. Their rookeries on the islands of the Valaam archipelago are under special protection.

From the end of the eighth century, Slavic settlements appeared on the shore of the lake: the city of Ladoga, later Korela, present-day Priozersk. At the beginning of the 14th century, the Oreshek fortress, present-day Shlisselburg, was built at the source of the Neva. The famous monasteries on Valaam and Konevets were founded a little later.

Shore of Lake Ladoga.

At the end of the 17th century, the southern, northern and west coast Lake Ladoga was transferred to Swedish Ingria. The Swedes rename the Russian Oreshek and Korela to Noteburg and Kexholm, and found the settlement of Sortavala. With the outbreak of the Northern War, Lake Ladoga becomes an arena of military operations. The most famous battles of that period were the battle of ships near Kexholm and the capture of Noteburg. In 1721, the Ladoga coast again became Russian.

Lake Ladoga is rich in interesting places:

Ladoga skerries

Skerries are rocky islands separated by narrow straits and channels. They occupy a significant part of the northern part of the lake. The skerries stretch in a semicircle from the city of Pitkyaranta to the village of Berezovo. Throughout their entire length they are stunningly beautiful, but the most majestic landscapes begin to the northeast of the island of Koinosaari, which closes the village of Terva from the expanses of Ladoga.

On the northern coast of Lake Ladoga there is amazing city Sortavala. It owes its unique historical and cultural appearance to three states at once: Finland, Sweden and Russia, of which it was a part at different times. This is a beautiful Karelian city, surprising with its unusual architecture.

Eastern Beaches

The eastern coast of Ladoga is famous for its clean sandy beaches. Shallow water warms up well, especially if June and May are warm. These beaches are considered an ideal place to relax.

Lake Ladoga in these places seems endless, and on the coast in some places you can see sand dunes. There are also some near the village of Vidlitsy. The ancient settlement is located at the mouth of the river of the same name. In the village you can admire the Church of the Great Martyr George. The surroundings of Vidlitsa attract with incredibly beautiful nature.

Beach in the Vidlitsa area.

Priozersk

Ancient Korela, modern Priozersk, is one of the ancient Russian cities with unusual interesting story. This beautiful town, where ancient Orthodox churches and a majestic Lutheran church have been preserved. Here stands a unique ancient fortress. Pearls of architecture are surrounded by beautiful landscapes with picturesque rivers and dense northern forests.

Fortress Oreshek

The Shlisselburg fortress Oreshek is rightfully considered a historical and architectural monument. Built at the beginning of the 14th century on Orekhovoy Island, it served as an outpost on the Swedish border. The citadel has withstood fierce assaults more than once, fully justifying its name. Later, the fortress became the “Russian Bastille”, where the most dangerous criminals were sent. Today there is a museum here, which operates despite restoration work that has been ongoing since 1966.

Balaam

An archipelago consisting of fifty islands, the largest of which is Valaam. This is one of the most important shrines of Orthodoxy, Northern Athos, as it is called. Here is the oldest in Russia monastery. The history of its origin goes back to the 1st century, when Valaam was visited by Andrew the First-Called. Almost a thousand years later, the first monks came to the island from Novgorod. Valaam - unique place. It's all around here wild nature, practically unchanged since the development of the island by man.

Stormy waves of Lake Ladoga, which in windy weather looks like a sea, incredibly beautiful sunsets and sunrises, steep cliffs of skerries and sand dunes of eastern beaches. All this remains forever in the heart of everyone who has ever seen these magnificent landscapes. It’s worth coming here, because harsh Ladoga is not only living history, but also one of most beautiful places Russia.

Lake Ladoga on the map.

Ladoga skerries;
Sortavala;
Priozersk;
Balaam;
Oreshek Fortress;
Beaches on the eastern shore of the lake;
Mouth of the Svir River.

Petrozavodsk, Kivach, Martialnye Vody, northern Ladoga, Ruskeala Waterfalls, Valaam and much more. Car and pedestrian travel for every taste - choose, and you will dream of Karelia for a very long time!