In Karelia there is unique place– Marble Canyon (Ruskeala Mountain Park), in general Karelia is interesting for its natural beauty. If you have never been to the Republic, then you should definitely go here.

The marble deposit in the Ruskeala area was discovered in 1765 and was used until 1939. Beautiful stone with numerous shades was used in the construction of St. Isaac's and Kazan Cathedrals. Now the Ruskeala mountain park delights tourists with its marble steep banks, a well-groomed path around the canyon, and the opportunity to take a boat ride on the azure lake.

Address and opening hours of the Ruskeala mountain park

Navigator coordinates: 61.936192, 30.589610

Opening hours depend on the time of year:

  • Winter (from November 1 to February 28): from 10.00 to 19.00

In winter, every Friday and Saturday there is artistic illumination of everything Marble Canyon

  • Spring (from March 1 to April 30): from 10.00 to 21.00
  • Summer (from May 1 to August 31): from 09.00 to 24.00
  • Autumn (from September 1 to October 31): from 10.00 to 21.00

How to get to the Ruskeala Marble Canyon

By car

There are 2 options:

  • through Priozersk on the A129 highway. Before turning to Kuznechnoye (behind the town of Priozersk) the road is excellent, then from the border of Karelia to Sortavala the surface is good, from Sortavala to Ruskeala the road is a little broken.
  • along the E105 highway in the direction of Petrozavodsk (the road is gorgeous, but the ride takes much longer)

by train

The train “St. Petersburg - Kostomuksha” departs from Ladozhsky station. We need a Sortovala station

Where to stay in Ruskeala

We stayed at the Ruskeala recreation center, which is a five-minute walk from the Marble Canyon.

There is all the necessary barbecue equipment on site; you can rent a sauna near a small pond. It is advisable to book a time in advance by phone, since there are many people interested, and there is only one bathhouse.

You can also book a room in the nearest city - Sortavala. If your trip to Karelia is planned during the high season, weekends or holidays, then it’s better to look for a room in advance, after all, there are not many of them in the whole town. Links to hotels in Sortavala:

  • Hotels in Sortavala on Hotellook.com
  • Hotels in Sortavala on Booking.com
  • Private house or apartment on Airbnb (using this link you will receive 21 euros as a gift for your first booking)

What to see in Ruskeala and the surrounding area

It is very beautiful here - the marble canyon will not leave anyone indifferent. We visited the park during the “golden” autumn. Gray marble, turquoise lake and the golden trees around are a complete delight.

There is a trail around the canyon where there are observation decks with gorgeous views of the water surface, grottoes, caves and, of course, marble rocks.

Be sure to take a boat and float around Marble Canyon Lake.

For lovers of extreme sports, a troll crossing across the lake has been created.

Adits at the Ruskeala quarry

An adit is a horizontal or inclined mine opening that has direct access to the earth's surface. In simple words, an adit is a mine where marble was mined.

There is only one adit left in Ruskeala, which is open to the public.

The Ruskeala failure was formed due to explosions in neighboring quarries, which were used to simplify the extraction of marble. The collapsed part of the rock revealed the interweaving of a large number of flooded adits.

In summer and winter, those who wish can go down a special rope and find themselves in the very center of marble mining.

The Ruskeala failure is carefully monitored: here you can find carved figures and interior items made of ice.

Italian quarry

The trail along Marmara Lake, which I mentioned earlier, will lead to the Italian Quarry. The Italian quarry is the last place in Ruskeala where marble was mined.

Now there is an exhibition “The path of a stone through time”. What's amazing is how smoothly the stone is cut. It feels like these are slices of cheese, not marble.

Do you know why the quarry was named “Italian”? It was precisely because of these very machines that could cut stone so perfectly, and they were made using Italian technology.

Marble-lime factory in Ruskeala

The entrance to the factory territory seems to be closed, as our guide told us (I advise you to take a tour, it’s inexpensive, but it’s really interesting to listen to). But we managed to walk near the plant and photograph it.

The Finns built the plant in 1896. At first, lime was created here by firing calcite marble in a special kiln. Then they began to produce facing stone, white and gray marble chips.

The marble extracted from the quarry was delivered to the plant using a suspended railway. The plant completely ceased operations in 1990.

Filming location for the film “The Dawns Here Are Quiet” - Ruskeala Waterfalls

“And the dawns here are quiet...” I remember how in a literature class in high school, they turned on this film for us. Everyone cried, and the boys were louder than the girls. It was very interesting for me to visit that very waterfall. Finding this place is very easy. There are a lot of tourists here, so there are corresponding signs on the road. From the Marble Quarry to the waterfalls it is approximately 2-3 km

We need Ruskeala waterfalls - Waterfall on the Tokhmajoki River

Address: 86K-332, Ruskeala, Rep. Karelia, 186759

Ruskeala waterfalls coordinates for navigator:

61°54"58"N 30°37"38"E

Now there is paid equipped parking, gazebos, souvenir shops, cafes and much more.

What to do in Ruskeala Mountain Park

Diving in the Ruskeala Marble Quarry

Ruskeala is a very favorite entertainment spot among divers, because at the bottom of Marmara Lake you can see a lot of interesting things. For example, underwater caves and mines. A large number of different equipment sunk by the Finns before the war.

The organizers can offer you routes with varying degrees of difficulty.

Abseiling and bungee jumping at Ruskeala

For daredevils, they came up with the “Jump over the Canyon” attraction. There are no such queues as for the boat, but nevertheless this service is popular.

Boat trips through the canyon

The boat can be rented for 1 hour/400 rubles. Maximum 4 people per boat. Life jackets are provided for everyone. Boat rental runs from May 18 to September 30.

In high season, you may have to wait in a long line for a boat. However, it's worth it. After all, you can swim independently across the lake and swim into the grottoes, examining them from the inside.

Dog sledding

Walking Siberian Huskies is popular in winter. Cost is 1000 rubles/adults and 800 rubles/children.

Huskies are incredibly beautiful dogs with unforgettable blue eyes, you even just want to take a photo with them

We were in Ruskeala in the fall, but I really want to go there in the winter, since our guide praised the artistic lighting, and I’ve never ridden a dog sled in my life.

A trip to the former, and now flooded, marble quarry. Photo report from the trip.

There are some small debts left from reports from summer trips. There was no time to post it then, but now, in rainy autumn weather, it’s very nice to look at sunny photos and remember those feelings. Therefore, I will continue the story about the trip to Karelia...

We went to Ruskeala the day after Valaam. On the way we stopped at a waterfall, where they filmed the film “The Dawns Here Are Quiet.” Beautiful place..

Then, after driving literally five kilometers, we reached Ruskealas. It is necessary to explain what it is - this is a former marble quarry, now flooded. From here the blocks were obtained for cladding the majestic St. Isaac's Cathedral with grayish-green and light gray marble Ruskealas The halls of the St. Petersburg metro stations “Primorskaya” and “Ladozhskaya” were decorated. Now they did it there national park for tourists.

Arriving at the park, the first thing we did was take boats, 1 hour, 200 rubles. Sailing on a boat is very cool, you are surrounded by steep cliffs, and below you is greenish, clear water.

There is a small grotto in the rocks; you can only get into it by boat.

It’s so beautiful inside - the ceiling of the grotto shimmers with the reflections of the sun in the water.

After swimming for an hour around the quarry (and we couldn’t do any more - it’s small in principle), we went for a walk along its perimeter. All along the career goes walking trail With observation platforms, from where wonderful views open up.

Halfway along the quarry we climbed into an abandoned adit.

And then we deviated from the route and went to places that are not usually shown to tourists. We came across underground caves, flooded with water. It looks very impressive - I wish I could swim there on a boat!

Then we came across a marble deposit, there is also something to see.

After walking around the area for a bit, we eventually returned to the path to the quarry.

In the Sortavala region of Karelia there are four waterfalls of amazing beauty that attract the attention of all vacationers. They are called Ruskeala waterfalls. Each of them is beautiful and unique in its own way.

Ahvenkoski

Probably the most famous waterfall district. After all, two famous films were filmed here. In the 70s of the last century, the film crew of the film “The Dawns Here Are Quiet” worked here, reconstructing the tragic events of the Great Patriotic War. And already at the beginning of this century (2005), the filming of the mystical film “The Dark World” took place, the plot of which is built around the existence of a parallel civilization. To this day, a model of the hut near which the beginning of the film was filmed has been preserved on the river bank.

The waterfall is located in the bed of Tohmajoki (translated from Finnish as “mad”), a picturesque and winding river that flows from Lake Ruokoyarvi and flows forty kilometers into Lake Ladoga. This is one of its largest tributaries.

The name of the waterfall can be translated from Finnish as “perch threshold”, and local residents it is often called “at three bridges”, since the river is in this place crosses the road three times. The river is a place of pilgrimage for many extreme rafting enthusiasts, and the most desperate of them risk crossing the Akhvenkoski, the drops of which reach 3-4 m.

The color of the waterfall is interesting - brownish, in different shades. This is due to iron compounds and organic matter contained in river water from nearby swamps. At the place where the waterfall fell, a decent “fall” was formed - a recess washed by the rapid water flow. Further, the depth decreases. The waterfall, despite the fact that the main flow of the river freezes over in December, exists until January-February, somewhat reducing its full flow.

Akhvenkoski is a waterfall that has long been loved by tourists. There is convenient access to it, and therefore on the shore you can find the amenities of civilization - canopies, gazebos, toilets, equipped benches. You can drink hot tea and have a snack in a nearby cafe.

Rymäkoski

Second beautiful waterfall in the Tohmajoki - Ryumakoski channel. Despite the rough, swampy roads in places, it is worth a visit. The waterfall flows into small lake with high rocky shores. Standing on such a bank, you can admire the roaring water for a long time.

It is one of the places of pilgrimage for extreme tourists, like other Ruskeala waterfalls. How to get there by car if the road is very swampy? The answer is obvious - only on foot. For its unique beauty and shape, rafters gave this place the romantic name “charm of roses.”

In the vicinity of the waterfall, the remains of structures of an inactive Finnish hydroelectric power station have been preserved.

Yukankoski

It is impossible to miss Yukankoski when visiting the Ruskeala Waterfalls. His photo is impressive. After all, this is in Karelia. The falling stream of water from a height of nineteen meters remains the purest and most pristine of the four due to its inaccessibility. Its second name is White Bridge. It is connected with the Finnish road that used to pass over the river. It is located ten kilometers from the village of Leppäsilt. The waterfall is located in the bed of Kulismajoki, near it you can see the remains. It reaches its greatest fullness in spring - early summer.

Kivach

Kivach, which means “powerful”, is actually the most powerful waterfall in Karelia and the third largest in lowland Europe. The water of the Suna River falls in two main ledges from a height of 11 meters. Moreover, the total length of the river cascades reaches two hundred meters.

The bed of the waterfall is divided by a rock massif into two unequal streams - one larger, the other smaller.

The reserve located in the vicinity of the waterfall includes a museum, arboretum, cafe and shop. After the construction of a group of hydroelectric power stations in the area of ​​the waterfall, the flow decreased somewhat.

But the Ruskeala waterfalls are not the only ones. also attractive for tourists.

It was created by nature and human economic activity. From here, a lot of different marbles used to be supplied to the capital and other cities. Water into the canyon comes from groundwater sources and the Tokhmajoki River.

Ruskeala waterfalls are perfect for active rest. Here you can raft the wild river and simply admire the beautiful views.

Anyone who loves nature and also dreams of an active holiday in places untouched by civilization will certainly be delighted with a trip to Karelia, this amazing land stunning northern beauty. One of the masterpieces of this region are, which amaze with their pristine beauty and impressive power. This is a whole complex consisting of four waterfalls formed as a result of the flood of the Tokhmajoki River. The Ruskeala waterfalls are located near the village of Ruskeala, almost along the road connecting Sortavala and Finland. They are clearly visible from the highway. The height of the waterfalls reaches three to four meters. Despite their small size, they look incredibly beautiful and impressive in combination with the picturesque landscape. The water, rapidly falling down, forms a delightful foamy lake. The Tohmajoki River originates in Finland, from Lake Ruokoyarvi, and carries its waters to Lake Ladoga, forming numerous waterfalls along the way.

Many tourists come to admire the Ruskeala waterfalls in the spring, when powerful cascades of water break into small pearly splashes that shimmer in the sun with all the colors of the rainbow. Tourists are also amazed by the incredible contrast between the frantic noise of the waterfalls and the silence of the pristine spruce forest. In spring and early summer, numerous groups of athletes, extreme sports enthusiasts and simply active recreation enthusiasts come here to raft down the river on catamarans and kayaks. Filled with melt waters, Tokhmajoki becomes full of water at this time of year, with an incredibly obstinate character. The bravest athletes try to conquer the cascade. By mid-summer the river pacifies its stormy temper and rafting enthusiasts conquer other rivers and cascades. These places are also quite attractive in winter, especially for those who love snow and snowmobile rides in the snowy forest.
The Finnish name for the waterfalls is Ahvenkoski, but most often they appear in guidebooks as Ruskeala. The water in Tohmajoki has a brownish-brown tint, which is due to the high content of iron salts in the river. It is with this that the name of the river Ruskolka is connected, which translates as red or brown. The rocky ledges located on both sides of the river are also reddish-brown in color. Low cliffs, surrounded by greenery of spruce and pine trees, add extraordinary charm and charm to these places. Near the waterfalls there are gazebos for relaxation, parking and observation decks, from where you can enjoy extraordinary views. beautiful view. By picturesque places There are special paths around the waterfalls where you can take a walk either independently or with the help of a guide. Among the rocky shores lies a small sandy area, used by tourists as a beach. Near the natural attractions of Karelia there are recreation centers and tourist complexes, where tourists can use the services of comfortable cottages. Using the services of Elite Travel, you can spend unforgettable vacation in this amazing corner of Russia. A holiday in Karelia would not be complete without visiting the Ruskeala waterfalls.

Getting to the Ruskeala waterfalls, located in Karelia near the village of Ruskeala, is not difficult. You can easily see them from the highway and road bridges if you drive by road from Sortavala. You can independently take a bus from Sortavala to the village of Ruskeala to visit mountain park and waterfalls. If you walk along the road from the Ruskeala waterfalls downstream for about 1 kilometer, and then about 300 meters along a forest road, you can see another waterfall on the site of the destroyed Finnish hydroelectric power station Rymäkoski. By the way, the Ruskeala waterfalls are famous for the filming in these places of the wonderful film about the war “And the Dawns Here Are Quiet”, as well as the mystical film “The Dark World”. The filming of the latter is reminiscent of the hut specially built for this purpose, which organically blended into the surrounding environment, giving these places a unique charm.