What to see around Petrozavodsk
The city itself is a day. Karelia around it is a week. Below are the places we send our own guests to — with honest distances, because "a couple of hours away" in Karelia can mean 255 km.
In the city
Onega lake embankment
The main promenade: sculptures donated by Petrozavodsk's sister cities, the "Tree of Wishes" and sunsets over the lake. 2.3–2.7 km from our apartments, five to seven minutes by car or a half-hour walk. In June the white nights keep the city awake until midnight.
Gallery of Industrial History
Liteynaya square, 1 — an exhibition about the Petrovsky factories. The city started here: in 1703, by Peter the Great's decree, an ironworks was built on the Onega bank. About 2 km from the apartment on Rigachina.
Kirov square and the Musical Theatre
The historic centre, the theatre and the museum of fine arts are within 1.5–2 km of both flats. If you come for a weekend, check the theatre programme in advance — evening tickets sell out.
Day trips by car
Kivach waterfall — 80 km
A waterfall in a nature reserve on the Kola highway, about 1.5 hours from the city. The water drops 10.4 metres over roughly 170 metres of rapids; the lower step is 8 metres and nearly vertical. First mentioned in 1566. There is a viewing platform, a small nature museum and a pine forest.
Martial Waters — 50 km
The first spa in Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1719 around iron-rich springs. On the road to Girvas, the same direction as Kivach — easy to combine in one day.
Mount Sampo — on the way
A low hill near Konchezero with a wide view over lakes and forest. A short climb and a good place to stretch your legs if you are driving towards Kivach.
Ruskeala mountain park — 255 km
A marble canyon with clear water, the most famous place in Karelia after Kizhi. The quarries have been worked since 1765: the canyon is 460 metres long, up to 100 metres wide and more than 50 metres deep. From Petrozavodsk it is 255 km along the Pryazha road, three to four hours each way — a full day or an overnight trip.
Kizhi island — by water
An open-air museum of wooden architecture on an island in Lake Onega: the earliest buildings of the Kizhi pogost date from the 18th–19th centuries, the museum has operated since 1951. In summer hydrofoils ("Meteor") leave from the Petrozavodsk river station: 68 km across the lake, 1 hour 15 minutes. The navigation season is warm-weather only; in winter the route is different, so check the timetable before you go.
When to come
- June–July — white nights, the best time for the embankment and the lake.
- August — warm, mushrooms and berries in the forest, fewer tourists than in July.
- September — golden autumn in Kivach and Ruskeala, the most photographed month.
- Winter — snow, quiet museums, Kivach frozen at the edges. Ruskeala is a long drive; check the road.
Practical notes
- Most trips are by car. Free parking is available in front of both houses.
- The railway station is 2.6–3.6 km away; the airport (Besovets) is about 20 km.
- Bring cash for small roadside cafés and reserve entrances.
- Ask us — we will tell you which route is realistic in your dates and what to skip.
See the apartments Ask on Telegram
Photo credits: the photographs on the Russian version of this page come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences.