Discover the Republic of Karelia

• Kivach Waterfall is on the Suna River and has a drop of 10.7 metres.
• The Kizhi Museum Reserve displays 89 monuments of traditional wooden architecture in the open air.
• The World Heritage site of the Onega and White Sea Petroglyphs comprises 4,500 Neolithic rock carvings.
• Vodlozersky National Park extends across Karelia and Arkhangelsk Oblast.

On the Suna River in central Karelia, Kivach Waterfall plunges 10.7 metres. After the Rhine Falls, it is considered Europe’s second-largest lowland waterfall. A general guided tour of the nature reserve includes an outdoor walk to the waterfall, as well as visits to the arboretum and the nature museum. The tour is listed as taking 1 to 1.5 hours.

One described trail is 1,000 metres long and runs through woodland along the banks of the Suna, near the excursion area. The reserve currently publishes tour information; check conditions and booking with the operator.

The national parks also offer a range of different experiences. Kalevalsky National Park was established to protect a large area of natural forest. Vodlozersky National Park is one of the world’s largest wilderness reserves and includes areas in Karelia and Arkhangelsk Oblast; its Karelian section has hiking trails of varying difficulty. Paanajärvi National Park lies in the Louhi District in northwestern Karelia. Its landscapes, diverse flora and fauna, unspoilt tranquillity and rich fishing opportunities attract visitors.

The Kizhi Museum Reserve on Kizhi Island displays 89 monuments of traditional wooden architecture in the open air, including chapels, houses, mills, granaries, threshing barns and drying racks. Visitors can see the interiors of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and peasant houses; traditional peasant crafts are demonstrated in the houses. The Kizhi Pogost includes an architectural ensemble with the world’s only multi-domed wooden Church of the Transfiguration.

The petroglyphs combine archaeological significance with distinctive motifs. The Onega Petroglyphs comprise more than 1,200 figures in Pudozhsky District; most are found on the central capes of Pery Nos, Besov Nos and Kladovets. The White Sea Petroglyphs mainly depict hunting and sailing scenes with equipment, as well as animal and human footprints. The Belomorsk Petroglyphs are located in the lower reaches of the Vyg, near its mouth at the White Sea, 6 to 8 kilometres from Belomorsk, and comprise more than 2,000 different carvings. Neolithic rock art monuments dating from the 4th to the 2nd millennium BC are also found on the eastern shore of Lake Onega.

Another place of natural and cultural interest is Ruskeala Mountain Park, centred on the Marble Canyon.

Discover more destinations: Tungozero, Derevyannoye, Matrosy, Yushkozero, Kuzaranda, Yanishpole, Veshkelitsa, Otrakkala, Petrozavodsk, Belomorsk, Suojarvi, Uya, Kondopoga, Yashëzero, Medvezhyegorsk, Mikli, Meyeri, Kalevala, Vyartsilya, Kostomuksha, Tiurula, Prionezhsky District, Suoyarvsky District, Belomorsky District, Kondopozhsky District, Medvezhyegorsky District, Sortavala City, Pitkyarantsky District, Sortavala, Salmi, Spasskaya Guba, Shuyskaya Chupa, Lumivaara, Essoyla, Vilga, Velikaya Guba, Lakhkolampi, Pudozh, Pitkyaranta, Konchezero, Kem, Pryazha, Chalna, Kurkiyeki, Shyoltozero, Lakhdenpokhya, Uzheselga, Sofporog, Kindasovo, Kotkozero, Ustye Tuloksy, Lososinnoye, Ruskeala, Pedaselga, Yalguba, Prionezhsky District, Pryazhinsky District, Belomorsky District, Medvezhyegorsky District, Pudozhsky District, Loukhsky District, Kondopozhsky District, Segezhsky District, Loukhsky District, Sortavala City, Olonetsky District and Pitkyarantsky District.

What does the general guided tour of Kivach Nature Reserve include?

It includes an outdoor walk to Kivach Waterfall, as well as visits to the arboretum and the nature museum. The tour takes 1 to 1.5 hours; check conditions and booking with the operator.

What can visitors see at the Kizhi Museum Reserve?

There are 89 monuments of traditional wooden architecture. Visitors can also see the interiors of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and peasant houses; traditional peasant crafts are demonstrated in the houses.

What motifs do the White Sea Petroglyphs depict?

They mainly depict hunting and sailing scenes with related equipment, as well as animal and human footprints.

For the main travel overview: Russia.