Svapushche: Forest Road to the Source of the Volga and School Museum

• A forest road described as scenic begins in Svapushche and leads to the source of the Volga.
• On the “Bolshaya Seligerskaya krugosvetka” route, kayaks and participants were brought to Svapushche.
• The school museum covers local history, life in times past, teachers and graduates, and the Second World War.
• A report from 2020 described excursions and meetings with veterans.

The forest road and the kayak route point to two different landmarks. The road leads to the source of the Volga; the route is associated with the western end of Berjozovsky Pljos. This distinguishes the nature features mentioned: the source of the Volga is the road’s destination, while the kayaks and participants arrive at the Pljos.

The school museum focuses on the village’s history and everyday life in times past. This includes the life stories of teachers and graduates. The Second World War is also a topic: the museum covers villagers at the front, children of the war, and people on the home front. These different perspectives give the museum a broad local and social history profile.

Activities described in a report from 2020 included excursions and meetings with veterans.

In the wider destination of Tver Oblast, the Central Forest Reserve offers additional nature experiences. Guided tours are available on the “Tayny Okovskogo lesa” and “Lesnaya azbuka” ecological trails. A separate educational trail, “Boloto Staroselskiy mokh,” crosses a scenic raised bog: the landscape features broad, open areas entirely covered in moss, as well as unusual plants.

The type of excursion also varies depending on the activity. Visitors use their own vehicle for the excursion to the “Staroselskiy mokh” raised bog. The hike to the “Barsuchikha” cordon, by contrast, can be done as a day trip or with an overnight stay in a forest cabin. Along the way, visitors see southern taiga forest and a raised bog. Guided trails, an excursion in your own vehicle, and a hike of varying duration therefore offer distinct nature experiences within Tver Oblast.

The cultural attractions of Tver Oblast also offer a variety of historical connections. In the historic center of Torzhok lies Verkhneye gorodishche, an archaeological monument of federal significance and a tourist attraction. The Novotorzhskiy Borisoglebskiy Monastyr in Torzhok was founded in 1038 and is one of Russia’s oldest Orthodox monasteries.

The annual program at Novotorzhskiy Kreml includes the “Blin s Pripyokom” and “Kuzminki v Torzhke” festivals; no specific dates are given here. Another religious and cultural landmark is Nilova Pustyn: the monastery is located on Stolobny Island and is a center of religious and pilgrimage tourism.

Discover more destinations: Tver, Zaborki, Guzyatino, Nizhniye Kotitsy, Brekhovo, Lesnoye, Protivye, Lyaskovo

Where does the forest road in Svapushche lead?

It begins in Svapushche and leads to the source of the Volga.

What topics does the school museum cover?

It covers local history, everyday life in times past, the life stories of teachers and graduates, and various experiences of the Second World War.

How do the nature experiences in Svapushche and Tver Oblast differ?

In Svapushche, the focus is on the forest road to the source of the Volga and the route to the western end of Berjozovsky Pljos. Tver Oblast also offers, among other things, guided ecological trails and hikes through taiga forest and raised bogs.

For the wider travel overview: Tver Oblast.