Karelia is a land of forests and lakes, world-famous attractions and beautiful natural parks, ancient petroglyphs and mountain resorts, excellent fishing and mineral springs. Clean air and stunning beauty of nature are the visiting card of the republic at any time of the year. And when to go on vacation to Karelia, tourists decide on their own.
Types of tourist seasons in Karelia
High season
The high season is undeniably summer. In Karelia it can be called a season of excursions. The main attractions are located so that you can only get to them by water. Navigation is open from May to September, it is at this time that the peak of attendance falls.
Tourists from all over the world tend to see the Kizhi open-air museum - a monument of traditional wooden architecture. The heart of the reserve is the high Church of the Transfiguration, cut down without a single nail, 37 meters high with 22 domes. It is surrounded by old houses and chapels, barns and mills, other temples that create an architectural ensemble of fabulous beauty and harmony. The museum is located on the Kizhi island in Lake Onega. You can get there by water transport. In summer, boat excursions are organized with visits to neighboring islands. They also have preserved architectural and cultural monuments.
On the second lake of Karelia, Ladoga, there is another object of pilgrimage for tourists - the island of Valaam. The island is a unique nature reserve, with a coniferous forest and small inland lakes. Here you can see conifers that are 300 years old. Valaam is a nesting place for 200 species of birds, including many from the Red Data Book. The pearl of Valaam is the Transfiguration Monastery, founded in the first millennium and for many centuries the spiritual center of Russian Orthodoxy. You can also get there by boat.
In the White Sea, which washes the northern coast of Karelia, there is the Solovetsky archipelago, the so-called Solovki. This place with a tragic history today, like Kizhi and Valaam, is included in the list of cultural and natural heritage of UNESCO. Today, the current Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery and the most beautiful botanical garden are visited here. The motor ship goes to Solovki during the entire navigation period, with the exception of stormy days.
The unique and famous Marble Canyon can also be seen only in summer. The abandoned stone quarry looks like a huge marble bowl filled with the purest, emerald-colored water. The canyon is surrounded by a mountain park with rare species of shrubs and mosses.
Low season
The decline in tourist activity occurs in winter, the longest Karelian season is from mid-October to April. Rivers open up only at the end of April, and lakes in May. Although it is in the low season that Karelia attracts lovers of outdoor activities. Winter temperatures are quite mild - no higher than 13-15 degrees below zero. But, in conditions of constant high humidity, the cold is felt more strongly. Frosts begin suddenly, just as suddenly there is a thaw. In winter, winds and heavy snowfalls are frequent. Sometimes it snows for several days. But its abundance becomes a paradise for skiers and snowboarders, as well as luge, biathlon lovers.
In winter, a beautiful ski tour to Valaam is offered, designed for trained skiers. This kind of pilgrimage leaves an unforgettable experience and is considered the "highlight" of the low season.
Sports season
Six ski resorts offer slopes of varying degrees of difficulty. Snowmobile and dog sled tours are organized. For the New Year holidays in Karelia, active programs are offered with skiing from the mountains, snowboarding, cross-country skiing. This is a chance to see the beauty of the winter northern nature.
In May, the numerous rivers of Karelia are especially full-flowing. This month is considered the best for rafting and kayaking. Water sports routes are laid along the Shuya, Kem, Onda, Vodli, Okhta and many other Karelian rivers. In addition, in May there is still no annoying gnat, and the spring sun gives a magnificent tan. The rafting season lasts until September, but it is in May that it is considered the most attractive and extreme.
Wellness season
In the low season, you can take advantage of the same low prices for treatment. The first resort appeared here during the reign of Peter I. He personally tested the healing properties of local sulfide-silt mud and Karelian mineral waters. The resort became the first in Russia and was named "Marcial Waters". It still works. Now the sanatoriums "White Klyuchi", "Kivach" and "Palaces" operate along with this hospital. They successfully treat diseases of the bone and vascular systems, respiratory and digestive organs, endocrine diseases. In addition to mineral waters and mud, famous shungite is used for medical purposes. And, of course, the purest forest air.
Shungite treatment is a local business card. In Zaonezhie are the main reserves in the country. This Karelian healer is considered unique due to its special molecules that act as an antioxidant.
In local sanatoriums, a variety of ailments are treated with a wide range of procedures made of stones, stone chips and shungite water:
- massage of feet and other areas with shungite crumbs;
- shungite-based applications;
- various types of relaxing procedures with shungite;
- inhalation and rinsing with shungite water;
- shungite powder baths.
Treatment with Karelian mineral water is also unique. It is not stored. It can only be consumed fresh, and therefore only in local health resorts.
Climate of Karelia
The climate is typical for both Northern Europe and the Russian North - with relatively warm winters and cool summers. It can be called transitional from maritime to temperate continental. The North Atlantic and the Arctic have a decisive influence. A characteristic feature of Karelia is high humidity at any time of the year, due to the abundance of rivers and lakes.
Summers are short, and winters, although mild, are long and inconstant - with transitions from snowfalls to thaws. The warmest place is the island of Valaam. Here, a mild lacustrine microclimate of Lake Ladoga is formed in a special way.
Winter in Karelia
December is quite warm, but chilly due to high humidity. In January, during the day, freezing temperatures reach 12-15 degrees, but sometimes a cold snap is possible. In some years, January frosts reach –25 ° С. The coldest month is February, it is snowy and windy.
Winter in the north of Karelia is the northern lights and drifting ice floes of the White Sea. And, of course, polar nights in the northern territories of the republic. The downside is that in winter you will not see the unique beauty of the numerous Karelian lakes - they are covered with ice. But on the strengthened ice, winter fishing begins. Burbot is caught until February.
Hunting enthusiasts come to Karelia in winter. Here is one of the few places where there is a rich hunt for elk, bear, hare and fox. And also on fur-bearing animals - muskrat, beaver, mink, marten and ermine. Wild boar hunting continues in December. As a rule, even experienced hunters order tours - local huntsmen know the territory and habits of the local animal better.
Spring in Karelia
Spring comes late, in the south of the republic - in mid-April, and in the northern part of the cold return almost until June. What is considered "early spring" in Karelia continues until May. But daylight hours begin to increase. In March, the sun is already bright and the snow is hard. This is used by the organizers of ski trips and winter fishing. In April, the forests are covered with snow, the ice on the reservoirs is just beginning to melt.
May is considered the beginning of real spring. The awakening time of nature allows you to appreciate the true beauty of lakes and forests. The daytime temperature rises to + 15 ° С, in the south it is even warmer. The nights are still cold, the temperature is just above freezing. The rise of the tourist season begins with the May holidays. The kayakers are the first to arrive.
At the end of May, active open water fishing begins.
Summer in Karelia
The main highlight of the Karelian summer is the white nights. The calendar summer is short here. The awakening of nature still continues in June. The hottest month is July, when you can definitely swim. August is also hot, but the nights are already cool. But mosquitoes disappear. In any case, you need to remember that summer in the north of the country differs from the middle zone. In addition to summer clothes, tourists should stock up on warm clothes and waterproof shoes.
Summer is the main season for sport fishing. In Karelia, rich in water bodies, pike, salmon, roach, ide are caught. On evening fishing, large bream bites perfectly. And, of course, summer is the period of fishing for the legendary steam bass, classic for northern waters.
At the end of July, Lake Onega, which is cold for swimming, gathers yachtsmen from all over the country for a sailing regatta of cruising yachts. It is not only yacht owners who are eager to attend the national sailing championship. Many people specially timed their vacation for this spectacular holiday.
The only negative of summer is insects. In the Russian north, this is a real scourge: mosquitoes, midges and ticks. Before the trip, it is better to get vaccinated against ticks and arm yourself with mosquito repellents.
Autumn in Karelia
Autumn in the north of the republic begins by the end of August. But September is considered one of the best months: it is still warm, there is no more gnat, but cranberries and lingonberries, mushrooms are ripening. Autumn in Karelia is famous as the season of mushrooms and berries. They even come for them from neighboring regions.
Fishing is successful, hunting season begins. Hunting tours for ducks, wood grouse, black grouse are very popular. Woodcock, hazel grouse, goose and partridge can become trophies of successful hunters.
Freezing temperatures begin in October and the weather becomes unpredictable. The fish goes deep, but pike and Onega perch are still caught. And in November, winter fishing will already start on some reservoirs.
Conclusion: you can go on vacation to Karelia in any season. You need to focus on forecasts of weather forecasters and your own preferences.
