Petrozavodsk – Kizhi

Petrozavodsk – Kizhi

3 days/ 3 nights

DAY 1. Meeting at the railway station. Departure to Petrozavodsk by train.

Day 2. Arrival to Petrozavodsk. Meeting at the railway station. Transfer. Breakfast. City tour round Petrozavodsk. It is the capital of Karelia. Petrozavodsk stands on the site of the 17th century settlement called Olonets, an administrative center of a region known for its iron forging and smithing. During the years of its existence it has turned from a provincial town into an administrative, industrial and cultural center of Karelia. Embankment of the Onega Lake – the second largest lake in Europe. During the city tour you will see: Monument to Peter I, historical center of the city – the cannon-monument, Theatre square, the cultural centre of the city, Cathedral of the Deposition of the Cross (19th century). Transfer to the River Terminal. Hydrofoil tour to Kizhi Island.  Arrival to Kizhi Island. Sightseeing.  A small Kizhi Island, 8 km long and less than 1.5 km wide, is washed by the Lake Onega.

            In the remote past it was a site of pagan practices that’s why it was settled very early. The island’s main architectural landmark is the Transfiguration Church built in 1714, without a single nail. (The few nails you can see today remain from the restoration work done in the 1960s.) This strikingly beautiful structure crowned with 22 cupolas seems to be hovering in the air in any weather, whether the lake is calm and peaceful and its surface smooth or it is rough and waves violently break on the shore. 

In 1951 the island became an open - air museum of Old Russian wooden architecture. Best wooden constructions have been transferred here from nearby and distant villages. Noteworthy is St. Lazarus’ Church, which, according to the legend, was built by monk Lazarus, the founder of the Murom monastery.  He died in 1391, which means that it is the oldest wooden church extant in Russia. It is very small: the nave is only 3 m long while the porch and altar parts are simply tiny.  Other relics of the past located here are two wooden houses, two windmills and traditional Russian Bathhouses, which stand on the shore.

After the excursion the hydrofoil will transfer you back to Petrozavodsk. Lunch.

Then you will have an excursion to the First Russian Spa "Martial Waters”.

The route greatly favored by tourists, crosses spectacular land of woods and lakes, small Karelian villages with traditional wooden houses, agricultural farms, picturesque suburbs of Petrozavodsk and typical Karelian landscapes. Tsarevichi village is located in a very picturesque place on a narrow isthmus between two lakes, visiting houses of local people and the chapel of the 18^th century. Sampo rock. Unforgettable scenery and acquaintance with the world-famous Karelian-Finnish epos "Kalevala". The Martial Waters museum. The exhibition of the museum is related with the greatest events of Russian history during the first quarter of the 18^th century. The "Martial Waters" spa with sources of the unique mineral water is rich in iron and effective to cure cardio-vascular diseases. Tourists will taste mineral water and visit the Church of Apostle Peter, built in 1721. The tour gives a wonderful opportunity to see life of the inhabitants of the North-Western part of Russia, learn about their rich culture, customs and traditions. The State Nature Preserve Kivach was organized in 1931. Its territory is approximately 10,000 hectares. A large part of the territory is occupied by forests (pine, fir, birch, aspen, grey and black alder, linden, elm trees). The gem of the preserve is the Kivach waterfall on the Suna River. The Kivach waterfall is the second largest flat waterfall in Europe (10.7 m).   After the excursion you will have a barbecue dinner with traditional Karelian meals and alcohol. 

Transfer to the railway station. Departure to Saint Petersburg by train.

DAY 3. Arrival in Saint Petersburg