June, the 4th. Karelia. Sortavala

At first we are moving to Sortavala (and we’ve took Vita to the train at 5 o’clock in the morning).
Walk around the town.



Sortavala (35 000 citizens) is a former finnish land. Till thirties the Sortavala bridge was the longest bridge in Finland, sort of the country’s pride.
There’s a monument to Vajnemajnen sitting with his gusli on one of the squares in the centre of the town (he’s a famous person from karelian epic story Kalevala).




Then we’ve dropped into a half-desolate boats pier in the same district. The pier was first intended for about a hundred of boats, but currently it’s hosting about 40, and about 70 it hosted last year. The facility looks like a system of straight and narrow wooden paths on piles. The pier takes half of the town’s creek. Obviously no one cares much about the pier, nor the “management” not the citizens. Instead, the watchman is very friendly and hospitable.

Furthermore, there’s a regional museum in Sortavala, right close to the pier, but unfortunately it was closed (that was Sunday).

There’s also a huge piers for hydrofoils on the other side of the bridge, vessels to Valaam island are departing from there (it takes approx. 2 hours one way, totally the excursion takes about half of the day and they are leaving early in the morning).
One can park the car on the market square with a neighboring police department, so it’s pretty safe there.. (the place is right at the back of that Vajnemajnen)


Ruskeala.

After a short walk we’ve left Sortavala in the direction of Ruskeala. Two interesting sites are located on the right, along the road ahead of the town Ruskeala – they are the waterfalls and a canyon.

• The waterfalls. The spot is located in 30 km from Sortavala nearly on the roadside on the right. And there’s a café and a special rest place with lunch pavilions arranged under the waterfall with a great view. One can easily walk up to the rapids and to the small but nice upper lake.
• Marble canyons of Ruskeala. The place is 3 more km further the same road and direction – there will be a turn to the left right after the bridge and there’s a large sign “Marble Canyon”on two languages, impossible to miss that.

This spot is a unique marble exploitation pit with a system of limpid-clear lakes. There goes the grottoes, high sight-viewing round-ups.. (the walls of the working are more then 50m high – these are huge vertical marble walls).

The tourist center at the entrance offers foot-routes around the canyon (workings since 17th century, thes marble is decorating the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and many other palaces and cathedrals there..), then they do also offer inexpensive boats rent (sure that’s a worthy idea to take a boat there, cause the place has a real vim and is really impressing with all this clearest waters and highest walls and marble lumps on the bottom seen..)

A nice parking is also arranged at the entry (25rub. for each car), and there’s a café, and a person with one or two horses for a horse walk – if that’s your lucky day. Entrance fee to the complex is 45rub. for each person.
By the way, looks like there’s a chance to dive in this place (sign on the road was illustrated with divers!)

Then we had an accident meeting with Suzuki fans club (www.suzuki-club.ru) , who where traveling through Karelia on five Suzuki jeeps and a Tayota. We’ve exchanged our contacts and agreed to meet in Moscow after our coming back and have a ride together.

On our way back from the Canyon we’ve picked up a customs officer who was hitchhiking back home to Sortavala from the border with Finland. He was telling varied stories all the way, told us that first Russian football team came from Sortavala (!!) and was for women. And, he offered us to drop ourselves in for a nice view of old finnish hydrostation ruins on the sides of a waterfall – he said that was in a couple of kilometers from the Ruskeala waterfalls (turn down to the opposite side of the highway, local people shold know that place and explain more clearly). He says that this place is especially nice in late spring, when water is high and breaking up on the large stones into loads of white water spume.

Our versed customer appeared to be a friend to some journalist guy from “Ex” magazine (it’s about expeditions and some serious trips).. so we’ve also exchanged contacts etc..


Overnight camping: … stayed in tents
Weather: dizzling, fickle overcast, rather warm.
Phones: there’s Megafon and MTS around.