Meet Hanna, a fellow Russian traveller who is introducing us to the beautiful and unknown Region of Karelia.

I’m an experienced traveler. I usually prefer hot countries with white sandy beaches such as India, Italy, France. Moreover I try to use help from locals in all my trips. Maybe you have heard something about MeetnGreetMe. It’s a company where you can find personal assistant among locals all over the world. The will make your trip much easier and more interesting.

So I have recently decided to make an unusual trip to the city of Petrozavodsk in the Republic of Karelia. And of course I didn’t forget about MeetnGreeters.

It was an unforgettable journey. The Republic of Karelia is one of the most beautiful parts of Russia full of forests, lakes and waterfalls. It has strong cultural and linguistic connections with Finland.

My first impression was “Oh my God. Why is it so fucking cold here? “

My teeth almost fell out of the terrible cold, my eyelashes froze within the first second so it was difficult to blink. I couldn’t even imagine that it could be so cold.

Then I remembered the words of my mother, who advises me to dress warmer  even in the heat, but it was too late. I came to Karelia.

Let me try to describe you this stunning place in 5 photos!

 

Kivach Falls

It’s an insanely beautiful frozen waterfall. It is located on the Sun River in the Kondopoga District and it is the largest non-mountain waterfall in Europe. No photos can show the beauty that I saw. There were crowds of people there.

 

Have you ever heard that Kivach was considerably more powerful than the hydroelectric power station built in Girvas which is 30 km higher on the same river? I didn’t know. Nikita, my MeetnGreeter told me about this. He spent all his childhood in Karelia and he knew all the secrets.

 

Onega Lake

It is a lake on the north-west of European part of Russian Federation, the second freshwater body in size in Europe after Lake Ladoga.

Despite the terrible cold, there were a lot of tourists. From an elderly couple from Germany we learned that this lake is insanely beautiful in the summer.
And there is one fact that is more than surprising. It’s a great quality of Onega water. It is always fresh and very tasty.

 

Karelia’s Santa Claus

It was fantastic. We played games, drank hot tea. It was the first time I saw a real samovar. It was unusual and fun.

 

 

The island of Kizhi

It’s one of the most mystic places in Russia, the island of Kizhi. You can find unique wooden churches built there without a single nail, only with an ax and a chisel.

I discovered that this island has been researching, preserving and popularizing culture of the native peoples of Karelia for more than 40 years.
Situated in the geographical center of Europe’s second largest lake, Kizhi has been a strategic stopover for travelers for a long time.

 

Happy time with husky dogs

Husky dogs are amazing creatures – they are trustful, amicable and incredibly kind. It was cool to see and touch them in real life. They are all very kind and love tourists. These cute and fluffy blue-eyed dogs will not leave you indifferent.

I will come back in Karelia definitely. And I advise you doing the same.

 

Would you like to share your travel story with us like Hanna and be featured on the blog? Just drop me a line here and will be in touch soon!