When is the best time to go to Karelia? When is it better to go on a tour to Karelia – in winter or summer? When is the best time to go fishing in Karelia?

I would like to summarize my past road trip in Karelia with an article about how much a holiday in Karelia costs, what is it like in general, this Karelia is a savage and from the point of view independent tourist, and I’ll also tell you briefly about the condition of the roads, where to live there and where to eat.

But at the beginning I want to say some basic truths - when planning an independent, and especially your first trip to Karelia, be sure to build routes based on the reviews of other people. Not in terms of places to visit, but in transport logistics. Our original plan changed almost every day. And it's all because of time. Somewhere it is required more because road conditions, somewhere along the way there is something not from the plan, but no less interesting and it would be a sin not to stop by, and sometimes, when planning, we did not take into account the sunset and our physical fatigue, which did not allow us to go further.

Everyone chooses for themselves what to see in Karelia. Rest as a savage is possible in the most economical option - on foot, with an overnight stay in tents near lakes and exploring the exceptional beauty of Karelian nature. My vacation option was by car, so the travel plan itself, as well as further costs and expenses, one way or another revolve around the car.

We had a week left. More precisely, plus or minus a few days, since no one really pushed me to return by a specific date. And all plans, in the end, were adjusted by money.

The holiday route in Karelia turned out like this (below are links to detailed articles):

Saint Petersburg - Priozersk — Sortavala

Petrozavodsk — Kivach waterfall— Kondopoga — Kem — Rabocheostrovsk

Solovetsky Islands

Search hotels in major cities, Priozersk, Sortavala and Petrozavodsk, you need to visit the roomguru website. There you can compare prices on different sites and book where the price will be lower.

Cost of boats to the islands

Undoubtedly, when drawing up a plan for Karelia, we could not help but include a visit to the island of Valaam, the Kizhi nature reserve and the Solovetsky Islands.

Kizhi

During a more detailed discussion, Kizhi had to be abandoned. The cost of a round-trip ticket is 2500 and entrance fee is 400 rubles, plus to eat there, since according to the schedule the boat goes there for almost the whole day, and, of course, buying some souvenirs could take almost 4 thousand out of your wallet. In the end, you can go here separately, on a weekend, for example. They are not that far from St. Petersburg.

Balaam

As I wrote earlier, almost all places on Valaam for meteors are bought by travel agencies during the season. And, as a rule, there is only one option left - buy a ferry ticket without excursions from local agents. But the price they ask for is 300 rubles one way more than what the meteor captain charges. Therefore, count on a minimum of 1800 per ticket purchased on the meteor itself (private sellers are ready to take you there/back for at least 2 thousand, I found out), or get ready to fork out for the same 2500 buying from a travel agency. Unlike the ferry to Solovki, in meteors it is not customary to take on board more people than there are seats. Everyone goes inside, since there is simply nowhere and nowhere to park outside.

Solovetsky Islands

Here the price tag for the ferry is still the same - 1000 rubles for a one-way ticket, purchased at the tourist center Pier, from which the ferry rents this very pier. How much the captain’s ticket costs is not very clear, but it is important to understand that everyone with tickets is seated first, and those who buy and negotiate with the captain are seated outside, which means there is a high probability that they will have to travel for 2 hours in the cold wind under rain if you are unlucky with the weather. Unlike the meteor to Valaam, this ferry takes more people than can be accommodated on board.

This is what the Metel-4 ferry looks like, for example (the Vasily Kosyakov still sails during the season). Metel can accommodate 120 people.

Thus, it took me another 3800 rubles.

Entrance fees to museums and fortresses

We’re not particularly big fans of going to museums, but sometimes there’s no other way. At some points it’s really interesting, but at other times they take money just to “look at the nature” for which you came. On average, the price of an entrance ticket was 100 rubles, plus or minus 10 or 20. For the entire trip it turned out like this:

Korela Fortress in Priozersk - 120 rubles

Marble Canyon - 150 rubles

Kivach waterfall - 120 rubles

Church in Kondopoga - 120 rubles

Volcano Girvas - 100 rubles

Fortress in Staraya Ladoga— 20 rubles just for entry and 150 with a visit to the wall and museums on the wall.

During the season, many excursions are offered on Solovki; on our visit there was only a sightseeing tour and it cost 400 rubles for 3 hours. We didn’t take it and walked around everything ourselves. Then I rented a bike to go to distant places, for 250 rubles for 2.5 hours (100 rubles per hour).

The total result was neither more nor less 880 rubles for entry tickets . However.

Food on the road

This item can be significantly cut down, and on what, you can save on food. After all, when renting apartments with a kitchen, you can always cook yourself. But there are some individual characteristics of tourists and travelers.

For example, my fellow travelers are fish lovers. In Moscow they don’t sell Karelian trout, which I eat often enough to go to a cafe for it.

When traveling long distances between cities, there is simply no time to cook on the road. I took my JetBoil burner with me, but we never even boiled tea for ourselves. We bought coffee at a gas station for 50 rubles and off we went! Therefore, on the road we ate in a cafe for truckers, and in the cities we cooked ourselves a couple of times (In Petrozavodsk, because there was a normal store with Spar products next to the house, in the rest there was even nowhere to look for where to buy food in the evenings).

Therefore, either plan, like a hiker, the menu in advance and purchase food before the trip, or include the purchase of everything in the cost item. In the same Petrozavodsk there was simply no oil for frying in the apartment on the second night.

On average, I spent 500-600 rubles a day on food. I personally decided on a budget for myself and tried to stick to it, choosing something from the menu within the planned amount, but without infringing on myself. There is a huge choice in cafes for truckers. But for me personally, such food is very heavy, but there was nothing left. The average bill, as I already said, is 250-300 rubles. Plus, somewhere coffee at a gas station costs from 50 to 100 rubles. Even in the only working cafe on Solovki, I ate for 250 rubles.

Total for food, including the purchase of water, smoked fish on Valaam at a price of 1000 rubles per kilogram (I bought a 300 gram piece, which I divided between lunch and breakfast), 4500 rubles.

Something a tourist can’t live without

Everyone has their own different souvenirs to take home. But I don’t know a single traveler who would not bring anything back from a trip as a souvenir, limiting himself only to photographs. At least a magnet or a postcard to take home.

It took me about two thousand. I don’t know how this happened)

Magnets cost an average of 100 rubles. Postcard home 100, including 20 rubles for stamps. The most expensive brands in Russia - from the Solovetsky Islands!)

I’m also a fan of buying signs with street names or just wooden panels, and I couldn’t help but buy a cut of Karelian birch, their prices start from 700.

Guide to petroglyphs 100 rubles. And everything like that.

By the way, a jar of cloudberries grated with sugar cost 300 rubles for 150 grams, they gave it away at a discount. You can also buy cranberries and lingonberries on the way home; they will be offered to you as soon as you get off the ferry from Solovki.

In total, with the current composition of 3 people in a 4wd car, the trip personally cost me 17 thousand rubles. I don't even know if this is a lot or a little. My assessment of traveling in Russia is now ambiguous. On the one hand, this is not much cheaper than some Turkish-Greek tour packages, on the other hand, this is a completely different type of vacation.

How to always be online when traveling?

Buy a euro card for internet and calls. I personally have an Orange card choose a card and tariff

How do I save on hotels?

It’s very simple - look not only on booking. I prefer the search engine RoomGuru. He searches for discounts simultaneously on Booking and on 70 other booking sites.

When planning your trip to Karelia, the question often arises: when is the best time to go? Within the framework of this article, I will try to show that Karelia is always beautiful, but in different periods of time it has its own, special charm.

Karelia is an amazingly beautiful, original, hospitable region. We are always glad to see everyone who comes to enjoy our nature, relax in peace and tranquility from the bustle of the city, catch their beautiful fish, get acquainted with our sights, and discover something new. However, Karelia is different in different time of the year. But always beautiful! :)

So, Let's start with the New Year! New Year holidays 10 days long - an excellent option to relax and go fishing in Karelia. Usually by January there is already ice on most lakes (except for large ones like Onega and Ladoga), and there is enough snow in the forest. Interest is active winter holidays skiing, skating, snowmobiling. In the evening - a bathhouse with swimming in an ice hole! There is a special charm in winter silence, beauty, purity, and peace.

The main risk in winter holidays is frost. Is it true, recent years winter comes to us a little late. However, in January - February the thermometer often drops to -30, and in northern regions– and up to -40 degrees. It is also important to note that in winter the daylight hours are short, usually lasting 5-7 hours. Take board games and laptops with you to entertain yourself in the evening after outdoor activities.

For fishing: usually the fish are most active in the first and the last ice. It is customary among fishermen winter period(until March) call it “dead winter”: the fish are not very active, you have to look for them and interest them. This takes time and the days are short. Therefore, the catches are not as rich as the fisherman would like. However, it is in February that burbot spawns, which is actively caught on traps in severe frosts.

But then March comes, spring comes! The day is getting longer, the sun is getting brighter and warmer. You can get a better tan while fishing than in the south. The closer May gets, the more active the fish become, and the hungrier they become before spawning. As a rule, there are no severe frosts in the spring, unless there are slight frosts at night. The day lasts almost 12 hours. In April, when the ice lasts, fishermen are especially interested in catching lively grayling. March–April is the most optimal period for an active snow holiday in Karelia.

However, it is worth noting that real spring comes in different ways in Karelia. For example, ice in South Karelia may disappear by the end of April, and in North Karelia it may begin to float at the beginning of June. This is important to consider when planning your trip. But as experience shows, by the end of April all over Karelia leisure and ice fishing ends. Behavioral safety precautions thin ice comes to the fore! You shouldn't risk your life for the sake of a catch, take care of yourself!

May is the onset of real spring, warmth. In the first ten days of May, pike and perch spawn. At this time, fishing is limited to float fishing for white fish, which, in turn, spawns in late May - early June with the arrival of the first warm days. With the melting of ice, trolling for salmon on Lake Onega is also relevant.

The first half of May is the opening of the migratory bird hunting season. Because fishing May holidays can be successfully combined with hunting. The end of May is the beginning of truly active recreation and fishing. open water! After spawning, with the arrival of the first warm days, perch and pike become more active. In June – pike perch, grayling. Red fish, on the contrary, love more cold water, therefore catches along it are noticeably reduced. At the end of May, with the onset of warmth, mosquitoes appear, so stock up on sprays. Blood-sucking activity subsides as autumn approaches.

Summer is an excellent period for any type of active recreation in Karelia. Successful fishing can be combined with sightseeing. Including visiting such brands of Karelia as Valaam, Kizhi, Solovki, Kivach waterfall, Paanayarvi park, etc.

The hottest period in Karelia is the second half of June - July, when it is quite comfortable to go out into nature with a tent and actively swim in the lakes. It is June-July that is the period of the legendary, most beautiful white nights, when on vacation night and day can easily be confused! With the onset of August, the nights become longer, the temperature drops noticeably, and night frosts are possible in some areas of Karelia.

However, it is August that is most popular with us. After all, this is a period of not only active fishing and the opening of hunting (usually the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of August), but also a period of picking berries and mushrooms. True, berries begin to appear in mid-July (cloudberries, strawberries), and in warm, rainy weather, mushrooms appear earlier than August. But again, it all depends on the specific year.

The closer autumn is, the less predictable the weather in Karelia: winds and rains occur more and more often. Fluctuations in weather affect fishing success. Remember, Karelia is not Lower Volga, where fish bite in any weather. True, the colder and more unstable the weather, the better the red fish are caught by trolling.
September is a fabulous period when the forest turns into motley bright colors. Indian summer until the middle of the month is a “velvet period”, when there are still mushrooms, berries, fishing, and hunting. And the daytime temperature is comfortable enough for outdoor activities.

In October it is already much cooler, the weather is unpredictable, and there are often frosts. Fishing is unstable. You can only pick cranberries in the forest. Karelia is preparing for winter, it is coming late fall.

Winter in Karelia usually comes in November. In the last few years, there has been a shift in the timing of the onset of cold weather. The first ice can appear both in November and December, including under New Year. On the first ice, fishing is most active until the fish go into hibernation. Well, I already mentioned the delights of winter active recreation at the beginning of this article.

As you can see, holidays in Karelia are always interesting, varied and exciting. You can find something beautiful at any time of the year! Come to us and appreciate for yourself all the delights of an amazingly beautiful and hospitable region - Karelia.

Sincerely, Evgeniy Miroshka (c), 2012.

Karelia is good all year round - but every season it is different and different from itself, beautiful in its own way, revealing different facets of its charm.

In May there are still no annoying mosquitoes in summer. Winter has already lost its ground, daylight hours are increasing, and the sun is increasingly warming the faces of outdoor enthusiasts. Just one day spent outdoors under the spring sun will not leave you unnoticed, because the very next day you will have a magnificent natural tan!

It happens that in early May you can still get on the last ice and catch perch and roach near the shore. But, of course, it’s better not to take risks, especially since the river next to the house is already opening up, and right from the bank you can enjoy float rod tug at roaches and bream. Pike and perch spawn in early May. If the ice on Onego has already melted, it’s time to actively troll salmon.

As a rule, the first half of May is the opening of the hunting season for migratory birds. Therefore, fishing during the May holidays can be successfully combined with hunting.
At the end of May it really starts active fishing in open water. After spawning, with the arrival of the first warm days, perch and pike become more active. For the latter, it is during this period that gluttony sets in.

Around the same time, a bream comes into the bay directly to the house, and it is often possible to pull out a trophy weighing 2 kilograms from the shore.

At the end of May, with the onset of warmth, mosquitoes begin to appear.

Summer is an excellent period for active recreation and a great opportunity to combine successful fishing with acquaintance with the sights of Zaonezhye.

In June, nature actively wakes up, the real Karelian white nights begin. The sun briefly drops below the horizon, leaving a glow spread across the sky to quickly start a new day. You can still successfully catch large bream, but now it’s more of an evening fishing, when it comes out to shore for night feeding. Fishing is becoming more dynamic, pike, perch, roach, ide, and salmon are being caught well.

July is the hottest month in Karelia, which is when you are guaranteed to be able to swim.

And of course, this is a period of unforgettable fishing for steam perch on ludas! Steam perch is a natural phenomenon, a classic for our northern reservoirs, when near the lakes and capes in the hot, parky, steamy northern summer, very decent perch suddenly appears in large numbers. Anyone who has ever caught a steam perch will never forget such fishing. The perch bites greedily, grabbing everything from a worm to a spinner. Fishing for meat can be very effective, but we talked about this in more detail in “Successful Fishing.”

The heat often continues into August, but at the same time, the nights become longer, cooler, and mosquitoes, as a rule, disappear. The period of berries and mushrooms is coming! The fish still pleases with its activity. Pike becomes more mobile, in the evenings decent specimens come closer to the shore, at this time fishing with traps is very effective. Also in August our hunting season begins (usually the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of August).

September is a fabulous period, when it is still quite warm, but there are no mosquitoes and midges, but there are lingonberries and cranberries, mushrooms, hunting and fishing. And although it’s already cool to swim, hiking and fishing is a pleasure.

In October it is already much cooler, the weather is unpredictable, and there are often frosts. You can only pick cranberries in the forest. Karelia is preparing for winter, late autumn is coming. But how nice it is to take a steam bath at this time, to sit by the fireplace on a cold autumn evening. Fishing on the lake is unstable, but right in front of the house on the fairway, a concentration of large Onega perch begins, waiting for the freeze-up. Almost every day from the window you can see many boats of village fishermen dragging fish from the depths to the bottoms. This type of fishing continues until November.

As you can see, holidays in Zaonezhye are always interesting, varied and exciting. You can find something beautiful at any time of the year! Come to us and appreciate for yourself all the delights of an amazingly beautiful and hospitable region - Karelia.

Karelia is beautiful at any time of the year.
But, undoubtedly, the peak of visitation to Karelia occurs in the summer.
One of the reasons for the summer popularity of Karelia is that the main attractions (Kizhi, Valaam, Solovki) can only be reached by “water”.
Navigation opens from mid-May and closes in mid-September.
That's why excursion holiday in Karelia, it is better to plan for the summer (during the navigation period) so that you have the opportunity to visit most of the excursion sites.

Summer or should you choose a winter holiday?

In winter, most likely, you will not be able to visit the famous Solovki and the island of Valaam, as you could do in the summer, when navigation is open.
But you will definitely see real winter northern nature! Snowdrifts, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, dog sledding and other winter activities are available in Karelia in winter.
The most convenient time to visit Karelia in winter is new year holidays. A large selection of tours, excursions and active programs are offered on these dates.

Spring and autumn

In spring and autumn, relaxing holidays are the most popular in Karelia - renting cottages on the lake shore, sanatorium treatment or small sightseeing trips with a visit to the Kivach waterfall, Marcial Water springs, museums in the city of Petrozavodsk, a zoo complex with Karelian animals, Karelian villages.

Which summer month is best to choose to visit Karelia?

Any summer month, be it June, July or August, is a time for a great holiday in Karelia.
You should not rely on the weather when planning the dates of your trip to Karelia.
Our weather is very changeable and can change even within one day several times.
We recommend choosing travel dates that are convenient for you.
  • Karelia in June
    • This month the weather is nice and sunny, not too hot, but already warm.
    Navigation is already open, so you can visit the main attractions: Kizhi Island, Valaam Island, Solovki.
    You can enjoy walks in the forest and boat rides on the lake or Marble Canyon.
    The first berries appear in the forest - strawberries.
    The waterfalls of the Ladoga region are especially beautiful in June, when there is still quite a lot of water in them. The Ruskeala mountain park is also beautiful, framed by trees with bright green foliage, reflected in the clear water of the marble canyon. The Kivach Nature Reserve is no less beautiful with flowering arboretum plants and a waterfall.
    In addition, June is the time of “white nights” in Karelia. It’s very light outside at night, just like during the day, so you can see more even on evening excursions.
  • Karelia in July
    • July in Karelia is considered one of the warmest months of summer.
    The water in lakes and rivers, as usual, is already warming up.
    There are a lot of blueberries and raspberries in the forest. July is also good for fishing.
    All attractions located on the islands are available for visiting: Kizhi, Valaam, Solovki.
    You will also see more amazing “white nights” of our region.
  • Karelia in August
    • This is the time to collect berries and mushrooms, of which there are a lot in the Karelian forests.
    The weather this month is still warm, you can sunbathe and swim, since the water has warmed up well over the previous two summer months. It is believed that after August 2, Ilya’s day, you can no longer swim, but this is just a legend, and, of course, local residents and tourists who come on vacation enjoy swimming in lakes and rivers and sunbathing on the beautiful sandy Karelian beaches.
    It happens that in August in our northern region it is very warm and even hot, but the weather is quite changeable and can change to cool with rain, so it is better to take with you both light clothing and something warmer, as well as an umbrella. In the second half of August, the flow of tourists to Karelia becomes less, usually the weather is not as hot as in July, so a holiday in August is suitable for those who do not like heat and would like to visit the sights as part of a small group.
    You will be able to see Valaam, Kizhi, and Solovki; navigation is still open to all islands in August.

When is the best time to come for an active holiday?

The natural conditions of Karelia contribute to the development of the water recreation industry. There are more than 59 thousand lakes and 26 thousand rivers in Karelia.
Rafting on the stormy Karelian rivers begins in early May. This type of holiday is suitable for experienced water divers, because rafting in the spring requires experience and special clothing (neoprene suit).
In June, July, August they take place water trips, both for beginners and experienced tourists.
In addition to rafting, jeep tours are in demand in Karelia. There are many in our region interesting roads, which only a specially prepared SUV can drive through. There are beautiful and hard-to-reach sights of Karelia, which again can only be visited by jeep (for example, Mount Vottovaara, churches and villages in Zaonezhie and others). Jeep tours are also organized from May to September.
In winter, active recreation in Karelia is represented by snowmobile tours and dog sled tours.

But the main attraction of Karelia is still Karelian nature, with its endless forests, countless lakes and rivers, and, of course, clean air. It fascinates with its unique beauty at any time of the year.
Come and get to know Karelia with our company “Karelia-Lines”! And you will definitely return to Karelia again, regardless of the time of year!

 

It might be useful to read: