Republic of Karelia trip planner

Sandwiched between the basins of the White and Baltic Seas in Northwest Russia, Republic of Karelia offers numerous sightseeing prospects to fans of ethnic tourism. Its four indigenous peoples, Karelians, Finns, Russians, and Vepps, have created their own distinctive culture over the course of ten centuries. This rocky, lake and forestland bearing the traces of glaciation boasts more than 4,000 historical, cultural, and natural attractions. You'll find unique monuments, such as petroglyphs, the sanctuaries of ancient Saami, and houses and tombs of the "runo" singers related to the famous Karelian-Finnish epic poem "Kalevala." The nature of Karelia, with its rock formations and forested hills rising above lakes, rivers, and marshlands, provides many hiking trails, fishing spots, cross-country skiing tracks, and river routes for kayaking, canoeing, or rafting. Plan how to spend your time in Republic of Karelia and other destinations in Russia using our Russia trip planner.