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 The
biggest lake of Europe - Ladoga - not only charms the travellers
with the majesty of its boundless water expanses but also impresses
them with the richness and diversity of its nature harmonized with
unique cultural monuments.
The northern Ladoga with its rocky
skerries and the famous Valaamo monastery is currently better known
among average people. But let's try to go for a tour around South
Ladoga areas, that looks less bright outwardly. Very soon you will
discover here the real nature pearls lurking in coastal shallow
waters, reed beds, sandy beaches, vast raised bogs and taiga
forests! The route is arranged in such a way that you can also familiarize
yourself with the rich historical and cultural heritage of this
ancient land.
How to get there?
Lodeynoye Pole
town
by car: 225 km, highway St. Petersburg -
Murmansk
by train: long-distance trains St.
Petersburg - Petrozavodsk, St. Petersburg - Murmansk, Moscow
- Petrozavodsk, Moscow - Murmansk; local train: St. Petersburg -
Lodeynoye Pole
by bus from SPb: Central bus station № 1, emb.
of Obvodny channel, 36
Olonets town
by car:
280 km, highway St. Petersburg -
Murmansk
by
train: long-distance trains St.
Petersburg - Petrozavodsk
by bus from SPb: Central bus
station № 1, emb. of Obvodny channel, 36 (SPb - Petrozavodsk, SPb
- Pitkaranta)
 In
the small town of Novaya Ladoga located at the mouth of the river
Volkhov the boat excursion along the New Ladoga Channel starts.
The system of Ladoga channels has been created during 18th and 19th
centuries to secure shipping between Neva and Svir rivers avoiding
stormy Ladoga lake. Today the channels are very convenient routs
for boat tourism.
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 After passing 15 km along the channel
we entr into the wildeness area (proposed for designation as protected
natural area) - Southern Priladozhye Sanctuary. According to the
Birdlife International (Partnership of non-governmental conservation
organisations) criteria, this is an Important Bird Area. Many thousands
of waterfowl find their breeding and migratory stop-over sites in
the coastal floodplains and warm shallow waters of Ladoga. The Leningrad
region largest breeding colonies of Osprey (more than 30 pairs)
and White-tailed Eagle (at least 5 pairs) are found at the vast
raised bogs extended along the channels. Bird-watchers have a rare
opportunity to see several nests of these birds from one sinle point.
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 One of the most ancient Russian towns - Staraya Ladoga (or
Ladoga according to the maps older than 1704) is situated on the
steep bank of the river Volkhov. The settlement was founded more
than 1250 years ago and grew fastly into the major center
of trade and shipping on the way from "Vikings to Greeks",
and into one of the northern outposts of the Russian State. Now
it is a museum-reserve where more than 160 historical and cultural
memorials are preserved.
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 The North-west
Regional Center of environmental
education in Zaostrovye village can be used as a suitable
place for lodging over night on the long way. The Center was established
in 2001 as a joint effort of St.Petersburg Naturalists Society,
St.Petersburg State University and Nizhne-Svirsky Strict Nature
Reserve (zapovednik) with a support of international nature conservation
organisations. Summer field courses for the students of St.Petersburg
University, ecological excursions and lectures for schoolchildren,
employees of Protected Areas and nature lovers are conducted here.
The Center has a capacity to accommodate up to 80 visitors. Special
nature trails are arranged in vicinities of the Zaostrovye Center.
Students and visitors can enjoy the beautiful panorama of the Svir
river valley meadows and surrounding forests.
Contact
information:
Faculty of Biology and Soil Sciences, St. Petersburg
State University
Russia 199034 St. Petersburg, Universitetskaya
emb., 7/9
Director: Dr.
Alexei Strelkov
Tel. +7 812 328 96 63
http://eco-centrum.org.ru
apstr@mail.wplus.net
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 It
is impossible to leave out the Lodeynoeye Pole town while
travelling around South Ladoga. The small settlement founded in
1702 by Peterthe Great as a shipyard for the Baltic Navy is now
the district center and important port on the Svir river (on the
Volga - Baltic waterway). Lodeynoye pole museum of regional history is
worth of visiting, especially because of its fine exhibition about
natural values of the Ladoga area. This exhibition was recently
prepared with a support from European Union.
Lodeynoye Pole museum of regional
history. Contact information:
Russia 187700 Leningrad
region, Lodeynoye pole, Lenina av., 122
Director: Nina
Trosheva
Tel.
+7 81364 210 98
Web-site "Museums of the Leningrad Region" www.oblmuseums.spb.ru
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 The
river Oyat's valley is one of the most beautiful places of Lodeynoye
Pole district. The pictorial hilly lanscape (unusual for the flat
South Ladoga areas) formed by the spurs of Veps Hills, resembles
those in Switzerland. The ancient village Alekhovschina is
a center of traditional Oyat' ceramics. Small ceramics factory is
using local raw materials and employs original technologies.
These ceramic masterpieces can be purchased here.
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 The
Pokrovo-Tervenichesky nunnery is located close to Alekhovschina
village. This is a pilgrimage place for devotees and tourists. Located
in very beautiful place on the high lakeside, the nunnery allures
with elegance of traditional architecture and harmonious merging
with natural landscape.
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 The
largest Protected Area of Leningrad region - "Vepssky Les"
Nature Park approved in 1999 spreads in the upper areas of Oyat
river and on adjacent Veps Hills. The Nature Park of 190 thousand
ha was established to preserve valuable natural complexes (virgin
taiga forests and original landscapes of Veps Hills) and to revive
the unique culture of veps - the declining small nation that inhabited
the area for hundreds of years. Ecological and ethnographical tourism
is developing in the Nature Park.
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 Crossing
the river Svir in the Lodeynoye Pole town travelers are heading
towards the Nizhne-Svirsky strict nature reserve. The route passes
the village Svirskoye (Staraya Sloboda) where one of the oldest
monasteries in the Russian North is located. The Alexandro-Svirsky
monastery was founded in the end of 15th century and is named
after its first Father Superior Saint Alexander Svirsky. The Saint's
relics are still preserved in the monastery. The modern architectural
appearance of the monastery has been created during 18-19 centuries.
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 The
Nizhne-Svirsky zapovednik - the only strict nature reserve
in the Leningrad region - was established in 1980 aimed at conserving
natural complexes of south-eastern Ladoga areas, as well as protecting
mass concentrations of birds migrating along the Baltic flyway,
and preserving habitats for many rare animal and plant species.
The reserve occupies 41600 ha, including 5000 ha of Ladoga lake.
The raised bogs with their specific flora and fauna, the peculiar
landscape of coastal ridges reflecting geological history of ladoga,
and populations of the Red Data Book species of plants and animals
are among the main natural values of the reserve. The reserve has
a strict guarding and access to the most part of its territory is
allowed only for the reserve's employees and scientists. Special
nature trails are arranged for the restricted number of public excursions.
The trails are equipped with observation towers, planked footways,
informational posters and other facilities. Guests of the reserve
can watch capercaillies, black grouses, cranes, birds of prey and
many other birds at the excursion. Beaver's settlements are on any
river or stream in the reserve. Brown bear is not an unusual animal
to meet. The Visitor's center of the reserve is located outside
of protected area, at the Kovkinitsy field station. All necessary
information materials are at the disposal for visitors in the center.
Nice rooms, dining hall with a fireplace, and Russian banya (steam
house) can be offered at the center as well.
   
Contact
information:
Post address: Russia 187710 Leningrad region,
Lodeynoye Pole, Kommunarov st., 7
Director: Vladimir Belyanin
Tel./fax +7 81364
263 61
fauna@lpole.ru
Web-site
of the Association of Zapovedniks and National Parks in Northwest Russia
- http://lynx.priroda.ru
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 The
vast grasslands spread around the karelian town Olonets in
just 20-40 km from the Nizhne-Svirsky strict nature reserve. The
place is well-known for bird-watchers, and it is considered to be
a real bird Eldorado. The so called "Olonets fields"
are freeing off from snow much earlier than surrounding forests,
and are partly flooded in spring. This is why the huge numbers of
migrating birds stop on the fields for feeding and resting. Olonets
goose concentrations are among the biggest in Europe. Up to 50-70
thousand of geese can be seen on the fielads during a single day.
White-fronted Goose and Bean Goose are the most numerous, Greylag
Goose and Barnacle Goose are common visitors. Such Redlisted species
as Lesser White-fronted Goose and Red-breasted Goose can be met
occasionally. Besides geese, many other birds (cranes, waders, rails,
owls, birds of prey etc.) are quite common here also on breeding.
The living nest of the Golden Eagle is of special interst. Intensive
passage of waterfowl (swans, geese, sea ducks, divers) is going
along the Ladoga coast not far from Olonets in April and May. Various
shorebirds are numerous on sandy beaches of the Ladoga lake with
the large breeding colonies of gulls, terns, grebes and ducks found
in Andrusovo bay.
Ecological and rural tourism is actively developing
sector of Olonets district economic and social life. Every year
traditional ecological festival "Olonia - The Goose Capital"
is held in early May.
Contact
information:
Fund of financial support "Ancient
City"
Russia 186000 Republic of Karelia, Olonets, Svirskih
Divizij st., 5
Director: Inga Gurilova
Tel. +7 81436 218 10
Olonga@onego.ru
Project
"Rural development
in Southern Karelia"
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The
rout was designed in the Baltic Fund for Nature within the framework
of the following projects:
Contribution
towards a sustainable Russia. Integration protected
areas in a regional context. (1999 - 2001)
Big
Lakes Ladoga and Päjänne – using natural and cultural
heritage as a boost of sustainable development
(2002 - 2004)
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