Sortavala in the past was a Swedish and Finnish patrimony, and now it is a small Karelian town. It is a very interesting and popular tourist destination due to its interesting architecture, not typical for the Russian North, picturesque and harsh nature, as well as the proximity of Lake Ladoga and Valaam Island. In summer, there are many travelers who prefer eco-recreation and pilgrims heading to the Valaam stavropegic monastery.
It so happened that Sortavala visited three states, therefore its cultural and historical heritage is of great value. In the town there are many wooden houses, which are 150-200 years old, and stone buildings, made in the usual styles of European architecture.
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What to see and where to go in Sortavala?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
City architecture
Sortavala was founded by the Swedes, until the middle of the 20th century the Finns lived in it, so the urban development has retained its typical appearance for Northern Europe. Many buildings were built in the styles of Scandinavian and Western European Art Nouveau, pseudo-Gothic, neoclassicism. The most interesting objects include the building of the former Town Hall, the United Bank of the Nordic Countries, the Bank of Finland, Leander's house and Winter's summer house, designed by Finnish and Swedish architects. There are many interesting wooden buildings in the city. Unfortunately, many of them are not in the best condition due to lack of proper care.
Kirov square
The main square of Sortavala, around which the main attractions are located. By itself, it is nothing special - a rather small space with standard benches, paving stones and flower beds. It is convenient to start walking around the city from here, and the Läppäjärvi Lake, the pier with the ferry pier and the Karelian Bridge are also very close to the square.
Kronid Gogolev Museum
The private collection of the folk artist K. A. Gogolev is located on the territory of a mansion built by a Finnish architect at the end of the 19th century. The master specialized in woodcarving (in this art he achieved outstanding results). The main exhibits are sculptural wooden bas-reliefs, paintings are also presented. The main subjects of the works are northern landscapes, life and everyday life of peasants.
Museum of Northern Ladoga
The museum collection consists of interesting and varied exhibits. Here you can see medieval Swedish armor, samples of rare rocks of granite and marble, works of folk artists of Karelia dedicated to the epic "Kalevala", photographs, handicrafts. The exposition is quite extensive for a small regional museum, which provides the institution with a steady flow of visitors.
Wish stone
A granite boulder located on the picturesque shore of Lake Läppäjärvi near the town's pier. There is a small area near it with comfortable seating. A lump is a piece of rock. There is a belief that if you touch it and make a wish, it will certainly come true, which is why the stone was given such a name.
Karelian bridge
Bridge over the Vakkolahti bay, which is part of Karelskaya street. It was built in the 1930s by a Danish engineering firm. At the beginning of World War II, its northern part was blown up, but in 1943 the Finns restored the structure. Another renovation took place in the 1970s. The last reconstruction of the bridge was carried out in the 2000s. Today pedestrian and car traffic is allowed on it.
Monument to the rune singer
The monument was created by the famous sculptor Allo Silo in the 1930s. It represents the embodiment of the image of all Karelian rune singers, although according to one of the widespread versions, the monument has a specific prototype - the folk storyteller Petri Shemeika, with whom A. Saylo is personally acquainted. Part of the money for the monument came after the song festival, the other part was donated by the local judge K.G. Berg.
Church of St. John the Evangelist
A small church built in the 1930s according to the project of J. Viyste. It is made in traditional restrained forms, more characteristic of Protestant churches in Northern Europe, although it was built for an Orthodox parish. Perhaps the only decoration of the facade is the runic symbols located at the base of the hipped bell tower; there is no more decor on the smooth white walls.
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Nikolskaya Church is one of the first Orthodox churches in Sortavala, made of stone. It was erected in the second half of the 19th century. It is interesting that the building was built mainly on donations from the St. Petersburg merchant G.P. Eliseev, who had previously won a large sum of money in the lottery and decided to do a godly deed, using an unexpected jackpot for construction. The church was not damaged during the wars and was not destroyed during the Soviet period.
City Park "Vakkosalmi"
The park is located in the central part of Sortavala, but it looks more like a forest than a landscaped area. There are alleys for walking, but there are no usual attractions and food stalls. Vakkosalmi is located on the slopes of Mount Kuhavuori, overgrown with pines, birches and spruces. This hill has a very comfortable shape, so when walking, visitors do not need to climb its steep slopes.
Mount Paaso
Paaso can hardly be called a mountain. Rather, it is a hill with a height of only 80 meters, located on the outskirts of Sortavala. The name comes from the settlement of the Karelians, which existed at its peak in the 13th century. A series of archaeological excavations were carried out on the territory of the mountain, as a result of which scientists discovered many artifacts from different eras (the oldest are more than 1000 years old). A pedestrian path leads to Paaso, from the top there is a view of the neighboring settlement of Helulia with Sortavala.
Mountain Park "Ruskeala"
The park is located on the territory of the quarry of the same name, where marble was mined until the 19th century. It was decided to organize the tourist infrastructure in the abandoned fields in 2005. Hiking trails were equipped for visitors, boat rental and extreme sports equipment were organized. Over time, hotels and recreation centers began to appear in the park area.
Ruskeala waterfalls
The water cascades are located next to the Ruskeala canyon. They are quite popular with tourists - thousands of people come here every year to admire the mesmerizing views of the northern nature. The waterfalls are 4 meters high. Falling streams wash over granite boulders and slopes overgrown with moss rocks, the water itself has a hue of rust due to the high content of iron. This color contrast creates a very expressive picture.
Valaam Island
The island is part of the Valaam archipelago, which is located in the northern part of Lake Ladoga. This is a fairly popular tourist destination, known throughout Russia. The most important object to visit is the Valaam Stavropegic Monastery. The complex is a unique monument of temple architecture. It was founded in the 11th century, but the oldest building (the skete of All Saints) dates back to the end of the 18th century.
Ladoga lake
The largest freshwater reservoir in Europe with a coastline of more than 1.5 thousand km. Since ancient times, Finno-Ugric peoples and northern Slavs have settled on its banks.There are many sandy beaches on Lake Ladoga that attract tourists in summer, many recreation centers, hotels offering guests a wide variety of leisure activities from hiking and cruises to water sports.
