How to Get to Petrozavodsk, Kizhi, Solovetsky, Other Places in Karelia from St. Petersburg

   Since Karelia is a region situated in North-West of Russia it's logical to suppose that it can be easily visited from St. Petersburg. Being the second-largest city of Russia, its cultural and tourist capital, as well as being located very close to european countries St. Petersburg proves the correctness of that idea.

   Before speaking of any exact routes, transport and sights (this information is given below), lets look at the map that will show as local geography.


Karelia (Russian Republic of Karelia) on the map

    As far as Petrozavodsk is the main and only city of Karelia it's more than possible that you'll visit it on your way to other parts of Karelia. The distance between St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk is about 420 kilometres (260 miles) - by car, train, etc. If to speak about the time things are the following. To get to Petrozavodsk by car will take you around 6-7 hours, the fastest trains cover the distance between St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk in 7 hours.

   Though there are automobile roads and railroads going both around the south-eastern and around the north-western shore of lake Ladoga, the shortest way to Petrozavodsk is the one which runs to the south-east from this largest european lake.

   Trains going on these directions follow from St. Petersburg to Petrozavodsk and farther to the north: to the towns on the western coast of the White sea and to the city of Murmansk, to the very north of european Russia.

   Let's say some words about buying/booking russian train tickets. First of all, of course, you can buy tickets at any ticket office of Russian Railways located on the territory of Russia. The offices are actually located in the buildings of railway stations, though not only. But, if you do not speak russian this way will most probably be very problematic.

   The english version of the official website of Russian Railways http://eng.rzd.ru/ doesn't give any opportunities to buy or book tickets, unfortunately. (Maybe the situation will change in the future?). Though, still it can give you some useful information about trains.

   If you search for, for example, "buy russian train tickets online" on the internet you'll find lots of websites which offer this kind of service. I cannot recommend any exact agency here, but I can say that they usually offer different variants of delivery to almost any place in the world, and this circumstance makes their services rather helpful. Though, price for the tickets will be higher than at a ticket office somewhere in Russia.

   Russian Railways usually sell tickets no more than 45 days prior to the date of departure.

   If the purpose of your travel is Petrozavodsk I would recommend train #658A. It's an overnight train with departures from St. Petersburg in the evening at 22:02 and arrivals to Petrozavodsk the next morning at 06:50. It goes every day, from Ladozhsky railway station. Of course the timetable can be changed but one of the reasons why I recommend this train is that it has got the most changeless schedule. The train also has got name "Kalevala" but it's used rather rarely. The return train "Petrozavodsk-St. Petersburg" has got number 657A.


Petrozavodsk Railway Station.

   There are several other trains that pass through Petrozavodsk. Let's mention two of them: "St.Petersburg-Murmansk" #022Ч and "Moscow-Murmansk" #016A (the second one goes via St. Petersburg also). These trains will be your choice you if you're going to the White sea with Solovetsky islands and other places of this area. Both of them will take you to the towns of the karelian White Sea coast, to Kem and Belomorsk from where you can continue your journey to Solovetsky and other sights of this region.
   More details about a sea trip to Solovetsky (Solovki islands) have been described in the following posts: Visiting Solovki Islands. Travel Experience. Part1 - Getting to Solovki and Visiting Solovki Islands. Travel Experience. Part2 - Sea Trip to Solovetsky.

   If you'd like to visit the famous Island of Kizhi with Kizhi Pogost that is situated in lake Onego (on the map also) to the north-east from Petrozavodsk, the first your step should be getting to Petrozavodsk. Here you can buy ticket for a small speed motor ship called "hydrofoil" going to this island. This water trip will take 1 hour 20 minutes (or, about that). You can find more information about such a trip in one of the previous posts Hydrofoil Trip to Kizhi Island. Travel Experience.

   I'm not speaking here about cruises from St. Petersburg to Valaam and Kizhi which usually last 3 days or a little more and are an alternative to the travel variant described above.

   As for Valaam Islands with Valaam Monastery, these sights are actually closer to St. Petersburg than to Petrozavodsk. Valaam Islands are situated in the north of Ladoga lake, close to the town of Sortavala (also, see on the map). You can visit this place in one day or include it into a multi-day trip from St. Petersburg to Karelia.
   Hydrofoils and other motor ships to Valaam go from the towns of Sortavala and Priozersk. Such a trip onboard a hydrofoil from Sortavala will take about 1 hour, from Priozersk - about 1 hour 30 min. Priozersk is closer to St. Petersburg.

  

Visiting Solovki Islands. Travel Experience. Part2 - Sea Trip to Solovetsky

   As it has been mentioned in the previous part ships and motor boats sailing to Solovki from Kem usually leave Kem harbor in the morning. As for me I booked tickets for the motor ship "Vasily Kosyakov" with departure from Kem at 08:00.

Ships going from the karelian shore of the White sea cannot be called comfortable ones. Maybe due to the small distance and the time of sailing from the shore to Solovetsky archipelago, maybe due to lack of ships... ), I don't know. Larger ships are more comfortable than the smaller sea motor boats from point of view of the possibly stormy sea, but the motor boats can be considered enough safe for such trips, also.

Most comfortable ships, actually cruise ships, go to Solovki from Archangelsk.

The White sea is often misty in the morning and you won't see its splendid panoramas during the beginning of your sea trip to Solovetsky islands. I've "catched" the most interesting views on my way back, from the islands to Kem harbor.

View on the harbor of Kem and Rabocheostrovsk township



One of the motor boats sailing to Solovki islands

One of the first smaller islands of Solovetsky archipelago seen on the way from Kem



Islands of Kuzova archipelago

   Kuzova islands are covered by spruces (fir trees) - green color on the photo. The whole archipelago is a nature reserve.

   These photos were made on the way back to Kem, and as I've already mentioned in the previous part, it's worth taking a good binocular to view the panoramas of Kuzova and a good camera to make photos of these islands.

Again, a panorama of Kuzova islands



Visiting Solovki Islands. Travel Experience. Part1 - Getting to Solovki

   Solovki islands are probably the least achievable tourist attraction among the most famous ones situated in the north-western part of Russia.

First of all, you can travel to Solovki by plane, from Moscow or from the city of Archangelsk which stands on the eastern shore of the White sea. This way is rather expensive, of course, and the flights are not always regular, though it is the only way to visit the islands from October till May, i.e. for example, in winter.

Some people say that Solovki should be visited by boat, only. This way includes a sea trip and the panoramas of the White sea are surely worth seeing.

If you prefer to travel by boat you'll have to choose a route that will include one of the towns on the White sea coast. Ships sail to Solovki islands from the towns of Belomorsk and Kem on the western shore of the sea and from the city of Archangelsk situated on its eastern shore.

A boat trip from the town of Kem will be the shortest one, it will take about 2 hours 30 min, from the town of Belomorsk about twice longer. Sailing from Archangelsk is rather long sea trip - about 12 hours.

If you would like to compare the distances just have a look at this map of the White Sea

The map doesn't show the location of Kem, but this town is located right to the west from Solovki (Solovetsky islands) and thus to the north from Belomorsk.

I cannot say what way I would choose if it were equally easy for me to get to Kem, to Belomorsk and to Archangelsk. But if you prefer to travel by sea from Archangelsk I would advise you to keep in mind the "friendly" nature of the White sea which will meet you with very cold wind even in July and is more or less stormy through all summer.

As for me, starting my trip to Solovki from Petrozavodsk, my native city, I had to choose between Belomorsk and Kem, only.

As far as a ship sailing from Kem should pass the numerous islands of Kuzova archipelago on its way to Solovki I've chosen this variant. I guess there were some other small reasons for my choice, but this was the most important one.

Anticipating the description of this sea trip I'll say that to see well all the beautiful nature of Kuzova you should have binoculars and to make photos of it don't forget a very good camera, or at least one with very good zoom.

So, I decided to travel via Kem.

The next step was the timetable of ships from Kem. As a rule, all ships and sea motor boats sailing from Kem to Solovki leave Kem in the morning and return to it in the evening, only. So they make only one return trip to the islands, every day.

Most of trains going through Kem arrive at this town too late or too early for boarding a ship to Solovki. Going to Kem by car (bus, etc.) at night is not a good choice also, with this road. That's why the larger part of tourists travelling to Solovki have to stay at one of hotels in Kem for two nights: before and after the trip to the islands itself.

I got to know two hotels of this town "Kuzova" and "Prichal". "Prichal" is the most comfortable one, stands near the sea shore and, actually, close to the harbor of Kem. "Kuzova" is situated in the centre of the town and you'll need to take a taxi to get to the harbor from there. As far as all rooms at "Prichal" had been booked I could choose only "Kuzova".

Small room at "Kuzova" hotel

Here I've spent 2 nights during my trip:)

Hotel "Prichal"

"Prichal" hotel consists of several rather small wooden buildings - on the photo.
   Official website of "Prichal" hotel.