Karelian marble canyon in Ruskeala mountain park. Marble Canyon Ruskeala - mountain park, bases, prices, photos, how to get there
Hello everyone 🙂
Just got back from a 2 day trip. marble quarry in Karelia (Ruskeala).
For several years we wanted to go and see, but somehow it didn’t work out, we even managed to get to the quarry in Carrara (Italy) faster than to the marble quarry in Karelia 🙂
Wandered, explored and photographed all day long.
I love quarries, for some reason natural stone ledges and outcrops attract me. For as long as I can remember, I have always loved climbing a mountain.
In the summer of 2013, we traveled around Europe () and in almost 2 months we traveled more than 14,000 km - we climbed the peaks, visited marble quarries where Carrara, Brecia Sardo, Rosso Levante marble is mined, but we never were on our quarries.
Therefore, in order to diversify the next trip to Finland, we decided to travel more interesting route and stop by a marble quarry in Karelia in the village of Ruskeala.
By the way, we went to Finland in order to open a visa and prepare for a new road trip around Europe.
Again we will go traveling around different countries for almost 2 months 🙂 We planned to visit the exhibition MARMOMACC in Verona- This international exhibition natural stone and marble, design and technology for its processing and use.
I’ll write more soon, if you don’t want to miss it, then 🙂
Okay 🙂 it's time to move on to the main topic - a photo report about a trip to Karelia to the Ruskeala marble quarry.
Journey to the marble quarry in Karelia
Our two day itinerary looked like this:
Our route through the marble quarry in Karelia
I will not describe the road itself and how to get to the marble quarry in Karelia. This information is already abundant on the Internet.
But here are a few points.
For example, a few kilometers before Karelia, the usual asphalt road ended and asphalt began immediately in front of the entry sign "Republic of Karelia" 🙂
After a few kilometers, the asphalt ended again, and so on several times. If you look at the map, the road is paved with asphalt dotted line 🙂
But in fact, I really like the roads in Karelia. They are beautiful:
Beautiful roads of Karelia
Before reaching the village of Ruskeala about 3 km., there are waterfalls where the film "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" was filmed.
Here they filmed "The Dawns Here Are Quiet"
A beautiful place, but a lot of tourists because of this it was somehow uncomfortable.
They didn't last long here.
waterfalls next to the quarry
Immediately after the waterfalls, we stopped at the local hydroelectric power station, where we saw another waterfall. The place is not popular and there were no tourists at all, then we went further to the marble quarry itself.
Entrance to the village of Ruskeala
For normal orientation on the ground, a copy was made satellite image the surroundings of the quarry with the main points to visit:
Satellite map of the quarry
The quarry has long been closed and flooded. But a few years ago, it was ennobled and made accessible to tourists.
The marble quarry in Karelia is open all year round. But time is divided into two seasons (Summer and Winter).
In winter, they turn on the backlight, ride tourists in dog sledding and boats for rent in the summer.
There are constant queues for boats. There are a lot of people who want to.
Tourists swim in a marble quarry in karelia
There are several grottoes at the water level in the marble quarry. This is a system of horizontal adits, in which Ruskeala marble was previously mined.
Tourists on boats often hide in them 🙂
grotto in the marble quarry of Karelia
This photo shows the scale of the quarry.
The height of the marble quarry in some places is more than 50 meters.
The height of the marble quarry of Karelia
The walking route along the quarry leads to one of the adits. The mining system extends for several kilometers, but many adits are flooded and inaccessible.
One of them is above the water and our route lay through it:
Horizontal adit in a marble quarry
Vertical rectangular shaft.
The height is 40 meters, 20 of which are flooded with water.
As far as I understood, there used to be an "elevator" here, which was used to lift the marble and to access the horizontal adits.
Vertical mine marble quarry
Now a metal bridge has been made here, from which you can have a good view of the adit.
Bridge in a marble quarry
Inside, almost everywhere you can see traces of a tool that was drilled into marble to break off blocks.
Diameter approximately 2-3 cm.
I can't even imagine how hard it was.
tool marks in a quarry
Italian marble quarry in Karelia.
The continuation of the route along the marble quarry passed through an underground lake, but in summer it can only be viewed from above.
But the "Italian Quarry" is available
pointer to the underground lake
At one time, Italian equipment was brought to this part of the quarry and marble was mined by rope sawing, and not by explosive methods. By the way, that is why it is called "Italian Quarry".
Therefore, here the blocks have already more familiar outlines and the pattern of local marble is visible.
italian quarry in karelia
Having climbed higher, we managed to take a photo of the entire marble quarry.
In the middle you can see the "lake":
Italian marble quarry
The structure and natural pattern of marble on the cut are clearly visible.
By the way, marble from this quarry in Karelia was used for lining some metro stations, floors of the Kazan Cathedral, during the construction St. Isaac's Cathedral even seen it a few times.
italian quarry in ruskeala
Drilling marks are clearly visible. Here they are of a larger diameter than in underground adits.
In some places there were cores with a diameter of 120 mm.
this is how marble was mined in a quarry
Characteristic traces of sawing with a rope.
But the edges of the blocks were not very smooth. In some places the "wave" is almost 100 mm.
Stone crushing plant in Karelia
Through the window you can see the abandoned equipment:
abandoned factory
In general, I liked the trip to the marble quarry. Interesting place. There is something to see.
Marble quarry of Karelia - perfect place
On this, the first day of our two-day trip ended, the next day we went to Finland to watch ancient fortress in Savonlinna, but more on that later 🙂 In order not to miss the next photo report — 🙂
I feel that my story about him will last many times longer than the 23-day trip itself lasted. :)
In fact, my story about Karelian part our big tour is coming to an end. Only a day and a half left, a beautiful and important part (however, there were no others!) - a trip to Ruskeala to the waterfalls and to the mountain park to the Marble Canyon and transfer from Sortavala to Vyborg.
When I go into an album with Ruskeala photos, I simply dissolve in it. I experience indescribable feelings, looking at this Karelian splendor. Different thoughts appear: the desire to see again, to see even more ... Today I complained that they did not see the Italian Quarry, to which my husband replied: "Oh, okay! There will be a reason to return." Knows me. :) Sweet bliss immediately spilled into my soul...
I present to you an overview post about the tenth day of our trips to Karelia in which I will tell
- how we visited the Ruskeala waterfalls,
- what they saw and what they didn’t see in the Ruskeala Mountain Park and why,
- is it worth it or not to go to the zoo of ungulates at the recreation center "Black Stones".
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Day 10
The day started with lots and fast, one might say, conditional,breakfast on rented apartment. Cookies, tea. Get dressed. Moved towards Ruskeala.
Sights of Ruskeala - waterfalls and marble canyon- are located on the same highway - A130. From Sortavala to Ruskeala waterfalls 27 kilometers, then along the highway, after five kilometers - Marble Canyon. On the map it looks like this:
We got on a good road, we did not notice how.
It is impossible to drive through Ruskeala waterfalls, already from the road you can see a parking lot, a pond and one of the waterfalls.
The stand at the parking lot says "Achinkoski Waterfalls". Ruskeala waterfalls is a new name, Ahinkoski is an old Finnish name.
Ruskeala waterfalls - ennobled landmark of Karelia (as well as ) - cafe, parking, information stand, toilets (not so hot, but there are),for the convenience of lifting tourists to the waterfalls, ladders were laid,
They climbed, looked
photographed.
And our journey along the A130 highway to one of the main attractions of Karelia - the Mountain Park "Ruskeala" - continued.
There are no problems with pointers to it. But such a pointer can be quite misleading.
The fact is that mountain park"Ruskeala" is not only the Marble Canyon. Thinking like this, many do not reach Italian quarry, Ruskeala failure " underground lake"But these are amazing objects !!! By the way, we didn’t get there, but for other reasons. Somehow everything turned out chaotically, we didn’t even understand how.
This is what it looks like scheme of the Mountain Park "Ruskeala"(from the site ruskeala.info) and its environs. Looking at her, I understand - we have something to strive for, why return to Karelia again.
We parked our car in an almost full parking lot. We went to the checkout.
There we were offered a boat ride in the Marble Canyon. I immediately refused (I am terrified of such boat trips), my husband decided to go for a ride. Sonya is with him. Well, what happened - we bought one ticket for a boat trip (400 rubles - the price for a boat!), One - a regular trip (150 rubles). And so they split up.
This was our mistake. I had to wait for my "boatmen", and then go for a walk in the park all together.
- First, together "it's fun to walk across the open spaces." Well, it's more interesting, that's for sure. Solo swimming is categorically not my thing. The degree of pleasure from the visible decreases at times.
- Secondly, there were places where I was scared alone on the route.
- Thirdly, I was in a hurry, seeing that mine had already "left", having rolled over, and did not go where I had to go - the failure and the Italian Canyon.
- Fourthly, I gave my camera to my husband, thinking that it was from the boat that the most the best views and walked around with his camera. And the color rendition of his camera is worse than mine, alas ... Photos from Kostya came out with a gulkin nose - either row, or take pictures, and those that turned out turned out not very well. At times, my little treasure picked up the camera.
In general, my first advice is, do not do as we do - do not split! Second - do not bet on photos from the water. Photos from above are more effective and there are much more opportunities for different angles.
And now the photos.
She put her people on the boat, waved her hand and followed the route. Not a mother, but a viper. She sent the child, but did not swim herself.
In fact, I was in such a panicky, “frozen” state that I couldn’t see anything around. Didn't even read the caption capital letters"Exit route". The fact that I saw her is a fact (well, the photo is mine!). But also the fact that I did not even suspect that I was going to reverse side, true truth. And what was my surprise (to put it mildly) when a month later I looked at my photos of the Marble Canyon and saw this photo.
Well, the photos of the Marble Canyon, taken by Kostya and Sonya for a couple.
The first rowing in my life was not so easy. :)
"Under the curtain" looked like souvenirs. Good souvenirs but the prices are insane. So they didn't buy anything. Nothing at all. :(Even books.
By this time it was 3:30 p.m. on the clock. We decide to drive all the same to the recreation center "Black Stones", where the zoo of ungulates is located.
From the highway at the turn to the zoo there are signs. It's hard to get past.
They sawed along the primer at a speed of 20 km / h. The ride is still the same.
The system of visiting the zoo seemed very strange to us. Just like that, without excursions, they are not allowed to go there. With a tour, the cost, if I'm not mistaken, is 250 rubles per person. In addition, the group had to wait. By this point it was starting to drizzle. Well, it's like that, to the heap. There was no decisive moment. In general, we turned around and sawed back 10 kilometers along the dirt road. In fact, it would be necessary to pave the way. It is not serious to invite people somehow and not create any conditions.
Ruskeala- amazing a nice place, located in Karelia in the Sortavalsky district (Northern Ladoga region). Getting there on your own is relatively easy. Travel time by car is approximately 4-5 hours, if there are no big traffic jams, of course (see the map). Ruskeala Canyon is a former marble quarry, now filled with water. 
You can come here all year round - it is good in its own way at any time. In winter - in the snow, with a mysterious backlight at dusk, which starts already from 3-4 hours in the afternoon. In summer - surrounded by greenery and warmth. At this time of the year, you can go boating here, stopping by numerous grottoes. 
Spring and autumn are just fine! 
In addition, in spring you can also admire numerous fast rivers with small waterfalls, full-flowing after winter. 
By the way, it was here at the Ahvenkoski waterfall that the film “The Dawns Here Are Quiet” was filmed. 
Our visit to this mountain park fell in early spring - early May. There was still snow in these places. 
Near the quarry it was a little cool, but this did not interfere with admiring and admiring its beauties. 
Having enjoyed the Ruskeala canyon, you can immediately go back home. If you are very tired or reluctant, Sortavala hotels, located nearby, are suitable for an overnight stay and rest. It is better to book places in advance. Or you can follow our example and spend the night in a tent, choosing a beautiful and deserted place, which are there in bulk. 
We stopped near picturesque lake We were just passing by and immediately fell in love with it. 
As it turned out, the lake is located a couple of kilometers from the Finnish border. But the place is quiet - only in the morning one fisherman appeared on the other side - and that's it! And we had a great rest and caught some fish, in the morning we swam in still cool water, even sunbathed a little and went back to St. Petersburg. On the way back, you can make a halt in Losevo - have a bite to eat - warm up and admire the Losevo rapids, or maybe take part in rides along them. And with new forces - again on the road!
Where to stay in Ruskeala. Hotels
For those who plan to stay in these parts for a few days, we can offer a selection of hotels directly next to Ruskeala.
As well as a map of hotels in the northern Ladoga region. The map is interactive, for more detailed information, click.
Breaking into the air is useful at any time of the year, and it is not necessary to take a vacation for this. In relative proximity to the city, there are enough places where you can spend a weekend: relax in nature, visit the local arboretum and go down into the adit of an old marble quarry, the stones of which are almost two billion years old. Or commit little trip by water to the island of Valaam, when the weather permits. The Village continues the rubric "Itinerary for the weekend" - we choose one direction, end point on it and curious stops along the way.
Ruskeala Natural Park seemed to have been created for a relaxing holiday and walks along the steep stone slopes, although it appeared as a result of the development of a valuable stone. Isaac's and Kazan's cathedrals, the Hermitage and the Mikhailovsky castle are decorated with local marble. If there is enough time, visit Priozersk and Sortavala, small towns in the bays of Lake Ladoga. Very close is the Russian-Finnish border, from which you can continue the journey to the lake part of Suomi. IN last years many of our compatriots appeared here, who add Ruskeala to the trip to Valaam.
How to get there
By bus from the bus station to Sortavala
(they go twice a day, 500 rubles), by minibus - about a thousand rubles.
By train- With Finland Station. From Sortavala on a ride or taxi to Ruskeala (37 kilometers, about 20–30 minutes).
By car along the Priozersky highway (A129
to Priozersk, then Sortavala and up (A130)
to Ruskeala. The journey will take 4-5 hours.
Ruskeala park and surroundings
1.
Saint Petersburg 2.
Priozersk 3.
Sortavala 4.
Ruskeala
5.
Balaam 6.
Finland
rubles- entrance to the park "Ruskeala"
kilometers- length of Tohmajoki waterfall
rubles- the cost of a set lunch
at the local Lutheran parish
years - approximate age Ruskeala stones
meters- the length of the Ruskeala quarry
kilometers- distance from Ruskeala to the border
with Finland
Priozersk
A small settlement on Vuoksa and Lake Ladoga first mentioned in chronicles in 1295. The city was called Kexholm for some time, and got its current name after World War II. If you are driving, then look into the ruins of the Korela fortress, see the Lutheran church (it was built by the Finnish architect Armas Lindgren) and walk to the monument to Mowgli - this is the only monument to the character of Rudyard Kipling in Russia.
Sortavala
Immediately after Priozersk, the quality of the coating deteriorates sharply. The track, which runs through the forest, winds, and outwardly looks like a washboard. Motorists, get ready to drive at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour and remember the domestic road services with a kind word. By the way, new track Petersburg - Sortavala is under construction, it will be ready by 2016. The question of what will help her not turn into the same washboard remains open.
The city of Sortavala, like most of the border settlements, has a difficult fate. Built at the beginning of the century by leading Finnish architects (Uno Werner Ulberg, Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen, Johan Jakob Arenberg), the center of Sortavala has survived to this day, despite the bombings in 1939-1940. At that time, almost all the indigenous Finnish population of the city left these lands, and after the war, the Soviet authorities decided to resettle evacuated people from the Vologda region here.
Clockwise: embankment of Sortavala, Korela fortress, embankment in Priozersk
In addition to northern modern architecture, the city has the Museum of the Northern Ladoga Region, where thousands of household items of the indigenous population of Karelia are collected. Eight kilometers from the city there is a local arboretum and cottage village Winter's Dacha. Renting a six-bed house in the off-season costs from 5,900 to 10,000 rubles.
It is worth staying in Sortavala if there is enough time and there is no hurry. If hot dogs and chocolates at gas stations took too many minutes of the trip, immediately go to Ruskeala.
Ruskeala
The road from Sortavala to Ruskeala takes 15-30 minutes, you can get there by one of the inexpensive taxis (the numbers are pasted on trees and lampposts). Or catch a car for 200-300 rubles. The bus to Ruskeala runs twice a day, its Ending station- the town of Vartsila.
It is worth starting the tour from the waterfalls, which are located four kilometers from Ruskeala. At the Ahvenkoski waterfall, which can be seen from the road even in the cold season, shots from the movie “The Dawns Here Are Quiet” were filmed. It is now impossible to get to the dilapidated Finnish hydroelectric power station, it is being repaired, but walking along the snowy pine forest always nice for a city dweller who opens Facebook and mail 45 times a day.
Moving higher, on the left side of the road you will get to the center of Ruskeala village. Here is the most popular recreation center of the same name (2,500 rubles for two guests, 5,600 for eight). However, in Ruskeala you can rent a house and not at the camp site, as all the surfaces in the city say.
One of the local attractions, the Lutheran parish, looks very deplorable. The building was built in 1834, but it was allegedly burned down in 1940, and is now being restored with donations from the Finns. The latter have long chosen these places for retrotourism, almost all prices are indicated both in euros and in rubles. In Sortavala and Ruskeala there are many inscriptions and signs in Finnish, local population Most of them are fluent in two languages.
Recreation center "Ruskeala"
2 500 rubles for two guests 5 600 rubles for eight
Clockwise: Ruskeala quarry in winter, illumination of the quarry, quarry in autumn, exposition "Marble through time"
Pilgrims stop at the arrival, but the rooms are quite cozy and concise - apart from two beds and a bedside table, there is nothing there. If you're lucky, you'll get a ten-inch three-channel TV. But guests can use the sauna, the room rate (one thousand rubles) includes breakfast. If you feel like cooking yourself, then use the barbecue in the backyard or local cuisine, the entrance to which is also open for guests. One thing - the place is meant for family vacation so making noise after 22:00 is strictly prohibited.
Even if there is no desire to stay in the parish, anyone can have lunch or dinner in the fireplace room. For 100 rubles you get tea and coffee according to the free refill system, assorted buns. And for 300 rubles they offer a real Buffet. Soup, second course, appetizers, fruit drink, kvass and hot drinks are included. You can arrange a stay in the Ruskeala Church in advance by calling (814) 30-33-268 and 8 (921) 467-63-20.
After lunch, go to see the marble quarry. This is an artificial lake surrounded by sheer stone walls. Marble production began here under Catherine II. When the Finns left here for last time, they cunningly connected the quarry with the Tohmajoki River, and its impressive area was flooded.
IN winter time right at the entrance to the park you can ride a husky sled for a thousand rubles, 2.5 kilometers to Lake Svetloe and back. Dogs are very sociable, and no one forbids petting them. In the summer it is allowed to swim in the lake itself and put up a tent on the shore. So it's up to you - go down, rent a boat, look at the quarry from the water and swim into one of several caves. Souvenirs are also sold at the entrance to Ruskeala, where you can find a couple of pretty ones out of hundreds of magnets with brownies, Russian women and birches. The entrance to the park formally costs 150 rubles, but no one checks this. But at the reception they give a map where two routes are indicated: a short one for 1.5 kilometers and a long one for 2.5 kilometers.
Lutheran church parish
1000 rubles from a person. Barbecue in the backyard and the ability to use the kitchen.
100 rubles- tea
and free refill coffee, assorted buns.
300 rubles- a real buffet.
Along the quarry there are about ten viewing platforms with benches - this is a great place for a picnic, so stock up on food. By the way, from six o'clock in the evening on Saturdays and Sundays, Ruskeala employees turn on artificial lighting around the perimeter of the quarry, so it makes sense to walk until the evening.
If you are moving along a long route, you will definitely stumble upon a cave-failure, where in winter you can go down and go skating for the same thousand rubles (they are rented on the spot). In the evening, the artificial grotto is illuminated with candles.
Finally, the last point in long route along Ruskeala is an exhibition "Stone through time", where blocks are conveniently located for inspection marble stone under two billion years old.
