Ruskeala marble canyon. Ruskeala marble quarry. Mountain Park "Ruskeala". Marble quarry, Karelia

If it is not the first time that you have been brought to St. Petersburg, you have walked through the entire checklist of the city's attractions and even all the underground clubs, then it’s time to see something new. Editorial staff along the way I did just that, and went to Karelia to look at the Ruskeala mountain park and everything along the way.

What is it and why is it for a tourist?

Ruskeala is an old marble quarry with a lake inside it. Previously, marble was mined there for the needs of St. Petersburg (here is the one that was used for facing metro stations, and even earlier - for St. Isaac's Cathedral). It looks incredibly beautiful at any time of the year, so there are always a dime a dozen tourists there. About ten years ago, they decided to equip the park and turn it into a full-fledged place for recreation, which the management did a great job. Now it is not only a beautiful quarry with a lake, but also a large area for walking, Karelian forests, boating, a rope park and even a zip line over the canyon. And also souvenir shops, master classes, food courts and other joys.

In fact, the Ruskeala Mountain Park is very similar to the Kievan Rus Park, only surrounded by marble and amazing Karelian nature. Now for the details.

Where is it and how to get there?

Ruskeala is located almost on the border with Finland, so you can call in not only from St. Petersburg or Petrozavodsk, but also from northeastern Finland, if it's already there. Nearest Russian city- Sortavala, even though the name is Finnish. From Sortavala to the mountain park to go another 30 kilometers, so if you are not a seasoned hitchhiker and do not get high from traveling in the spirit of "we will take the train to Sortavala, and then we will figure it out, we will catch a ride or take a taxi", then you have two options to get to the park ... This is to take an excursion from St. Petersburg or get there by car. The main part of the route runs along a very good track, with bumpers, markings and a new pavement without holes, so it is quite possible to get a rental car.

The road from St. Petersburg without stops will take about 4-5 hours, but along the way there is also something to see, we will talk about this further. There is a parking lot in the mountain park itself, although on weekends there is a chance to spend time looking for a parking place. A detailed description of the route is on the park's website, signs are also present. We chose a bus two-day excursion from St. Petersburg. On the same site there is a list of options (they differ in the number of days and the program). The cost is quite reasonable - from 2,250 rubles for a one-day excursion, which already includes tickets, breakfasts, guides and other joys, to three-day tours in Karelia in the region of 8,500 rubles per person. We only had to pay extra for entrance ticket on the second day and for food, but this is not a required option.

What to see on the way?

These attractions are part of the bus tour program. But if you are driving, you can take your time and spend as much time here as you want.

Korela fortress- the northernmost fortress of Novgorodians, built in the middle of the XIV century for defense against the Swedes. The fortress is well located, so it was besieged so many times, which is surprising how it has survived, and during its existence it was ruled alternately by Russians, Lithuanians, Swedes, or the devil will understand who, conquering and beating back the outpost. Korela is also known for the fact that Emelyan Pugachev and his whole family were kept here and the Decembrists were constantly exiled.

Now the fortress is a beautiful well-kept complex on an island, on the Vuoksa river. There are several small exhibitions on the territory. It is worth taking a guide who will tell you a lot of interesting things and show you the territory, the prison, exhibition halls, etc. Editorial staff along the way I was very pleased with the excursion, and this is the rare case when she advises everyone.

Entrance tickets - 100 rubles, excursion - 120 rubles. Fortress website: korelafortess.ru

Akhvenkoski waterfalls - terribly beautiful Karelian waterfalls, very bubbling and well equipped - with railings, bridges, areas for photos, etc. Most of them are known for filming a scene from the movie "The Dawns Here Are Quiet". Since it is very close to the park, you can stop by on the way back if the first visit is very crowded.

Ladoga lake- needs no introduction. You can go out in any place you like, wander, take pictures. For bus tours in Sortavala on the shore Lake Ladoga lunch is provided, but if you are driving by car - do not make a mistake and do not dine at this point, it is better to watch separately, dine separately.

Mountain Park "Ruskeala"

There is something to do in the park for a day or two. You can take a guided tour, but we decided to wander on our own and found entertainment for both days. On this occasion, the editors along the way made up my top 5 activities in the park.

1. Ride a zip-line over the quarry. It costs 1000 rubles, but not for the faint of heart.
2. Take a boat ride on the lake inside the quarry. Costs 400 rubles per boat per hour, capacity 4 people.
3. Climb on marble blocks, go down to the river on stones, climb into the depths of the forest (carefully - everything for people who are confident in their own strengths)
4. Find your way to the old lime kilns, built at the beginning of the 19th century.
5. Choose a master class and make your own souvenir.

As a bonus, you can choose any place in the sun with a view of the flooded quarry and have a picnic there. The entrance fee to the park is 250 rubles per day, all activities, master classes, dogs and pots are paid separately.

What not to do on the way?

If you took bus tour, you won't have much choice. If by car, then everything depends on you. We advise you not to waste time on these places, but of course the choice is yours.

Taste liqueurs in the city of Lahdenpohja. Lahdenpohja - a stop of many buses on the way to Ruskeala in order to give some water to fifty tourists and convince them to take out half of the drinks store. It is worth saying that the drinks there are tolerable, but it is generally not worth the time spent. If you go with a group, then you just have to pray that it is adequate and does not hang in the store with drinks for an hour longer than necessary. Instead of tasting, the editors along the way went to explore the town of Lahdenpohja and plunged into the theme of the famous public

Mountain park Ruskeala is the main pride of Karelia. It is an amazing combination of marble mountains, turquoise lakes and lush greenery. Examining the surroundings, it is difficult to imagine that a few centuries ago this place was an ordinary adit, where in the most difficult conditions they were engaged in the extraction of marble.

Prices in the mountain park "Ruskeala" in 2019

• The cost of an individual visit for an adult is 300 rubles per person
• For students - 150 rubles per person
• For schoolchildren - 100 rubles per person
• For participants of the Great Patriotic War, blockades, prisoners of concentration camps and children under 7 years old, admission is free
• For residents of the Sortavala region, a visit to the park will cost 50 rubles per person
• The cost of visiting as part of excursion groups - from 150 rubles for schoolchildren and from 450 rubles for adults

Additional services

From May 1 to October 1, you can rent a boat on Lake Marmara (for 1 hour). The cost of the trip is 600 rubles for a four-seater boat.

Fans of diving, for the opportunity to dive from the pier once, will have to pay 300 rubles.

Excursions and routes

For independent tourists, there are two types of routes - short and long. You can go to them alone or in a group of 5-20 people with a guide. The first will pass through the "Marble Canyon" around the quarry, the second - "The road of mining craftsmen with a halt" and a visit to the "Italian quarry". There is also an opportunity to go along the route "Underground Ruskeala", which will take about 1 hour.

Residents of St. Petersburg and others major cities can go to excursion tour in Ruskeale by purchasing a ticket from local tour operators.

All excursions in the Ruskeala mountain park differ from each other in the length of the route (from 1.3 kilometers) and the duration in time (from 1 hour).

Note! Throughout the year, the temperature in the adits is kept at + 7 degrees Celsius. It is highly recommended to bring warm clothing with you even in summer. For safety reasons, children under 3 years old are not allowed on the route.

Hotels and recreation centers

In the immediate vicinity of Ruskeala, there are many places where you can stay overnight or just relax. One of the nearest recreation centers is Ruskeala. The complex is located on the shore of the lake, near the town of Sortavala, just two kilometers from the famous marble canyon. There are also hotels and guest houses.

Points of attraction

The main asset of the park is a combination of marble rocks that come to the surface, greenery of the surrounding vegetation and turquoise lake water. Marble hills have different colors - white, black, bluish, the colors constantly alternate, making the emerging picture seem a little fantastic.

The water-filled marble quarry in Korelskaya Ruskeale is a lake with 25-meter high marble rocks rising deep under the emerald water. Rows of slender fir trees rise directly above the marble.

The canyon is made up of rock workings that create amazing arches, halls with marble columns, and caves, although made by man, but looking like natural. Only a small part of them are accessible for human visit. Most of the grottoes are closed for security and inaccessibility reasons. Some can only be seen by scuba diving.

You can enter the adits dungeon in the northern part of the canyon. The most frequently photographed cliffs are also located here - Ivan da Marya and Catherine II. But the most unusual sensations remain from walking along an underground lake on pontoons.

Marble quarry in Ruskeale they are also called “Italian quarries”, this name came from the first developers of this place. Here you can see smooth cuts of marble, huge stone blocks, a marble pool filled with water, brick kilns for firing.

Mountain Park "Ruskeala": Google-panoramas

Mountain Park "Ruskeala" is one of the main attractions of Karelia. He is in 36 km from the city of Sortavala, in the vicinity of the village of Ruskeala. The river Tohmajoki flows nearby, which means "mad" in Finnish. Most likely, she received such a name for her restive nature. It was caused by numerous thresholds. Locals also call it Ruskolka from the Karelian word "ruskea" - "redhead". This is the color of the water in the river.

The Ruskeale marble deposit is considered the largest in the Ladoga area. Valuable rock lies at a depth of half a kilometer. The deposit area exceeds several tens of square kilometers. The color of the marble is varied. It can be gray, bluish, black, and even completely white. Frequent stripes give a special flavor.

From quarry to park

Marble in this area began to be mined in the middle of the 17th century. More than three hundred years ago, this territory was ruled by the Swedes. They did not appreciate the natural beauty of the stone and made lime out of it. She was required in large quantities for the construction of residential buildings and fortifications. The deposit received a new purpose only after the change of owners and the accession of Catherine II. During this period, palaces were actively erected in St. Petersburg and the suburbs, which required a huge amount of marble.

Photo: The local marble has a beautiful pattern

In the summer of 1765, mining masters came to Ruskealu to assess the quality of the stone. Marble was found to be suitable. The Empress issued a corresponding decree, and a year later they began to develop the field on an industrial scale. Since there was a shortage of specialists in the capital, masons were brought with their families from the Urals. This is how the village with the romantic name Ruskeala appeared.

It was not easy to transport the mined rock to the capital. At first, stone blocks were delivered by sleighs or carts to the village of Khelyulya near Serdobol (now Sortavala). There they were loaded onto small ships and transported along Ladoga to St. Petersburg. Isaac and Kazan Cathedrals were erected from Ruskeala marble, Marble palace and the Mikhailovsky Castle. The development of the field ended only at the end of the 80s of the last century.

In 2005, on the site of a mining industrial enterprise, nature Park... Its concept was developed by the Karelian ethnographer Andrei Gribushin. An illuminated walking trail was built around the former quarry. Observation platforms were set up in the most spectacular places. Developed excursion programs... The new tourist attraction quickly gained popularity. Now during the year about 300 thousand tourists visit it! Ruskeala Mountain Park is unique as it is the only such object in Russia.

Ruskeala hits

The dominant feature of the mountain park is undoubtedly the quarry itself. He was romantically nicknamed "The Marble Canyon". And he deserves this name. A giant niche is filled with water. In fact, this is a man-made lake. The water in it has a rich emerald hue. The depth sometimes reaches 30 m! The canyon stretches from north to south for 456 m. The width is 109 m. The height of the steep sides reaches 25 m above the water level. It is hard to believe that such beauty was created by man.

The entire space in the vicinity of the quarry is permeated with mine workings. Some of them come to the surface, others are hidden under water. The length of the dungeons available for visiting is hundreds of meters. The spacious rooms are especially impressive. They are decorated with marble columns that rise from the bottom of an underground lake. It is possible to get into them only with scuba diving. Man-made caves look especially impressive in winter. When the water freezes, ice stalagmites and stalactites. They often resemble fairy-tale figures of animals and people.

In the northern part of the park there is an adit entrance. A hundred years ago, it was pierced in the upper underground horizon. From a special bridge, you can see the shaft of an old vertical shaft. Scenic spots include the cliffs of Catherine II and Ivan da Marya. Even more impressive is the "Underground Lake" sinkhole, along which you can take a walk on the pontoons. And the Italian Quarry is absolutely mesmerizing! It traditionally serves as a place for mass photo sessions.

Mountain park - not only industrial facility but also a natural open-air museum. Many plants grow on its territory, which are listed in the "Red Book". It is home to rare species of reptiles, amphibians and bats. To prevent visitors from spontaneous "mining" of marble, a small mine was organized for them, where everyone can take as many samples as they like. In the stone-cutting workshop there is an opportunity to make a souvenir from stone with your own hands.

On the way to the quarry, you cannot avoid a picturesque place with seething waterfalls formed by the Tohmajoki River. Before the war they were called "Ahinkoski". Translated from the Finnish language, this means "Waterfalls of the Water". Then they began to be called Ruskeala. The famous film "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" was filmed in these places. After the release of the picture, the newlyweds came here to swear allegiance to each other. Nowadays there are cafes, souvenir shops, pedal boats near the waterfalls, hiking trails... There is a large car park.

Things to do in Ruskeale

In addition to hiking trails, guests of the park are offered boat trips on the lake. Since the number of boats is limited, you may have to queue up. But the view from the water is fantastic! Only by boat is it possible to visit some of the caves, since the entrance to them is only from the water. If you are too lazy to work with oars, you can take a ride on a small boat with a motor. It accommodates over ten people. These walks are available from May 20 to September 30.

Photo: Boat trip on Lake Marmara

For connoisseurs of extreme sports, we recommend "zipline" - flying over an abyss along cable car... The "bungee" is in effect. Dog sledding trips are popular in winter. Huskies are the driving force. The amazing transparency of the water in the lake attracts divers here. They make scuba diving trips through the labyrinths of flooded quarries. Old equipment remained at the bottom of the quarry - a crane and dump trucks. Underwater visibility reaches 14-17 m. Such entertainment is offered not to ordinary visitors, but to experienced divers.

In summer, the park hosts an international outdoor festival "Ruskeala Symphony". The excellent acoustics of the canyon makes this show especially spectacular. For children, games are organized with the participation of gnomes and other fairy-tale characters. Fire and laser shows are held, as well as annual new year holidays. Marble canyon"Lit up" in the films "Shaman", "The Dark World", "Golden Trap".

Tours and opening hours

Per visit Mountain park have to pay. You can walk around the territory on your own. Tours are offered for an additional fee. There are two routes: the short one ("Marble Canyon") goes around the quarry; the long one ("Dear Mining Masters") also includes the failure and the Italian quarry.

The excursion "Underground Ruskeala" is more exotic. The length of the route is 850 m. The duration is about one hour. It is held for groups of 4 to 20 people. It should be borne in mind that even in summer you will need warm clothes, since the temperature in the mines does not exceed +80.

Opening hours of the Mountain Park: from November 1 to February 28 from 10 to 19 (Fri-Sat from 10 to 22); from March 1 to April 30 from 10 to 21; from May 1 to August 31 from 9 to 22; from September 1 to October 31 from 10 to 21.

Photo: Tour guide in national Karelian clothes

Our tour club offers two programs for visiting the Mountain Park: one of them is held in the warm season with accommodation in tents, and the other in the cold season with hotel accommodation.

Roof over your head

There is a recreation center in the village of Ruskeala. It works all year round. Rooms are designed for 2-8 people. The total capacity is about 90 people. There is a Russian bath, sports equipment and tourist equipment rental. You can also stay overnight in hotels and apartments in the city of Sortavala.

In the Sortavala region there are cottages and guest houses, the guests of which are offered organized trips to the Mountain Park. There is a camping near Ruskeala waterfalls. There are many scenic spots where individual tourists stay in tents. There are cafes and eateries in the park and near the waterfalls. There are restaurants in Sortavala.

How to get there

Coordinates of the Mountain Park: 61.9475, 30.5865

St. Petersburg and Ruskealu are connected by the A129 highway, which passes through the cities of Priozersk and Sortavala. Distance - 309 km. approximate time on the way - about 5 hours. From the Ladozhsky railway station, a train runs to Kostomuksha, which makes a stop in Sortavala. Then you will have to take a taxi or a regular bus. Several times a day he goes to Vyartsilya through Ruskeala.

Photo: The most convenient way to get to the Marble Canyon is by car

From Petrozavodsk by car, take the P21 highway through Kolatselga. Distance - 287 km. Travel time is 4-5 hours. Train # 680-Ch runs to Sortavala. Then they get to Ruskeala by taxi or bus. Taxi drivers are waiting for tourists on railway station... For a group, you can take a minibus.

In Karelia there is unique place- The Marble Canyon (Ruskeala Mountain Park), in general Karelia is interesting for its natural beauty. If you have never been to the Republic, then you should definitely go here.

The marble deposit in the Ruskeala region was discovered in 1765 and was used until 1939. A beautiful stone with numerous shades was used in the construction of St. Isaac's and Kazan Cathedrals. Nowadays the Ruskeala mountain park pleases tourists with its marble steep banks, a well-groomed trail around the canyon, the opportunity to swim on a boat on the azure lake.

Address and opening hours of Ruskeala Mountain Park

Navigator coordinates: 61.936192, 30.589610

Opening hours depend on the season:

• Winter (from November 1 to February 28): from 10.00 to 19.00

In winter, every Friday and Saturday, there is an artistic illumination of the entire Marble Canyon.

• Spring (from March 1 to April 30): from 10.00 to 21.00
• Summer (from May 1 to August 31): from 09.00 to 24.00
• Autumn (from September 1 to October 31): from 10.00 to 21.00

How to get to Ruskeala marble canyon

By car

There are 2 options:

• through Priozersk along the A129 highway. Before the turn to Kuznechnoye (outside the town of Priozersk) the road is excellent, further from the border of Karelia to Sortovala - the coverage is good, from Sortavala to Ruskeala - the road is a little broken.
• on the E105 highway in the direction of Petrozavodsk (the road is gorgeous, but it takes much longer)

by train

from the Ladozhsky railway station there is a train "St. Petersburg - Kostomuksha". Need Sorted Station

Where to stay in Ruskeale

We stayed at the Ruskeala recreation center, which is a five-minute walk from the Marble Canyon.

The territory has all the accessories for barbecue, you can rent a sauna by a small pond. It is advisable to book the time in advance by phone, as there are many who wish, and there is only one bathhouse.

You can also book a room in the nearest town - Sortavala. If a trip to Karelia is planned during the high season, weekend or holidays, then it is better to look for a room in advance, after all, there are not so many of them in the whole town. Links to hotels in Sortavala:

• Hotels in Sortavala on Hotellook.com
• Hotels in Sortavala on Booking.com
• Private house or apartment on Airbnb (using this link you will receive 21 euros as a gift for your first booking)

What to see in Ruskeale and its surroundings

It is very beautiful here - the marble canyon will not leave anyone indifferent. We visited the park during the "golden" autumn. Gray marble, turquoise lake and golden trees all around are a delight.

There is a trail around the canyon, where there are observation decks with gorgeous views of water surface, grottoes, caves and, of course, marble rocks.

Be sure to take a boat and swim in the Marble Canyon Lake.

For fans of extreme sports, trolls across the lake have been created.

The adits at the Ruskeala quarry

An adit is a horizontal or inclined mine working with a direct exit to the earth's surface. In simple words, an adit is a mine where marble was mined.

There is only one adit left in Ruskeala, which is open to the public.

Ruskeala failure was formed due to explosions in neighboring quarries, with the help of which they simplified the extraction of marble. The collapsed part of the rock revealed the interlacing of a large number of flooded adits.

In summer and winter, those who wish can descend on a special rope and find themselves in the very center of marble mining.

The Ruskeala failure is closely monitored: here you can find carved figures and interior items made of ice.

Italian quarry

The trail along the Marmara Lake, which I mentioned earlier, will lead to the Italian career. The Italian quarry is last place in Ruskeale, where marble was mined.

Now it houses the exposition "The Way of the Stone Through Time". What is surprising is how smoothly the stone is cut. Feels like slices of cheese, not marble.

Do you know why the quarry was named "Italian"? It is because of these very machines, which could perfectly cut stone like this, and they were made according to Italian technology.

Ruskeala Marble and Lime Factory

The entrance to the territory of the plant seems to be closed, as our guide told us (I advise you to take a tour, it is inexpensive, but it is really interesting to listen to). But we managed to walk near the plant and take a picture of it.

The Finns built the factory in 1896. At first, lime was created here by firing calcite marble in a special kiln. Then they began to produce facing stone, white and gray marble chips.

The quarried marble was delivered to the factory using a suspended railroad... The plant completely finished its activity in 1990.

Filming location of the film "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" - Ruskeala Waterfalls

"And the dawns here are quiet ..." I remember how in the literature class in high school, we played this film. Everyone was crying, and the boys were stronger than the girls. It was very interesting for me to visit that very waterfall. Finding this place is very easy. There are many tourists here, so there are corresponding signs on the road. From the Marble quarry to the waterfalls about 2-3 km

We need Ruskeala waterfalls - Waterfall on the river Tohmajoki

Address: 86K-332, Ruskeala, Rep. Karelia, 186759

Ruskeala waterfalls coordinates for the navigator:

61 ° 54 "58" N 30 ° 37 "38" E

Now there is a paid equipped parking, gazebos, souvenir shops, cafes and much more.

What to do in Ruskeala Mountain Park

Diving in Ruskeala Marble Quarry

Ruskeala is a very favorite place for entertainment among divers, because at the bottom of the Marmara Lake you can see a lot of interesting things. For example, underwater caves and mines. A large number of various equipment flooded by the Finns before the war.

The organizers can offer you routes with varying degrees of difficulty.

Zipline and bungee jumping on Ruskeala

For the daredevils, they came up with an attraction "Jump over the canyon". There are no such lines as for a boat, but nevertheless this service is popular.

Canyon boat trips

The boat can be rented for 1 hour / 400 rubles. Maximum 4 people per boat. Give out life jackets for each. Boat rentals are open from 18 May to 30 September.

During the high season, you may have to queue up for the boat. However, it is worth it. After all, you can swim on your own on the lake and swim into the grottoes, examining them from the inside.

Dog sledding

A ride on Siberian Husky is relevant in winter. Cost - 1000 rubles / adults and 800 rubles / children.

Husky are incredibly beautiful dogs with unforgettable blue eyes, you even want to take a picture with them

We were in Ruskeale in autumn, but I really want to go there also in winter, as our guide praised the artistic lighting, and I have never ridden a dog sled in my life.

In 1765, marble deposits were discovered in the Ruskeala region. This white-gray stone with shades from light gray to greenish was found in a hill overgrown with coniferous forest not far from the picturesque Ruskeala waterfalls. The industrial production of marble soon begins. Ruskeala gray marble was widely used in the construction of St. Isaac and Kazan cathedrals, Marble, Tauride and Winter palaces St. Petersburg.

The marble quarry operated until 1939, was flooded by the Finns, but now it is a deep marble canyon of old marble quarries, which has acquired new life: The Marmara Lake attracts a huge number of tourists with the beauty of the steep marble shores, extending into the emerald clear water, the opportunity to sail on a boat through the marble grottoes, admiring the amazing variety of shades of marble, or go down into the mine and follow the path that marble was once taken out for the construction of temples and palaces.

Now the excursion path is made for tourists around the Marble Canyon, allowing you to admire a unique spectacle from viewing platforms... A sophisticated illumination system under water, on the surface and along the walls of the canyon (operates during dark nights) provides a round-the-clock view of the unique cultural monument. In winter, Ruskeala Mountain Park also opens its doors to all lovers of winter landscapes, and artistic lighting creates a fairy tale around. Night tours of this wonderful place are mesmerizing, leaving pleasant memories for a lifetime (on request).

Excursion to the marble canyon "Ruskeala"

Prices of a marble canyon (Ruskeala Mountain Park)

How to get to Ruskealka marble canyon:

You can see the beauty of the marble canyon in spring by rafting down the river