Introducing Umba
The largest settlement on this coast, Umba is still a wonderfully tranquil place to hang out and explore on foot. The 103km paved road from Kandalaksha runs through forest, with glimpses of lakes and the island-strewn Kandalaksha Bay.
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Umba has three parts, linked by bridges. The two newer (19th-century) parts of town occupy south-pointing promontories formed by inlets of the White Sea, with the main bus stop and town centre on the eastern promontory. The third and westernmost part of town, Staraya (Old) Umba, founded by Pomor settlers in the 15th century, sits on the west bank of the rushing River Umba.
Hundreds of petroglyphs from the 2nd or 1st millennium BC have been discovered since 1998 at Lake Kanozero, 30km northwest of Umba.
Sberbank(52583; ul Belomorskaya 6; 11am-1pm & 3-7pm Mon-Fri), near the bus stop, changes currency.
Umba DiscoveryUmba (51629, mobile 921 156 6412, irinaumba@com.mels.ru); St Petersburg (812-380 3087, fax 812-327 5112; ul Petrozavodskaya 11), with an energetic local representative who speaks reasonable English, can provide accommodation in Umba and Varzuga, fishing trips and a variety of tours.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
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