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Karelia

If you’re looking for wilderness, powerful history and even the Finnish soul, your search starts here.

Densely forested and gloriously remote, the region is a paradise for nature lovers. Bears, wolverines and wolves roam freely across the Russian frontier, and animal hides allow visitors a close encounter. Opportunities to get active abound: the landscape is threaded by hiking routes, white-water rapids and waterways navigable by canoe, and lakes offer idyllic kayaking and boating. In winter, outdoor pursuits include fantastic skiing, dog-sledding, snowshoeing and ice fishing.

Karelia straddles both sides of the Finnish–Russian border, and has a distinct culture, language, religion, cuisine, music and architecture. In Finland's Karelian regions, lakeside Lappeenranta is still strongly connected to its sister cities that have been part of Russia since WWII. Once-battle-scarred Joensuu is now a vibrant university town, and Imatra still recalls its 18th-century golden age as a Russian aristocracy playground.

Explore Karelia

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Linnoitus
Standing guard above the harbour, this hulking hilltop fortification was begun by the Swedes and finished by the Russians in the late 18th century. Today…
P
Paateri
Between Vuonislahti and Vuonisjärvi, Paateri was the home and workshop of Eva Ryynänen (1915–2001), Finland’s most respected wood sculptor – as well as…
H
Hiekkalinna
Every summer, around 30 sand artists from Finland and abroad gather to build the Hiekkalinna, a giant themed ‘sandcastle’ made from some 3 million kg of…
C
Carelicum
Themed displays – on the region’s prehistory, its war-torn past, the Karelian evacuation, the importance of the sauna etc – cover both sides of Karelia's…
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Parikkalan Patsaspuisto
What looks like an ordinary roadside rest stop adjoins a woodland area with 256 surreal life-size sculptures of figures in yoga poses. They're the work of…
P
Paalasmaa
Lake Pielinen's largest island, Paalasmaa, is the highest in Finland at 225m above sea level. The best view is from the 18m-high wooden observation tower,…
C
Cavalry Museum
The cavalry are honoured as Lappeenranta’s greatest heroes and the 1772-built former garrison (the town’s oldest building) at the Linnoitus fortress tells…
J
Joensuu Bunker Museum
Situated 8.5km northwest of the city centre, off Rd 9, this outdoor museum is part of the Suomen Salpa ('Finland's Bolt'). Built between the Winter War…
K
Karelia Aviation Museum
Backing onto the runway of Lappeenranta airport (Finland's oldest still in operation), this extraordinary museum has three exhibition halls housed in…

L
Linnoitus
Standing guard above the harbour, this hulking hilltop fortification was begun by the Swedes and finished by the Russians in the late 18th century. Today…
P
Paateri
Between Vuonislahti and Vuonisjärvi, Paateri was the home and workshop of Eva Ryynänen (1915–2001), Finland’s most respected wood sculptor – as well as…
H
Hiekkalinna
Every summer, around 30 sand artists from Finland and abroad gather to build the Hiekkalinna, a giant themed ‘sandcastle’ made from some 3 million kg of…
C
Carelicum
Themed displays – on the region’s prehistory, its war-torn past, the Karelian evacuation, the importance of the sauna etc – cover both sides of Karelia's…
P
Parikkalan Patsaspuisto
What looks like an ordinary roadside rest stop adjoins a woodland area with 256 surreal life-size sculptures of figures in yoga poses. They're the work of…
P
Paalasmaa
Lake Pielinen's largest island, Paalasmaa, is the highest in Finland at 225m above sea level. The best view is from the 18m-high wooden observation tower,…
C
Cavalry Museum
The cavalry are honoured as Lappeenranta’s greatest heroes and the 1772-built former garrison (the town’s oldest building) at the Linnoitus fortress tells…
J
Joensuu Bunker Museum
Situated 8.5km northwest of the city centre, off Rd 9, this outdoor museum is part of the Suomen Salpa ('Finland's Bolt'). Built between the Winter War…
K
Karelia Aviation Museum
Backing onto the runway of Lappeenranta airport (Finland's oldest still in operation), this extraordinary museum has three exhibition halls housed in…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Karelia.

See
Linnoitus
Standing guard above the harbour, this hulking hilltop fortification was begun by the Swedes and finished by the Russians in the late 18th century. Today…
See
Paateri
Between Vuonislahti and Vuonisjärvi, Paateri was the home and workshop of Eva Ryynänen (1915–2001), Finland’s most respected wood sculptor – as well as…
See
Hiekkalinna
Every summer, around 30 sand artists from Finland and abroad gather to build the Hiekkalinna, a giant themed ‘sandcastle’ made from some 3 million kg of…
See
Carelicum
Themed displays – on the region’s prehistory, its war-torn past, the Karelian evacuation, the importance of the sauna etc – cover both sides of Karelia's…
See
Parikkalan Patsaspuisto
What looks like an ordinary roadside rest stop adjoins a woodland area with 256 surreal life-size sculptures of figures in yoga poses. They're the work of…
See
Paalasmaa
Lake Pielinen's largest island, Paalasmaa, is the highest in Finland at 225m above sea level. The best view is from the 18m-high wooden observation tower,…
See
Cavalry Museum
The cavalry are honoured as Lappeenranta’s greatest heroes and the 1772-built former garrison (the town’s oldest building) at the Linnoitus fortress tells…
See
Joensuu Bunker Museum
Situated 8.5km northwest of the city centre, off Rd 9, this outdoor museum is part of the Suomen Salpa ('Finland's Bolt'). Built between the Winter War…
See
Karelia Aviation Museum
Backing onto the runway of Lappeenranta airport (Finland's oldest still in operation), this extraordinary museum has three exhibition halls housed in…

Guidebooks

Learn more about Karelia

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