Karelia Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
first-level administrative division of Russia
About Karelia
Karelia bordersFinlandto the west,Murmansk Oblastto the north, the White Sea to the northeast,Arkhangelsk Oblastto the east,Vologda Oblastto the southeast, andLeningrad Oblastto the south. Karelia is known as "the country of lakes." One quarter of Karelia's surface is covered by water including about sixty thousand lakes. The second-largest lake of Europe, Lake Onega, is located in Karelia. The largest lake of Europe, Lake Ladoga, is shared between Karelia and Leningrad Oblast. Wherever there is land, there are dense forests covering the ground. Karelia has a strong cultural connection with Finland, and the Karelians, after whom the republic is named, are a Finno-Ugric group very closely related to the Finns. Much of the Finnish national epicKalevalawas collected here. The border between S
Top Attractions in Karelia
Explore the best things to see and do in Karelia:
- ★Kivach waterfall
Karelia Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 12 sections including: