The “Ot Orekhovo do Ladogi” route combines a cycling trip with a longer hiking option: depending on how you travel, it is designed to take one to two days by bike or four to five days on foot. When planning, it is worth considering these different timeframes and the available route options separately.

Cycling and hiking route to Lake Ladoga

The starting point is Orekhovo station in the Priozersk District of Leningrad Oblast. From there, the route follows forest roads and trails to Dalyokaya Bay. It then heads north along Lake Ladoga, passing Cape Reznoj and reaching the mouth of the Burnaja River before returning to the “69 km” platform.

The total route is 90 kilometres long. Options for a single leg range from 12 to 77 kilometres. This means shorter sections are available alongside the full route; the right amount of time to allow also depends on whether you tackle it as a cycling trip or a hike. The planned one to two days by bike should not be confused with the four to five days for hiking.

Check the route conditions before setting out.

Landscape and culture in Leningrad Oblast

The wider destination of Leningrad Oblast offers other nature and culture experiences, each with its own character. Vepssky Forest Nature Park is located in the far east of the oblast and includes seven reserves with particularly strict protection rules. There are numerous lakes in the park; the largest is Lake Lerinskoje, in the reserve of the same name.

The nature park’s distinctive landscapes include well-preserved old spruce and pine forests in the “Vepsskiy les” and “Ashchozyorskiy” reserves. They are home to many organisms that depend on forests undisturbed by economic activity. Brown bears are found in significant numbers in the nature park; the wolverine, extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded there.

The cultural history is also part of what makes Vepssky Forest distinctive: the Veps, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived there. For travellers interested in the cultural features of Leningrad Oblast as well as its landscapes, this is a distinct aspect of the wider destination.

Historical destination: Koporye Fortress

As part of the wider destination of Leningrad Oblast, Koporye Fortress is a museum and a monument of ancient Russian stone architecture. The two dates refer to different aspects: its present form has been preserved since the 16th century; parts of the masonry date from the 13th century. Visitors can tour the fortress without a guide using the “Koporskaya krepost' 2.0” multimedia guide; check its availability when planning. Climbing the walls and towers is prohibited because they are in a state of disrepair.

Discover more destinations: Udaltsovo, Gromovo, Solovyovo, Vesnino.

Back to the wider travel overview: Priozerskiy rayon.