In Belomorsky District, the focus is on the rock art on the White Sea. It comprises 11 groups with a total of 3,411 figures. The depictions mainly show hunting and sailing scenes, along with the equipment associated with them, as well as human and animal footprints. Activities, objects and tracks appear side by side, opening up a perspective that goes beyond any single image motif.
Rock Art on the White Sea
The rock art is considered a landmark of the district, displays significant artistic qualities and bears witness to Stone Age creativity. The variety of motifs offers different ways to look at it: you can follow hunting or sailing scenes, note the equipment depicted, or pay attention to human and animal footprints. This connects a focus on specific image content with a broader interest in early art.
Museum and Fortress History
The Belomorsk Local History Museum “Belomorskie Petroglify” was founded in Belomorsk on 2 November 1961. In January 2023, the updated interactive exhibition “Skazaniya Pomorskogo berega” opened there. If you plan to visit this particular exhibition, check in advance whether it is still on display.
Sumsky Ostrog adds another historical layer. The Solovetsky Monastery built the fortification in 1582–1583 to defend the Karelian Pomorye against Swedish raids. Its builder, date and purpose outline a specific chapter in the history of Pomorye. Compared with the rock art, the ostrog belongs to a much later period and addresses a different subject: the defence of the region.
Coast, Nature Conservation and Educational Trail
The Soroksky State Nature Reserve adds a landscape and ecological dimension. It includes a stretch of the Pomor coast as well as adjoining areas of the White Sea with islands. Its conservation objectives include unique waterbird gathering sites in Onega Bay and the biological resources of the sea, as well as the mainland and island areas of the reserve. This broadens the focus from individual works of art and historical sites to the protection of coastal and marine environments.
In 2023, the “Petroglif” information centre was established on the basis of the Belomorsk Central District Library. It is designed as an information, educational and research space, an institution that promotes intellectual development, and a permanent part of tourism activities. Check current information in advance for specific opening and visiting details.
The forest section of the “Kamennaya kniga Belogo morya” route runs from Vyigostrov to Zalavruga along an ecological educational trail and to the petroglyph groups “Erpin Pudas III,” “Erpin Pudas IV” and “Zalavruga.” The route description is aimed at 10- to 17-year-olds. Here, a named forest section and several specific petroglyph groups are the focus.
Another Natural Highlight in the Republic of Karelia
In the broader destination of the Republic of Karelia, Kivach Waterfall offers a different perspective on nature: it is located on the Suna River in the central part of Karelia and has a drop of 10.7 m. Thus, alongside the coastal and marine themes of Belomorsky District, a river and waterfall in central Karelia provide a distinct landscape highlight.
Discover more destinations: Pudozhsky District, Medvezhyegorsky District, Pryazhinsky District, Pitkyaranta District, Prionezhsky District, Loukhsky District, Belomorsky District, Prionezhsky District.
Go to the overall travel overview: Republic of Karelia.
