The Tolvoyarvi State Landscape Reserve of Regional Significance is located in Suoyarvi District, in the Loimola rural settlement, near the settlement of Tolvoyarvi. Its terrain is gently hilly and rolling; numerous extensive eskers define the area, of which 10 to 45 percent is marshland. The Tolvoyoki flows through the reserve, with rapids and a waterfall. This brings together different types of landscape: ridges, marshland and a river with fast-flowing water. For nature enthusiasts, this combination offers a distinctive introduction to the character of the district’s landscape.
Landscape and culture in Suoyarvi District
Veshkelitsa’s cultural offerings provide a different focus. The visitor activities at the Veshkelyus Ethnocultural Centre include themed excursions through Veshkelitsa and its surroundings. Workshop topics include clay modelling, willow weaving, painting and weaving. The folk ensemble from Veshkelitsa performs songs in Karelian and Finnish. The cultural offerings thus range from excursions and various craft topics to music in two languages. As you plan your trip, you can weigh up two different interests: the Tolvoyarvi Landscape Reserve and the themed excursions, workshops and music in Veshkelitsa. Check with the centre for the current availability of excursions, workshops and performances.
More highlights in the Republic of Karelia
Kivach Nature Reserve is located in the Republic of Karelia and offers a complementary regional perspective. Kivach Waterfall lies on the Suna River in the central part of the Republic of Karelia; its drop is 10.7 metres. In the Republic of Karelia, Kivach Waterfall is Europe’s second-largest lowland waterfall after the Rhine Falls. A general tour of Kivach Nature Reserve in the Republic of Karelia includes an outdoor walk to the waterfall, as well as visits to the arboretum and the nature museum. A 1,000-metre circular trail runs through a wooded area on the banks of the Suna in the Republic of Karelia, near the excursion area of Kivach Nature Reserve. The general tour of Kivach Nature Reserve in the Republic of Karelia lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. Check conditions and booking with the operator.
The Kizhi Museum Reserve in the Republic of Karelia features 89 monuments of traditional wooden architecture in the open air, including chapels and houses, mills, granaries, threshing barns and drying racks. At the Kizhi Museum Reserve in the Republic of Karelia, visitors can see the interiors of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and peasant houses; traditional peasant crafts are demonstrated in the houses. The Kizhi Pogost in the Republic of Karelia is an architectural ensemble featuring the world’s only multi-domed wooden Church of the Transfiguration.
The Onega and White Sea Petroglyphs in the Republic of Karelia offer another cultural trail: the World Heritage site comprises 4,500 Neolithic rock carvings. More than 1,200 figures of the Onega Petroglyphs in the Republic of Karelia are located in Pudozhsky District; most are found on the capes of Pery Nos, Besov Nos and Kladovets. The White Sea Petroglyphs in the Republic of Karelia predominantly depict hunting and sailing scenes, including equipment, as well as animal and human footprints. The Belomorsk Petroglyphs in the Republic of Karelia comprise more than 2,000 drawings in the lower reaches of the Vyg, near its mouth at the White Sea and 6 to 8 kilometres from Belomorsk.
Discover more destinations: Kondopoga District, Kondopoga District, Medvezhyegorsk District, Segezha District, Louhi District, Louhi District, Pudozh District, Medvezhyegorsk District.
Back to the main travel overview: Republic of Karelia.
