Geography of Karelia: territories, lakes and distances

Three different scales

Karelia is a republic in northwestern Russia. Petrozavodsk is located on the western shore of Lake Onega; Sortavala - near northern Ladoga. The Belomorsk cities of Kem and Belomorsk lie much further north. It is more convenient to plan a trip to the White Sea as an independent stage, and not as a short trip from Sortavala.

The tourist destinations in our atlas help group places. They are not the legal boundaries of municipalities. The catalog of territories separately shows cities and associated natural objects.

Lakes and paths

Lakes Ladoga and Onega define the geography of the south of the republic. To the north, long road and rail crossings become more important. The straight line distance on the map is not the same as the road distance: lakes, bays and a limited number of crossings change the path.

Selecting a base

Sortavala is convenient for the Northern Ladoga region, and Petrozavodsk is convenient for the capital and trips around the Onega region. For Paanajärvi, separate preparation is required with the approval of the program from the national park. First select an area, then add neighboring places and check the possibility of returning.