Suomeksi
Archangel, Kargopol and Pinega river
Verkola village and monastery, Sura village
Departure 2010. 14-23 June
Duration: 10 days and 9 night
Route: train from Helsinki - Kitee, the bus Kitee - Petrozavodsk - Kargopol - Siiski - Archangel - Verkola / Sura - Archangel - Pudosh - Sortavala - Kitee; train to Helsinki, bus to Joensuu
Price: 1155 e
- accommodation mainly in dbl rooms: Severnaja hotel in Petrozavodsk 1 night, hotel Kargopol 2 nights, hotel Dvina in Arkhangel 2 nights, Verkola village house 1 night and in Sura Guest House 1 night, in Sortavala 1 night, in the train 4p/cabin 1 ngt, breakfast and 1 meal/day,
- Karelian villages from Pitkäranta to Prääzä, city tour in Petrozavodsk,
- Karhumäki town, Sandarmoh memorial cemetery,
- city tour in Kargopol, Cathedral and Trade Square, churches of the city, home museum with special clay idols, Lyadina wooden church,
- St Antoni Siiski Holy Trinity monastery,
- city tour in Archangel; Museum of Fine Arts, icon exhibition.
- train Archangel - Karpogori, by bus to Verkola and Sura: St Artem Verkolski monastery, museum of Feodor Abramov, museum of St John Kronstadt, Karpogori town.
- Pudosh and Sortavala towns,
- transfer and tour lead, vgisa support,
Hotels / accommodation
Hotel Severnaja locates in down town of Petrozavodsk in the street of Lenin. There are 180 rooms in hte hotel, 50 double and 40 single rooms with toilets and shower in rooms. The rooms are in the 2nd and 3rd floors and there is no lift at the hotel. In the first floor there are restaurant, bar, bank automat, hair dresser and in the 2nd there are café and souvenir shop. Hotel has been sold to a privtae owners and there might be some changes until the summer.
Hotel Kargopol locates in the center of the town 5 minutes walk from the old Cathdral Square. The hotel was built a few years ago and it is new and modern. There are shower in every room, TV and phone. In the hotel there are restaurant, saunas, meeting rooms and bar. http://www.solovkibp.ru
Hotel Sortavala locates in the appartment house, where one staircase has been constructed as a hotel. It is in the center of Sortavala town, just by the Lake Ladoga. There are 5 floors at the hotel and no lift. All the rooms have toilet and shower. Just beside the hotel there is a market square of Sortavala town and a guarded parking for bus and cars.
Itinerary
Day 1
Train from Helsinki to Kitee departs at 07.12 arriving at 11.10. The bus is waiting for the group in Kitee railway station. From Joensuu the bus departs at 10.00 o´clock and arrives at Kitee railway station at 11.00. Drive to Niirala-Värtsilä border station, where passport control. Coffee or lunch break after the border in a cafe. Drive to Petrozavodsk, where check in at Severnaja -hotel. Dinner.
Day 2
Breakfast. City tour in Petrozavodsk. Depart by a bus via Karhumäki and to Kargopol. Lunch break at Karhumäki. Visit Memorial cemetery of Sandarmoh. Drive to Kargopol arrving late around 22.00. Dinner.
Day 3
Breakfast. City tour in Kargopol area including visits Lyadina village, icon exhibition, the church of John the Baptist and Annunciation of Our Lady and Market Square. In the afternoon depart for Archangel via Karelian villages. Lunch by own in a cafe. In the evening arrive at Archangel, where Check-in at Dvina hotel. Dinner.
Day 4
Breakfast. City tour in Archangel including Museum of Fine Arts. Lunch in the afternoon. Free time in Archangel. Dinner.
Day 5 Breakfast and late lunch. In the afternoon transfer to railway station, where train at 16.40 for Karpogori and Pinega region. In the train there are beds for resting and a restaurant car. Train arrives in Karpogori at 23.30. Drive by bus to Verkola village, where meal and overnight at Village Guest House (one big room for women and one for men).
Day 6
Breakfast. Walk to the shore of Pinega river, where boat to the monastery over the river. Presentation the monastery and the life of St Artem Verkolski. Boat back to the village. Tour in the museum of the writer Feodor Abramov. Drive to Sura villlage, where overnight and dinner in Guest House. Becoming acquainted with churches and other builidings wich were build at the time of John Kronstadt and visiting the grave of St John´s parents. Tour in the beautiful village and visiting a small convent and museum which is located next to the convent.
Day 7 Breakfast. Freetime. From Sura drive by bus back to Karpogori. Peter and Paul church. Dinner. Half past midmight the train to Archangel, overnight in cabins.
Day 8
At 7.15 the train arrives at Archangel, where the bus is waiting for the group. Transfer to Kargopol (500 km), where dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 9
After breakfast the tour continues to Sortavala. It is a driving day again. Arrive at in the evening Sortavala, where overnight at the hotel. Dinner.
Day 10
Breakfast and depart for Finland. The train from Kitee departs at 12.44 for Helsinki arriving at 16.48. The bus continues from Kitee to Joensuu