Paanajärvi National Park: history and photos

The Paanajarvi National Park is located in the northwest of Karelia, in the Louhi district. His name he received from a deep clean lake, located in the rocky rifts.

This park is located in the mountainous part of Karelia, called Fennoscandia, near the ridge Maanselkia. It is a protected natural territory of all-Russian significance. And since the park is located near Finland itself, the regime of the border zone applies to it. Near to it there is also a similar nature protection zone of the neighboring country - "Oulanka".

Paanajarvi National Park: how to get there and when to go

Railway transport in these places only goes to the Louhi station. Further down to the park is laid only a fairly-broken dirt road. You will have to get by by train or by your own transport. But in the latter case, tourists are advised to go through Kalevala. The road there is in a better condition and you will spend less time than from Louhi, because the state of the path there is such that more than 40 kilometers per hour you can not move.

The distance between Kalevala and the nature protection zone is about 160 km. You can visit the park all year round. But the weather here is very changeable. In the summer often rains and a lot of mosquitoes, so you need to consider these nuances.

History

Paanajarvi is a national park in Karelia, the territory of which was inhabited seven thousand years ago. Here, there were found sites of ancient people from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, as well as their tools and pottery. In the Middle Ages these lands belonged to Veliky Novgorod. After the capture of the latter by Ivan III, they withdrew to Sweden.

In the eighteenth century Finns settled in this territory. But people lived here a little. And since the XIX century, the lands around Lake Paanajarvi alternately passed to Russia, then Finland. Since the nineties of the century before last, they began to practice industrial logging and rafting of forests, but then the beauty of these places prompted the local government to open a tourist center.

After Finland gained independence, the territory first moved to it, and after World War II returned to the Russian borders (as part of the USSR). The National Park was established here in May 1992. Since then, it has been used not only to protect landscapes, flora and fauna, but also for tourist, recreational and educational purposes.

Description

The Paanajarvi National Park has an area of one hundred thousand hectares. There is not a single settlement on these lands. 20 thousand hectares allocated under the reserve, and 6 thousand hectares - for tourist use.

The warmest time here is July, when the average temperature rises to +15 degrees. And it is colder in February, when it drops to -13 ° С. Snow, as a rule, drops out enough here, often more than a meter in height. In addition, in winter, beautiful northern lights are observed here, and in summer the sun does not shine only two or three hours a day.

The park is distinguished exclusively by a picturesque landscape. It has everything - gorges, lakes, mountains, rivers and waterfalls. The forests are very dense and almost virgin. In total there are about 120 lakes in the park. But not everywhere is open to tourists.

sights

The Paanajarvi National Park boasts the highest mountains in the territory of Karelia. They are Lunas, Kivakka, Mäntyutunturi and Nuorunen. They have a height of about half a kilometer. Their slopes are very steep, and there is such an interesting phenomenon as "hanging swamps".

Here there are more than sixty natural monuments, which are sights, including world significance. These are the Pyainur mountains, Ruskeakallio rock, the Olanga river basin and the Paanajarvi lake itself, along with the same fault.

The depth of this pond is 128 meters. It is surrounded by mountains and therefore has a specific microclimate. The lake belongs to the deepest reservoirs of this kind. It is unique in its purity. And its water is very saturated with oxygen. High waterfalls with numerous steps, bizarre cliffs of red color, ancient Saami sanctuaries - all visitors can see it.

Especially beautiful are the sixty-meter rock of Ruskeakallio, as well as the cascading Kivakkakoski waterfall, 12 meters high and 100 meters long. It remained unconquered people - no one could raft or raft it. More tourists are attracted to the sacred stones of the Saami - the so-called seidy. The ancient peoples considered them "a place of power". In their opinion, there lived spirits, owners of lakes, rivers and mountains.

Excursions

If you want to make a trip to local attractions, first register in the visit-center "Paanajarvi". The national park is often filled with travelers, so it is better to book a place in advance.

The visit-center is in the neighboring village of Piaozero. It was built in 2002 at the expense of the European Union. This center is very beautiful, comfortable, practical and functional. At it the quite good hotel with a sauna entering into accommodation is opened. To register and get a license for fishing, you need to show your passport.

Excursions in the park are summer and winter. In the cold season, snowmobile tours are very popular. In the park there are specially designated roads for cars and pedestrian equipped trails with walkways and railings in dangerous places. Tourists most often make sorties along the river Olanga, on the waterfalls of Kivakkakoski and Myantukoski, on the mountains of Kivakkatunturi and Nuorunen.

Of the animals here you can find moose, swans, squirrels and hares. There are, incidentally, specially equipped "nature trails", where there are information signs about the local flora and fauna.

Mount Kivakka is very popular with travelers, because it is free-standing, which is not typical for Karelia, and it has views of the whole park. At some tourists it even causes associations with Fujiyama. At its top was a temple, but on top of it is now an Orthodox cross.

Entertainment

In the park you can fish, but not in all places, but only in the allotted parts of the Olanga River. The catch is usually good. On the shores of Lake Paanajärvi there are sandy beaches where thanks to a special microclimate from the second half of July you can even swim. But if you want to come to the Paanajarvi National Park with a dog, this, unfortunately, can not be done. It is forbidden to bring pets into this nature protection zone, as this can be dangerous both for them and for the wild inhabitants of forests.

On the lake there is a walking ship "Onanga", on which tourists roll. The park also often hosts various environmental festivals, cultural Days of the Saami people, educational seminars.

Where to live

The Paanajarvi National Park offers tourists who want to spend a few days here, places to stay overnight. These are wooden houses and camping. The cost of housing depends on whether you spend the night in a tent and pay only for a place or settle in a cottage. The houses "Poplavok", "Paanayarvi" and "Fairy Tale" are located near the lake. There are a few more cottages near the river Olanga. Some of them stand on the way to the lake. Near the cottages there are places for tents.

Houses without amenities, it's just wooden log cabins with bunks, mattresses, pillows and stoves. Clean clothes are issued in the visit-center. Near the buildings there is a place for a fire, there is firewood for firewood, boilers, and some cottages have even a bath. In the campsites there are toilets, water, wooden tables, trash cans.

Paanajarvi National Park: reviews

Tourists call trips to this nature conservation zone fabulous. After all, nature here in its beauty is unusual even for Karelia. In addition, this is a great place to relax with both the family and the company.

As noted by travelers, in campsites and houses is very well-groomed, albeit simple. There is no electricity, but you can rent a generator. The presence of a bath is an excellent bonus during a hike. This is a great route for those who love nature and fishing.

And what opportunities for remarkable pictures the National Park "Paanajarvi" gives! Photo of amazing rocks, waterfalls and beautiful views from the mountains you will keep for a long time. No wonder these places are called Karelian Switzerland. In the park there are many tourists not only from Russia, but also from European countries.