Northern European Russia

The Geological Museum at Petrozavodsk sends any geologist into sheer delight. The museum houses rocks and mineral up to (3) three billion years old including some which are indigenous to Karelia.

There is an amusement park open during the summer months for smaller children.

The exhibition hall hosts monthly exhibits and sometimes chamber music on Sunday afternoons.

To the north of Petrozavodsk is an area renown for it's fishing, hunting, hiking and camping - Karelia.

The Valaam Archipelago consists of about 50 small islands and the main island of Valaam. It is home to the Transfiguration Monastery, which was built around the 14th century.

The Kola Peninsula is dominated by the port of Murmansk. St Nicholas Church is the ports religious and administrative centre.

The Museum of Regional studies features natural history, oceanography and anthropology.

The Solovetsky Islands are located 165kms south of the Arctic Circle. The islands were once used as an exile retreat. The stone labyrinths on the islands date back to the 1st and 2nd centuries. Tourism has dropped off in recent years. Tourists you enjoy getting to remote locations the islands are truly beautiful.