In order to see all the sights of Lake Ladoga, you need to spend a lot of vacation in Karelia. Actually, a person who has been here once,will pull here all the time. After all, a unique natural phenomenon - the largest freshwater lake in Europe, is itself the main attraction of this region. More than 40 rivers carry their waters to it, and only one Neva flows out of it.
More like the sea than the lake, it's withancient times, scared and cunning, seemed mysterious and beautiful. More than 18 thousand cubic meters of fresh water is stored in the hollow formed by the glacier millions of years ago. The Ladoga ice was completely free only 12 thousand years ago. The water here is cold, you can swim only in the middle of summer, and even then in the southern part of the lake, where the water warms up to 19-23 degrees.
Extremely beautiful coasts of 1000kilometers attract tourists and pilgrims. Dimensions of the lake are impressive: 200 x 130 kilometers, and the depth in the north of the reservoir reaches 230 meters. Such is the Great Nevo - Ladoga Lake of Russia.
The peculiar structure of the bottom and slope from the south,form a wave that constantly breaks down and goes in different directions. Because Ladoga is changeable and at every minute is represented in different ways. Legends were composed about her, they composed poems and songs. It is terrible, stormy and even, like blue paper.
From the earliest times Ladoga was a transportby "from the Varangians to the Greeks". But the unpredictability and threatening nature of the raging sea frightened the sailors. A lot of desperate people died in her waves. Therefore, mastering this stern, but such a beautiful and necessary region of Russia, Emperor Peter I ordered to dig a bypass channel, Staroladozhsky. It goes along the southern edge of the lake. Then we dug another one, Novoladozhsky.
Extremely picturesque and such attractions of Lake Ladoga, like the skerries. Rocks, pine forests, a huge number of large and small islands, separated by channels of clear water, are concentrated mainly in its northern part.
Going on a trip to Ladoga in any direction, you will see not only beautiful landscapes, but also touch the richest history of these places.
On this water came to us the first Prince Rurik,who created the Old Russian state. On the banks and islands, powerful fortresses were built to defend the lands from the enemy: Oreshek, Staraya Ladoga, Korela. Shlisselburg and the new Ladoga are already the Petrine era. Many and more recent attractions of Lake Ladoga.
All the farther away from us is the time when the fasciststook the city of Leningrad. And he did not give up when he froze, died under bombing, died of starvation. This theme is still given pain in the hearts of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg. Of course, all Russian people know what the "Way of Life" is through the frozen Ladoga. This terrible and dangerous path helped someone to survive in the besieged Leningrad. But for local residents it is holy.
Now it is a road-monument, along which standconcrete obelisks with the designation of each kilometer. Passing along it, you see monuments to girls, regulators, chauffeurs of blockade polutrorok, Leningrad children, sailors, pilots, "Katyusha". These attractions of Ladoga Lake will lead to the main monument of the road - "Torn Ring".
There are places on earth, as if speciallydesigned to glorify the greatness of the Creator. And for good reason they are separated by some obstacle from the vanity world. Lake Ladoga keeps in its core such a place - Valaam, tourist attraction and the greatest value for the Russian heart.
The area of 50 islands in the northern part of the lake occupies 36 km2. Two thirds is the area of the island of Valaam, namelyThe Savior-Transfiguration Monastery is located here. Amazing place. Steep rocks, hanging over the water, seem formidable and impregnable. But on the shore, amidst peace and pine trees, you feel peace and love for everything on earth. According to the legend, the holy apostle Andrew the First-Called, having come here, erected a stone cross and predicted a great future for the monastery.
Interesting and difficult is the story of Balaam, thissevere for the life of the region. But it is inextricably linked with the monastery, which has experienced many troubles and privations here. Today he is unusually beautiful and majestic. And right on Lake Ladoga, Valaam is a tourist attraction, one of the most important and unforgettable.
The size of this island is small: 8 x 3 kilometers, and it is all strewn with boulders of glacial origin. Yes, and the very name of the island of Konevets comes from the name of the largest of them, the Horse-stone. It weighs 750 tons, only the glacier was able to drag such a hulk. A resembles a stone horse's head.
Once there were pagan temples in these places, but with the baptism of Rus there were many monuments of orthodox culture. In the XIV century, the Monk Arseny created a newmonastery. His first cell was built on the Holy Mountain, on the slope of which is still flowing stream, the only source of water on the island. Later people came to Arseny, a temple was built, the life of the monastery began, it was difficult and sometimes dangerous. Now the ruined buildings are restored, and the monastery on Konevets surprises with its beauty.
It is impossible to tell about the wonderful cities located on the shores of a severe lake in one article. But one of them, Priozersk, is famous for its Korela fortress.
It is believed that the city was created in XIII century. But one of the chronicles says that in 879 it was here, "in the city of Korela", the death of Prince Rurik.
It is located in one of the most beautiful places of Karelia, where the Vuoksa River flows into Lake Ladoga, a natural landmark. The fortress of Korela, created to protect the lands fromraids of enemies, took part in all the wars that have been in these places since the times of Ancient Rus. The long-suffering city passed from hand to hand many times, finding itself always in the thick of military events. After the Great Patriotic War it was rebuilt anew. Only fortresses, powerful walls have been standing for many centuries.
