According to local residents, the city of Kondopoga is one of the most picturesque places of Karelia . The settlement is located 54 km from Petrozavodsk, on the shore of Onega Lake.
The name of this city, somewhat unusual for our ear, comes from the ancient Karelian words "kondo", which means a bear, and "pogo" - the corner. Thus, this part of Karelia has long been known as a "bearish corner". Since the XVIII century, marble was mined here, which was then adorned with the buildings of the Petersburg palaces - the Winter Palace, the Kazan and the Isaakievsky palaces, as well as the interior halls of the palaces in Tsarskoe Selo.
Sights of Kondopoga (Karelia)
Now Kondopoga is a small cozy town with its own color. One of its attractions is the central pedestrian street, called Arbat. Of course, it is not as lively as the Moscow Arbat. Here there are both new buildings and ancient ones, as well as a local Evangelical-Lutheran church.
Being in Kondopoga, be sure to visit the Palace of Arts, where the German organ is installed. Earlier this building was the House of Culture of Kondopoga wallets.
An interesting monument is the local wooden architecture - the tent-shaped Assumption Church, located in the historic part of the city. It was built in 1774, and then it was restored twice. It is noteworthy that the church is simultaneously a branch of the local lore museum.
Visit the Museum of the Kondopoga region, where you can admire the exposition of archaeological excavations, paintings of local masters, objects of the life of Karelians, samples of Belogorod marble and much more.
Tourists who come to Karelia with a view to visiting the Marcial Waters, Kizhi or Valaam, often visit the Kondopoga Ice Palace. It was built relatively recently, in 2001, and has already become one of the local attractions.
The huge modern building of the palace with mirrored glass is not the only thing you can admire here: in the same square is the famous Carillon. This building of metal structures is a huge musical instrument, which every hour performs a melody through its 23 bells.
Karelia - what to bring from Kondopoga?
Going to the Republic of Karelia, do not forget about souvenirs, which you can buy in Kondopoga for relatives and friends. Here is the list of the most popular of them:
- various bells in memory of a visit to the Carillon;
- templates of temples made of wood;
- souvenirs from Karelian birch;
- Karelian balm;
- herbal preparations;
- dried forest berries for tea.
