The Valaam archipelago is famous not only for its unique Northern island nature, but also for its spiritual life. For many centuries, there is a monastic prayer service both within the walls of the monastery and outside it, in remote hermitages.
The walk will start from the Western part of Valaam, from Nikonovskaya Bay, and will lead to the monastic sketes: Voskresensky, Gethsemane and Konevsky, located next to the picturesque lakes.
The Voskresensky skete is most revered by believers. Here, according to legend, the history of Orthodox Karelia begins: about 2000 years ago, while preaching the gospel, Andrew the First-Called was in these places and installed a stone cross. In memory of this, there is a temple dedicated to the Apostle in the skete. The elegant Voskresensky skete, with a red brick church, is strikingly different from the wooden Gethsemane skete, where everything breathes silence and peace. Tourists will not be able to get on its territory, but everyone will have the opportunity to climb to the observation deck, which offers views of the Nikonovskaya Bay and lake Ladoga. The tour will end with a visit to the monastery farm located near the lake Sisyayarvi.
* If restrictions are imposed on the entrance to museums for a certain number of people, we can serve group requests with the division of groups into smaller ones, with the predominant use of the same transport (or with a different number and capacity of transport), but with a large number of guides.
** Some museums or excursions can be excluded from the program if circumstances beyond the control of the tour operator require it (time constraints due to covid-19 / bans on the operation of facilities). At the same time, as far as possible, we will offer an alternative replacement.
