How to get to old Ladoga. Where to go and what to see in Staraya Ladoga and its environs? By rail

I couldn’t even imagine how many attractions there are in the east Leningrad region, where we will live and travel during our trip to the Northwest. The plans included: Volkhov, Staraya Ladoga, Novaya Ladoga and Lodeynoye Pole, or rather the village of Staraya Sloboda, Lodeynopolsky district, where A Lexandro-Svirsky Monastery. When, upon arrival, we “plunged into reality,” we realized that we would like to see a lot more. For example, the Tanechkina and Staroladozhskaya caves, the Gorchakovsky waterfall, the Lyubsha fortress, the village of Isaad, the canyon of the Lava River... As you can see, there are plenty of natural attractions here, and there are many of them not only in Karelia.

But our goals and objectives were initially different. But you won’t be able to see all the local attractions in just a day or two. So much the better, there will be a reason to return. The most important thing is that we visited everything planned. Today in my post I’ll briefly show you some of what I saw:

Staraya Ladoga Nikolsky Monastery,
Staraya Ladoga Holy Dormition Convent,
Staraya Ladoga fortress,
museum-reserve Staraya Ladoga,
a bird on a stone - a sculpture of a falcon, the symbol of Ladoga,
cafe "Prince Rurik" in Staraya Ladoga,
Sopki tract - burial place of Prophetic Oleg,
the city of Novaya Ladoga, its architecture,
sights of Volkhov.

Why can you only show everything briefly? Yes, because each (each) of the cities and places visited is a whole Universe, worthy of a separate conversation.
However, even fluently I can’t get up to speed. The brief report about the trip stretches into a multi-volume book... Why? Yes, because this is not a trip or when every day can be described with three to five photos... I wanted to do the trip to Karelia like that, in one post. Nooo, that's impossible. :) So be patient, the conversation will be long, the report will be multi-article.

Day IV. Staraya Ladoga, New Ladoga, Volkhov

After having breakfast “on our own” in the hotel room, we moved towards Staraya Ladoga.

Staraya Ladoga

From small to enough young city Volkhov to the small but very ancient village of Staraya Ladoga , just 10 minutes drive. And a whole chasm in time - the year of Volkhov’s foundation - 1918, the year of the foundation of Staraya Ladoga - no later753 According to most historians Staraya Ladoga is the most ancient city Russia.
So, just 17 kilometers and we are there. Yes, settling in was the right decision. This perfect option for those who came to get acquainted with these places.

We got acquainted with the sights of Staraya Ladoga as we progressed. What is surprising and pleasant - for everything iconic places there are signs in the city, and all these places, like pearls on a string, are “strung” on the main street - Volkhovsky Prospekt. You won't get lost.
The first sign to the right (from Volkhov, of course) “sends” us to Staraya Ladoga Nikolsky Monastery. We drive up to the northeastern tower, leave the car there and go on foot to get acquainted with the monastery. First outside, and then inside.

The weather is a miracle surrounding nature all around - amazing, ancient place, which still remembers its founder - Alexander Nevsky... What else is needed for the happiness of a traveler?
Nikolsky Monastery stands on the left bank of the Volkhov River. The rivers in the Leningrad region are incredibly beautiful - blue water and fluffy, velvet-like greenery of their banks.

We enter the gates of the monastery.

We look around a small area, Church of John Chrysostom(1860–1873).

The interiors are awe-inspiring - very good.

Stands next to the church St. Nicholas Cathedral(Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker). It is he who is the main mystery of the St. Nicholas Monastery. Built in 1160, rebuilt in the 17th century (after partial destruction in the Time of Troubles, when Ladoga was under the Swedes for seven years), unsuccessfully restored in 1958, it is on this moment preserved and closed.

Hello travelers! ;)

After visiting the St. Nicholas Monastery, our acquaintance with Staraya Ladoga continued. Driving along Volkhovsky Prospekt, to the right of the road we noticed a bird on a stone, or rather a falcon, spreading its wings wide. Falcon - the symbol of Staraya Ladoga.

Well, we’re going to see perhaps the most famous landmark of the city - Staraya Ladoga fortress. The car was parked in a small parking lot near the road (just opposite the fortress). Before us, in full view, is a powerful historical artifact.

The Klimentovskaya watchtower immediately catches your eye with its impressive size.

The Staraya Ladoga fortress was built during the time of the Prophetic Oleg at the turn of the 9th-10th centuries. Rare historical, architectural and archaeological monuments of the 13th - 19th centuries have survived to our times. It stands in a very beautiful place, the confluence of the Ladozhka River and the Volkhov.
Entrance to the fortress and two exhibitions is paid. We buy single tickets (80 rubles - adult) and through the Gate Tower we enter the territory of the museum-reserve.

The thickness of the tower walls is impressive.

The first exhibition of the museum is located in the Gate Tower, so we immediately go there.

On the first floor of the exhibition...

admire the territory of the fortress and stunning views of the surrounding area. Yes, the fortress itself is small, but very picturesque.

Only one moment really upset me - St. George's Church, where I so wanted to go, turned out to be closed due to restoration. Moreover, it is closed both from the inside and from the outside.

Near the Church of St. St. George's wooden stand Church of St. Dmitry Solunsky(early 17th century), which was also closed to the public.

In order to get to the second exhibition of the museum, we left the fortress, walked straight to the bridge, crossed the bridge (it is clearly visible in the photo below)... And there it’s a stone’s throw to

an old white mansion on Varyazhskaya Street, in which the exhibition “Archaeology of Ladoga” is located.

At the Museum of Archeology.

Next to the museum lies Varyazhskaya street- the first street in Rus'. Near the excavations on Varyazhskaya, enclosed by a wooden fence, there is now a memorial stone announcing that a monument to princes Rurik and Oleg, the creators of the Russian state (862 - 882).

We enter the monastery through the Holy Gate (XIX century).

I should note that both monasteries in Staraya Ladoga - both male and female - are very sincere and calm. They treat tourists and travelers normally, they don’t chase women in trousers, and neither do people with cameras. There is an adequate understanding of its own historical significance and attractiveness for people. In general, it would be like this everywhere. I walked here with a calm soul and heart. This is probably how visiting monasteries should be.
The Assumption Monastery is much larger than Nikolsky. Large green area. Flowers and animal figures are everywhere. Caring female hands are visible in everything.

The exact date of foundation of the Assumption Monastery is not known. The time period when this possibly happened is determined by historians as follows: 1040-1116. Someone says 1156
This monastery is the second one I know of (the first is) where famous Russian women and aristocrats lived. The first wife of Peter I, Evdokia Lopukhina, was forcibly exiled here (and, initially, she was in the Suzdal Intercession Monastery). She lived here for a short time and died at the age of 23, forced into marriage, but as a result disliked by her husband, Evdokia Hannibal. Relatives of the Decembrists were also exiled here during the time of Nicholas I.
The main temple of the monastery and its main attraction is Assumption Church. It was built simultaneously with the Staraya Ladoga fortress in 1114-1116. The round date of 1000 years is just around the corner!

The interior of the temple is quite modest.

In 2013, a cross was installed in the Assumption Monastery. On the cross it is written:

This holy life-giving Cross of the Lord was built in memory of the cross of 1688 on August 5, erected by the sovereign's people Zheltukhin Vasily Simonovich and his son Mikhail Vasilyevich...

Abbot's Corps (1880).

Chapel over the well of St. Barbara (2008-2011, pictured on the right), Hospital building with the house church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (1861-1862, pictured on the left). Between them is the cell building (1859).

After the Assumption Monastery, we went to see another attraction of Staraya Ladoga - Church of St. John the Baptist on Malysheva Mountain(1695). This is the only thing left of the Ivanovo Monastery, founded on this place in 1276. If you go down the path, you can get to the source and the font.

But we didn't have time for this. We looked at the temple and went further - to Novaya Ladoga.

Novaya Ladoga

From Staraya Ladoga to Novaya Ladoga it’s just a stone’s throw away. Only 12 kilometers drive. Before they had time to blink, they were already there.
Novaya Ladoga is an old city, but not ancient. Founded in 1704 by decree of Peter I. The main attractions of Novaya Ladoga are numerous monuments and architecture. Actually, we came here to see them. We didn’t see everything, of course, but we took in the city as a whole, walked around it, and felt the atmosphere of this small provincial town in the Leningrad region.

The Nativity Cathedral is almost the same age as the city. It was built in 1702. The temple is operational, and therefore is in fairly good condition. Unlike their neighbors.

Church of St. Clement and Peter (1741 - 1743), or rather its bell tower, is already overgrown with trees.

Side by side with the Clement Church stands the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands. When I passed by it (1763 - 1767), looked at it and took photographs, a woman with a child came up to me and said: “This church is unusual. Do you know about this?”

And she told me that above the entrance to the temple, in the portal, there is a drawing depicting a dove. So - many times this dove was painted over, erased, but it always appeared again.

The church as a whole is very poor condition. I found this photograph of the temple, taken in 1909 by S.M. Prokudin-Gorsky. There were times...

There are a lot of such wooden houses in Novaya Ladoga. However, in what Russian provincial town there are no such houses?

It is these houses and the red “lump” next to it that create a special, very familiar atmosphere and warmth...

On the banks of the Volkhov River there is a large memorial complex in honor of the sailors of the Ladoga Military Flotilla and river workers of the northwestern river shipping company, who guarded the water route of the “Road of Life” and provided transport links between besieged Leningrad and the country.

There are two vessels at the memorial - the minesweeper "TShch-100"

and the motor ship "Kharkov". Both are actively climbed by children and even adults.

And there is grace all around!!!

Gostiny Dvor ( Shopping arcades). At the top is the inscription “Manufactured Goods” - a real artifact of almost half a century ago. A miracle preserved in the outback!

What do you think of the Manufactured Goods store, built in 1956? Also a miracle! This is what it is, Novaya Ladoga. Some kind of solid artifact.

Literally 3 kilometers from Novaya Ladoga (towards Staro Ladoga) there is the village of Yushkovo.

There is a fish shop right next to the road. I knew about this tent. That's why we came here deliberately. We bought cold smoked bream - 125 rubles. fish and dried roach for 30 rubles. The bream was good! In general, the selection of delicacies here is impressive - several types of fresh and smoked fish (hot and cold smoked), caviar, etc. Don't pass by!

Located 128 km from St. Petersburg, which is considered not just an ancient settlement, but the first capital of Northern Rus'.

When you find yourself here, every time it simply takes your breath away from the realization that in front of you is frozen history itself! Let's open the imaginary pages of the book telling about this Russian citadel.

The first mention of this defensive structure comes to us in the Tale of Bygone Years, when in 862 its “wooden ancestor” was founded by the legendary Rurik, who was called here to reign.

At that time, the fortress was relatively small and could serve as a shelter from enemies only for a small part of the population.
At the beginning of the 10th century, during the reign of the Prophetic Oleg, it was replaced by a more solid, stone brother, similar to citadels Western Europe those times.
The fortress turned into a more powerful giant in 1114 thanks to the Novgorod prince Mstislav the Great. Its eight-meter limestone walls were like armor about three meters thick. During this period, the Staraya Ladoga fortress acted as a formidable guard for the defense of the northern borders of Rus'.

Many assaults were repelled from the 12th to the 15th centuries.
As time passed, weapons were modernized. Therefore, in the 16th century, the Staraya Ladoga fortress acquired an additional wood-earth “city” with three bastions from the south. This allows us to say that fortification appeared in Rus' earlier than the reign of I, as was previously thought.

Thus, the harsh stone and wood-earth defensive structures of the fortress in Staraya Ladoga, which appeared one after another in the period of the 9th–16th centuries, can be considered as the history of the development of forts in Rus'. At the end of the 17th century, by order of I, the fortress was again strengthened through the construction of ten-meter bastions, which we can see today.

It is to this ancient Staraya Ladoga fortress that Russia owes its ability to have unimpeded access to Baltic Sea and securing the Neva and Ladoga lands. The citadel withstood its last attack in 1701. After the end of the Northern War, the Staraya Ladoga Fortress, due to objective reasons, lost its defensive significance.

Reconstruction of the fortress

I, like any person who loves his country, am always interested in learning about the process of restoring its unique architectural historical monuments.

TO end of the 19th century centuries, under the merciless onslaught of time, the Staraya Ladoga fortress was already completely dilapidated and breathed “something long outdated.” Only the Church of St. George the Victorious, located on its territory, steadfastly preserved its former glory.

It was at this time that, through the works of the Russian archaeologist, member of the Imperial Archaeological Society, military historian Nikolai Efimovich Brandenburg, excavations began to be carried out to study the remains of this legendary fortress. The result was the scientist’s voluminous work “Staraya Ladoga” (1896). By the way, the author offers us an interesting story about how a bunch of impostor natural scientists set off on a dangerous journey through a dungeon that supposedly came from the fortress and passed under the Volkhov River.

The story colorfully describes the horror that those curious citizens had to face. And the raging Volkhov above their heads, and the terrible conditions in which they had to lay the route, and all sorts of underground reptiles that the would-be travelers encountered... Fortunately, the end of that story turned out to be happy. Everyone survived. Only Nikolai Efimovich, apparently, decided to embellish his works a little with this tale, since no underground passages were discovered in the fortress. It’s just that “Rurik Castle” was often surrounded by rumors and legends. And such a fantasy could be influenced by the impressions received at the sight of arched embrasures, which, in principle, can be mistaken for entrances to mysterious corridors.
Research continued in the first decade of the 20th century.

They were led by the famous archaeologist, employee of the Russian Museum and the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences N. I. Repnikov. After archaeological exploration, excavations of the site begin, interrupted by the First World War.
In 1931, research continued. At first they were headed by historian and archaeologist V. A. Bogusevich, and then by Doctor of History. n. P. A. Rappoport.
Second World War again interrupted the initiatives of scientists. Restoration work on the Staraya Ladoga fortress complex began already in 1965. In 1971 a small local history museum.

The restoration work of the 60–70s of the 20th century was based on a gradual method of restoring the fortress on the principle of comparing it with similar structures, which by that time had not been so destroyed. For example, the fortress in Koporye. At this time, the Gate and Klimentovskaya towers were completely recreated, as well as the walls between them.

There was a lot of debate then and continues to be held today about the legality of replacing destroyed historical monuments with a “remake”. I am inclined to think this way: since everything in this world is sooner or later subject to destruction, then in order to transmit to descendants at least an echo of the past, this very “remake” is quite appropriate. Otherwise, you and I, dear tourist travelers, would be walking today through such ruins as in the photo on the left (the Goalkeeper Tower at the beginning of the 20th century).

Or maybe today the fortress would have been dismantled piece by piece for household needs by villagers and summer residents, or simply razed to the ground. After all, when recreating the first two towers, scientists found that every decade it settles by half a meter. In 1972, excavations were carried out by the Staro-Ladoga expedition. It was headed by A. N. Kirpichnikov, archaeologist, Doctor of History. D., honorary citizen of the Leningrad region.

Then scientists confirmed their guesses that the current fortress, in addition to the wooden one, also had stone predecessors, which I mentioned earlier.
Since 1984, the local history museum of Staraya Ladoga has already been called a historical, architectural and archaeological museum-reserve of federal significance.

In 2008, work began on the restoration of the Switch Tower and part of the wall connecting it and the Gate.
In 2016, the 900th anniversary of the Staraya Ladoga Fortress, the place where “Rus' came from,” was celebrated. This day was a real celebration of past glory Ancient Rus'.

Fortress today

There is an opportunity to visit Staraya Ladoga by purchasing an ordinary sightseeing tour.

Opening hours

In warm, dry weather, the Church of St. George can be visited from May to October, but you’ll never guess.

Ticket prices

adults: 80 rubles;
preschoolers, schoolchildren, pensioners: 10 rubles;
Full-time students of Russian universities: free.

Single ticket to view the exhibition in the Gate Tower, the Church of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki and the exhibition “Archaeology of Ladoga”:

adults 150 rub;
preschoolers: 10 rubles;
schoolchildren and pensioners 80 rub.

Temple of St. George the Victorious:

adults: 80 rub.;
preschoolers: free;
schoolchildren, pensioners: 50 rub.

There are also categories of benefits for some individuals, which you can read more about
Be sure to read the rules for visiting the museum-reserve
For example, entry into the territory with pets is prohibited; it is also not allowed to smoke not only regular pipe cigarettes, but also electronic cigarettes, play musical instruments, etc.

Excursions

If you don't want to be limited only independent visiting the fortress and getting acquainted with its exhibitions located in the Goal Tower, in the recently restored and reopened small church of Demetrius of Thessalonica and in the Church of St. George the Victorious (visiting which is possible only on fine days from May to October), then it is worth resorting to the help of experienced guides, who conduct comprehensive thematic excursions: “The ancient Russian city of Ladoga” - 2.5 hours, “On the roads of medieval Ladoga” and others that you can find out about

Staraya Ladoga is one of the oldest villages in Russia, “the first capital of Rus'”. Today it is a fairly large village, located 120 kilometers from St. Petersburg. However, in terms of the number of historical and architectural monuments it surpasses many cities in the country.

In our article we will tell you about the history and main attractions of Staraya and Novaya Ladoga.

Staraya Ladoga - a village with a thousand-year history

These days, Staraya Ladoga is just a village on the banks of the Volkhov River with a population of 2,000 people. But it was once an important outpost city of Russia, which held back the ferocious attacks of ill-wishers. The main reason to visit Staraya Ladoga is its numerous natural, historical, cultural and architectural monuments, dating from the 9th-19th centuries.

Almost all the sights of the village of Staraya Ladoga are interesting and unique in their own way. And there are incredibly many of them! But tourists come here not only for the monuments, but also to feel the spirit of antiquity and enjoy the incredibly picturesque landscapes.

To further captivate the reader with Staraya Ladoga, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the ten most interesting historical facts about this village:

Staraya Ladoga is one of the oldest settlements in Russia (the first mention of it dates back to 862);
until 1703, Staraya Ladoga had the status of a city and was simply called Ladoga;
the city was one of the most important points on the trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks”;
according to one version, the ancient Russian prince Oleg was buried in Ladoga;
Ladoga became the first city in Northern Europe, all the walls of which were built exclusively of stone;
already in the 8th century, Ladoga residents traded with the help of money (glass beads played their role);
in the 10th century you could buy a slave for just one Ladoga bead;
the architecture of the Staraya Ladoga fortress is unique for Russian architecture; there is no other similar monument in all of Russia;
The Staraya Ladoga stronghold is included in the hundred most beautiful places countries;
A real treasure of silver Arab coins was found on the territory of the village (the find was dated by historians to the 8th century).

Novaya Ladoga and its history

If you go upstream from Staraya Ladoga, then after 15 kilometers you will reach Novaya Ladoga. This small town was founded in 1704 by decree of Peter the Great to service the shipyard created two years earlier. Many Old Lada residents were ordered to move to new town. During the Second World War, Novaya Ladoga played a significant role in providing besieged Leningrad along the so-called Road of Life.

It would be a sin not to stop by this small town if you are heading to Staraya Ladoga. There are also plenty of attractions here. Novaya Ladoga is a beautifully planned city, ancient buildings and magnificent views of the Volkhov River and Lake Ladoga.

The main monuments and interesting places in Novaya Ladoga:

Nikolo-Medvedsky Monastery.
Gostiny Dvor.
Staraya Ladoga Canal.
St. Nicholas Cathedral.
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin.
Temple of Clement of Rome (dilapidated).
St. George's Church.
Novoladozhsky Museum of Local Lore.
Memorial complex "Road of Life".

List of attractions of Staraya Ladoga

However, let's return to the settlement where our story began - Staraya Ladoga. As a rule, an inspection of the monuments of this village begins with the fortress. This is the main and most valuable attraction of Staraya Ladoga, which is under UNESCO protection. Inside the fortress there is an ancient church from the 12th century, which is perfectly preserved.

Complete list of historical monuments and interesting places The must-sees in this unique village are as follows:

Staraya Ladoga fortress.
Assumption Monastery.
Varyazhskaya street.
Oleg's grave.
St. Nicholas Orthodox Monastery.
Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist.
House of merchant Kalyazin.
Estate "Uspenskoe".
Tanechkina and Staroladoga caves.
Gorchakovshchinsky waterfall.

A diagram of the attractions of Staraya Ladoga will help you navigate locality(see photo below).

Staraya Ladoga Fortress

The main attraction of Staraya Ladoga is the fortress, founded at the end of the 9th century. What we can see today was built almost from scratch in the 2000s.

The fortress is located on a narrow cape, in the place where the Ladozhka River flows into the Volkhov. Initially it was wooden. During the reign of Prince Oleg, a powerful stone stronghold was erected here. For a long time, the fortress defended the northern borders of Ancient Rus', then Russia. It lost its defensive significance only at the beginning of the 18th century.

Assumption Monastery

To the north of the fortress there is another important monument village - Staroladoga Holy Dormition Monastery. It was founded in the middle of the 12th century.

Behind the walls of the monastery hides the northernmost of the ancient Russian temples of the pre-Mongol period - the Cathedral of the Assumption Holy Mother of God. It has been here since 1156! The temple is quite miniature: its width is 14 meters and its height is 19 meters, however, it can accommodate several dozen people. The walls of the Assumption Church were lavishly painted, but the painting has practically not survived to this day.

It is known that from 1718 to 1725, it was in this monastery that the first wife of Peter the Great, Evdokia Lopukhina, stayed and became a nun.

Varyazhskaya street

It is unacceptable to visit Staraya Ladoga and not take a walk along Varyazhskaya Street. After all, according to historians, this is the most old street in Russia! The earliest mentions of it date back to the 15th century.

Today on Varyazhskaya Street you can see ancient one-story wooden houses that once belonged to local merchants. It's quiet and very cozy here. At the beginning of the ancient street there is a bronze sculpture of a falcon. This bird is considered the symbol of Staraya Ladoga. All tourists make a wish near this sculpture and leave coins in the beak of the bronze falcon.

Gorchakovshchinsky waterfall

Very few people know about the Gorchakovshchinsky waterfall, but in vain, because this is the most high waterfall in the Leningrad region. This is an amazing natural corner where you can calmly relax your thoughts and enjoy nature. It is located in the village of Gorchakovshchina, on the opposite bank of the river from Staraya Ladoga.

The height of the waterfall is only four meters. It is located in a river canyon and falls into a shallow bowl with sandstone walls. The walk to the waterfall does not take long; a forest path leads to it directly from the village.

Tanechkina Cave

In the past, Tanechkina Cave was a place where white quartz was mined. It stretches seven kilometers in length. The cave has many passages and labyrinths, and in its central gallery there is a shallow lake.

Hundreds live inside bats. This is the largest, but also the most dangerous cave in Staraya Ladoga. Landslides and flooding often occur here, although this rarely stops speleologists.

How to get to the sights of Staraya Ladoga?

The village is located in the Volkhov district of the Leningrad region, ten kilometers from the city of Volkhov and 120 km from St. Petersburg. How can I get to the sights of Staraya Ladoga? It will be easiest to do this by car. But you can also get there by public transport.

By car you need to travel from St. Petersburg along the Murmansk highway (M18). Immediately after the village of Kiselnya you need to turn right off the highway (signpost to Volkhov). After another two kilometers you should turn left. This road will lead to an intersection on the banks of the Volkhov River. Here you need to turn left again and drive another four kilometers to Staraya Ladoga.

The second way to get to the village is public transport. You can get to the city of Volkhov by electric train (from Moskovsky or Ladozhsky railway stations). In Volkhov you can change to regular bus to Staraya Ladoga. In about 20 minutes he will bring you to the ancient village.

By plane. From Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo airports on flights Moscow - St. Petersburg. Next, take the bus “St. Petersburg - Staraya Ladoga”. Travel time - 4.2 0 hours.

By bus. From Kazansky railway station by bus “Kazan - St. Petersburg”. Next, take the bus “St. Petersburg - Staraya Ladoga”. Travel time - 12.30 hours.

From the Krasnogvardeyskaya bus station by bus “Moscow - St. Petersburg”. Next, take the bus “St. Petersburg - Staraya Ladoga”. Travel time - 13.10 hours.

From the Novoyasenevskaya bus station by bus “Moscow - St. Petersburg”. Next, take the bus “St. Petersburg - Staraya Ladoga”. Travel time - 13.50 hours.

From the Planernaya metro station by bus “Moscow - St. Petersburg”. Next, take the bus “St. Petersburg - Staraya Ladoga”. Travel time - 12.40 hours.

By long-distance train. From Leningradsky station on the trains "Moscow - St. Petersburg", "Moscow - Murmansk" and "Moscow - Helsinki". Next, take the bus “St. Petersburg - Staraya Ladoga”. Travel time - 12.10 hours.

By car. Along the M-10 "Russia" and A-121 highways. Travel time - 13.40 hours.

Walk along Staraya Ladoga

You should start your walk around Staraya Ladoga by visiting Staraya Ladoga fortress. Currently, the fortress is being actively restored, and some of its fragments are being rebuilt almost from scratch. On its territory there are two preserved beautiful cathedral, and in the fortress tower there is a museum of the Ladoga land.

Staraya Ladoga Fortress

Then you need to get to St. George's Cathedral, which is located on the territory of the fortress. It was built in the 13th century in memory of the victory over the Swedes.

Of interest to architecture lovers Nikolsky Monastery. According to legend, it was founded by Prince Alexander Nevsky back in 1240 in memory of the victory over the Swedes on the Neva.

Nikolsky Monastery

Can't help but visit museum of historical life, where things are presented from the beginning of the 12th century until the present day.

Popular with tourists Church of Alexius the man of God. This is one of the most striking attractions of Staraya Ladoga, built in the ancient Russian style.

Church of Alexius the Man of God

Rich collection archaeological museum, where more than one and a half thousand exhibits are collected. Well, you need to finish your walk around Staraya Ladoga with an inspection Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was built in the first half of the 14th century and has been rebuilt several times since then. The temple is currently undergoing restoration.

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Attractions near Staraya Ladoga

Those who come on an excursion to Staraya Ladoga always visit mounds. These are the hills near the Church of John the Baptist. The mounds, in one of which, according to legend, the Prophetic Oleg was buried, attract increased attention from tourists and those simply passing through.