National park "Paanajavi"

The landscapes of the park are very picturesque - here mountain peaks alternate with deep ravines, numerous lakes, various bogs, wide rivers and waterfalls. Mountainsides and river valleys are covered with undisturbed forests, among which thin fir-woods predominate.

Under its bed curtains bilberries and other plants and herbs grow, fir-trees are hanged with lamps of "bearded lichen" - air purity indicator. In the mountains at the height of 400-500 meters fir-woods turn to sparse growth of birch, which later changes to tundra community. Along the shores of lakes and rivers pineries grow. Reindeer moss plantations are usual in its bed curtains.

The gem of the park is Paanajarvi Lake, which extended from the west to the east among picturesque mountain peaks. And it seems that one part of it approaches the water as steep rocks and the other – is far away from the water. In such places terrace appeared evidently between the lake and mountains, which became life arena for dozens of Finnish families, who settled in farm form around the lake. Microclimate conditions which appeared between the mountains were favorable not only for cattle breeding but for growing of row of specimen including barley and rye. But in general local inhabitants haven`t influenced the nature in a high degree. Today there are only small glades covered with meadow motley grass and raspberry-bushes which contrast with gloomy taiga view. It is not very large (1,5X24 km) but very deep (128m). There are many rapids on the rivers and some waterfalls. There are many valuable fish species in the rivers.

There are 6 winter and summer routes and 12 tourist guest houses in the park. In 2002 the park attracted about 6 thousand of tourists.

From Pyaozero settlement there is a 59-km road going to the Park. The settlement is accessible from three directions: from the east, south, and west. From Moscow, St.-Petersburg or Petrozavodsk you can get to the Park by following the St.-Petersburg - Murmansk highway to the Loukhi settlement or by rail to Loukhi railway station. From Louhi there is a 110-km road to Pyaozero. A dirt road goes from the town of Kostomuksha through the Kalevala settlement to the settlement of Pyaozero (253 km). From Finland the border can be crossed at the Suoperyд-Kortesalmi cross-border checkpoint (60 km to the settlement), or at the Vartius-Lutta cross-border checkpoint. The visitor centre of the Paanajдrvi National Park is located in the Pyaozero settlement.