It's always interesting to discover new things in the nature of your native land. This is what our route offers in Volkhov and Tikhvin places. Following it you'll see the beauty of natural lakes, emerald forests, swim in clean ponds and sunbathe on sandy beaches, touch the grace of holy places and discover how rare berries and mushrooms grow. Enjoy the beauty of Ivan-Chai glades and take a piece of untold natural beauty with you.
Today we start our journey by visiting the lake, wander in the pine forest, have lunch in the "Old Ladoga", walk in the pine forest and park Volkhov, admire the river and after dinner we go to bed.
Just over an hour on the road, and we're already in a beautiful pine forest. This clean air, unparalleled, soaked in essential oils... And given the fact that Lake Ladoga is right next door, it's clear why there's so much ineffable freshness in the air. We were lucky: it had just rained, and the last drops were hanging on the pine needles, pouring out. What a picture we got! We walked and walked with pleasure, inhaled the smell of pine forest, and even found some mushrooms.
The place is truly legendary! According to the legend, it is among these mounds that the grave of Prince Oleg, who was nicknamed Prophetic, is located. And what a view! If you go down a bit towards the historical fortress, you can find the holy spring of Paraskeva Friday. And if you go back along the river, you can find one of the most mysterious caves in the Leningrad region - Tanechkina. Without proper sports training and appropriate clothes and shoes it's not recommended to go down there, but if you're an experienced speleologist, take into account that you should avoid going down into the cave during heavy rains.
After such a wonderful walk, we had a savage appetite! It's time for lunch. Simple interior, stylized as a Russian hut and a delicious good menu. You won't stay hungry for sure! We served it quickly. And if you're not driving, they'll serve mead too.
Yeah, I guess you can't order that much food when you're hungry... And boiled mushroom soup with meat and a second roast with side dishes. It's time for a walk! We decided to go for a ride and walk in the woods. And where else will you find so much beauty and wonderful air, as in a pine forest! We went for a walk, ran through the woods. At the end we were photographed. Happy people, let's move on.
There's a reason we were trying to get here! It's so beautiful here! Calm down, majestic. In places like this, there's an understanding of what's important and what can wait... The sandy beach is good in warm weather and cool. In the heat you can sunbathe and swim in the river, and in the cool - just sit here, sit in jeans and jacket, think and admire the wonderful views.
Bring everyone upstairs! We have dinner at a pirate cafe on the bank of the Volkhov River. Everything has been thought out. It's delicious, cozy, stylish. Dinner was very nice.
Let's start the day by visiting the beach, and then prolong our lake travels, see the amazing bridge, visit the shrines of Lake Dym, try local cuisine and rest!
We're having breakfast at the Red Cote. Funny name, there's a playroom for children. The interior is funny, the kids will love it. We had a quick breakfast with all kinds of delicious desserts and coffee, and it's time to go.
After 1.5 hours, we arrived at Sand Lake. It is so called because of the gentle sandy descents to the water and flat beaches. And in general, of course, the sandy beach is much more convenient than pebble. In summer they sunbathe here and swim in the lake. In cool weather they stroll along the shore and admire the emerald greenery.
In this area of freshness, forests, rivers and lakes, cafes and restaurants are often arranged on the shore. We'll have lunch at one of these places today. By the pond and the river Tikhvinka. Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral and Tikhvin Monastery are on different sides. Quiet and cozy place. Interior to become: discreet and classic.
There is a completely magical bridge over the Tikhvinka River. It's a pedestrian bridge. Made in the ancient style. Probably, such rope bridges in the olden times were mostly used to cross not wide water bodies. Of course, they were photographed. I'm always wondering, what if I could go to the middle and rock it, and maybe flip it over? I wasn't rocking it. And of course, like everywhere else, the bridge railing is decorated with locks for newlyweds.
Next we go to Lake Dymskoye. It's an interesting name. On the shore there are the Antonievo-Dymsky monastery and the chapel of St. Anthony. The monastery is still recovering, a lot of work is still to be done. It's nice to walk to the lake. The lake is considered healing. They dive into the lake, swim around the cross and ask for healing or to fulfill some urgent needs. Around the forest, there are a lot of blueberries, blueberries and cowberries. For us, it was amazing. For the first time we saw this berry grow. The birches, the glades of Ivan-Chai... Well, it's beautiful!
Isn't it time to stop on vacation? You can warm up, fill up and buy goods on the way at Gazpromneft's filling stations.
We're dropping by for dinner on the way. We were praised for the pies at this café. We did and we didn't miss it.
Today concludes our trip. We will go from Tikhvin to St. Petersburg. On the way we will visit several picturesque lakes and also take a walk up the mountains.
We're having breakfast at an already favorite cafe. And it's delicious and clean and stylish. Near the river Tikhvinka, fresh air, with interiors and good menu.
And we're going to Green Lake. It is located near a village with a funny name Budogoshch. The lake is located in a pine forest, the bottom is sandy, like the beach, but the sand is red. The water is very clean, greenish and cool. Because the lake is deep, the keys are probably still beating in the depth. We didn't swim here, we walked along the beach, we sat on the beach. We took a picture.
We go to a place called Lubun Mountain. It's really a mountain, even the roads here are called serpentines. And to the Great Patriotic War, because it's a strategic altitude, there were fierce battles. The fascists destroyed the village, the church and everything that had been wiped off the face of the earth. Soldiers of 288 rifle division stood here to die. Now there's a memorial. Travelers stop and lay flowers. The views from the mountain are scattering.
Then we go to Kirishi. We decided to go here and have lunch. Restaurant with a pirate name "Black cuttlefish". First of all, it's on the bank of the river, so that's why the name is appropriate. Secondly, it is fed here deliciously and served with high quality. We haven't noticed any pirates, and the summer veranda was very pleasant.
There are wonderful artificial lakes in former quarries. The water here is clean and warm in the season. People are happy to come here for a swim. We'll stop by, too. The beach is small, clean green grass. Look out! It's deep.
It's a shame that all good things end so quickly. We'll go to dinner in Tosno. Cafe Baffo is clean, neat, delicious! The cuisine is not heavy, the menu is diverse. I even wanted to stay a little longer. We recommend it!