Pitkäranta means long shore in Finnish, and the town still carries the name that it had when it belonged to Finland. It lies on the north-western shore of Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe, in the Republic of Karelia, and was a copper and tin mining district from the middle of the nineteenth century. The area was ceded to the Soviet Union after the Second World War, and the Finnish population left. Today it is a town of about thirteen thousand, with Soviet-era apartment blocks, old wooden houses and the weathered remains of the mines in the hills around.
The setting is the main attraction. Ladoga's shoreline here is a maze of granite skerries, islets and narrow bays, covered with pine and spruce, and the water is cold and clear. The rocks are some of the oldest on Earth, rounded and scratched by glaciers, and the light on an evening in June, when it hardly gets dark, is beautiful. Ruskeala, a marble quarry flooded to form a turquoise lake, lies not far west and is one of the best-known sights in the region. Further along the coast is Impilahti, which has a more rural feel.
The roads are quiet and the landscape gentle. They pass through forests of birch and conifer, over granite ridges, and past lakes and bogs, with the surface varying from smooth asphalt to patches of rough pavement. The bends are mild, and traffic is thin outside the towns. Mosquitoes and midges can be fierce from June to August, and winter brings deep snow, so spring and early autumn are best. Moose are common on the roads, particularly at dusk.
Pitkyaranta has fuel, food and shops, and the next larger places, Salmi and Lyaskelya, are around thirty kilometres away. Local specialities include smoked fish from the lake and karelian pasties. Foreign visitors should check carefully what is currently permitted and what documentation is needed before planning a trip here. The pace of life is slow, and the lake sets the rhythm.