Sortavala is a Finnish town that happens to be in Russia. It stands at the head of a long bay on the northern shore of Lake Ladoga, in the Republic of Karelia, among granite ridges, pine woods and hundreds of small islands, and until 1940 it was part of Finland, known by the name Sortavala as well. The territory passed to the Soviet Union after the Winter War and the Continuation War, and most Finnish residents were evacuated. The architecture they left, including the town hall, the old seminary and several stone buildings in the National Romantic style, gives the centre a look quite unlike any Russian town.
Ladoga is Europe's largest lake, almost a sea, and in the archipelago near Sortavala the water is clear, dark and cold, with bare rock islands and ferry boats. Boats leave from here to the island monastery of Valaam, one of the most important Orthodox sites in northern Russia. Inland, about twenty kilometres away, the marble quarry at Ruskeala has flooded into a turquoise lake, and its stone was used in Saint Petersburg's grand buildings. Karelia is also the landscape of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, which was collected from rune singers in these villages.
The A-121 highway, which runs north from Saint Petersburg along the western side of Ladoga, is the usual route, a long road through forests and past lakes with moderate traffic and a few lorries. Surfaces vary, with some smooth stretches and some patched and rutted sections, and wildlife such as elk can appear at dusk, so watch for it. Summer is bright with endless white nights, early autumn brings colour and mushrooming families, and winter is long, snowy and icy.
Because of the current political situation, travel to Russia is heavily restricted for many nationalities, and entry rules, insurance and border conditions change often, so check official advice before planning anything here. For practical matters, Sortavala has fuel, shops and cafes, and Khelyulya, a smaller settlement nearby, has basic services. Try kalitki, small open Karelian pies filled with potato or millet, and fish from the lake, usually smoked or served in a rich soup.