Why this ride
320 km from Pavlovsk to Pavlovsk, about 4 h 44 of riding. On the way it passes The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress, Sestroretsky Razliv and back through The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk and Sestroretsky Razliv
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 320 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 44
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
A-121 Ladoga and Sortavala
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 92 km this is A-121 Ladoga and Sortavala, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 92 km
- Named road
- A-121 Ladoga and Sortavala
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk
Pavlovsk was a gift. In 1777 Catherine the Great gave her son Paul, the future emperor, a stretch of forest and meadow south of Saint Petersburg, and he and his wife Maria Feodorovna turned it into one of the most elegant country residences in Russia. The Scottish architect Charles Cameron designed the palace, a pale yellow building with a shallow dome and a colonnade, and the park, which spreads over some six hundred hectares, was laid out in the English landscape manner, with winding paths, little bridges and pavilions half hidden among the trees. It is among the largest landscape parks in Europe, and walking in it on a quiet morning is a joy.
Read the complete Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk is where the day begins. Next is The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress.
2. The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress
Where the Neva leaves Lake Ladoga there is a small island in the current, and for seven centuries whoever held it controlled the river and the trade route to the Baltic. The Novgorodians built the first wooden fort here in 1323 and called it Oreshek, the Little Nut, because of the island's shape. The Swedes took it in 1611 and renamed it Nöteborg, and in 1702 Peter the Great stormed it, and renamed it Schlüsselburg, the Key Fortress. The old stone walls and towers stand now on a low island reached by a short boat ride from the town, which is now called Shlisselburg.
Read the complete The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress comes up about 67 km into the recorded legs. Next is Sestroretsky Razliv.
3. Sestroretsky Razliv
Sestroretsk is a small town on the north shore of the Gulf of Finland, in a landscape of pine-covered dunes, shallow bays and lakes, and it has an industrial origin that surprises visitors. In 1721 Peter the Great founded an arms factory on the Sestra river here, and a dam created a broad reservoir to power it. That reservoir, Razliv, which means flood or spill, is the lake that gives the place its name. The water, ringed by reeds and birches, is a favourite spot for locals to swim, fish and walk.
Read the complete Sestroretsky Razliv write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 159 km into the recorded legs you reach Sestroretsky Razliv. Next is back through The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress.
4. back through The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress, late in the day. Next is Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk.
5. Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk to The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress
Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk → The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress is 67 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress to Sestroretsky Razliv
The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress → Sestroretsky Razliv is 92 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Sestroretsky Razliv to back through The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress
Sestroretsky Razliv → back through The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress is 93 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress to Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk
back through The ensemble of the Oreshek fortress → Historical Centre of the Town of Pavlovsk is 69 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.