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Millions of people visit St Petersburg annually, nothing fairer than that as it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. What happens is, the surroundings of the city is also impressive and only a few tourists adventure themselves over there. So check this one of the best St Petersburg top attractions, the Losevo Village.
How we found the Losevo Village
When we were in Georgia, we luckily met a Russian group doing rafting. It is a funny story which we told on our Instagram though and it isn’t for now. Anyway, after accidentally ended up at the same guesthouse as them in a city that there isn’t anything else to do a part from rafting, we spent the night together drinking chacha (a Georgian distillate from grape) at the best Russian style – shots, shots and more shots!
They told us they were going back to St. Petersburg by car (3600Km) and they agreed to take us with them two weeks later. That’s how we managed to have the longest hitchhike we have ever heard about it!
So, a fortnight after, we met again with two of them, Sergey and Kostya. We drove for a day and a half until we reached St Petersburg, though we stayed there for only a few minutes. Although there are many activities to do in Russia, we are always fond of unique and interesting places, and they were taking us to a very unique and interesting place in Russia. They took us to a forest where they have a rafting base as well as a summer camp.
A forest in Russia? We did not know what to expect.
Once the car entered the forest and it wasn’t just ice, but those massive trees, the snow began falling for the first time in the year.We were super excited! It was night. We arrived at the wooden bungalows and slept.
What activities to do in Losevo Village
We spent five days over there exploring the landscape, the famous Temperate Coniferous type of forest, which was unknown to us and we have only seen on school books. The place is near the Finnish border. In fact, it was still Finnish territory up to 1939, when they lost it to Russia for supporting the axis power during the war. For this reason, the forest around Losevo has a similar vegetation with the one of the Nordic countries.
Losevo is surrounded by enormous lakes and is full of activities related to water, such as rafting, kayak and fishing. Any walk around the forest is also impressive and on top of that, you can go foraging for wild mushrooms and many types of berries to eat later. Who would have thought of these adventures in Russia, isn’t it?
At night, when the cold was stronger, we went around the fire-place inside a yurta and made barbecues and mulled wine. We spent nights over there, telling stories, playing guitar and laughing a lot. It was, actually, in one of those cold nights that we entered into a rich and deep talking about the WWII and wrote the article who won the II World War? Then, tell us what you think!
Losevo Village is a weekend and holiday destination for many Russians, although it is still unknown for the majority of tourists who visit St. Petersburg. It is a shame, as there is only 120 km between the two, a train station and it’s surely one of St Petersburg top attractions. Also, see 10 other attractions not to miss in St Petersburg!
How our days in Losevo taught us about Russian culture
Our days in Losevo taught us a lot about Russian culture, particularly about this area of the country, which seems to have, sometimes, more similarities with Finland and Norway than with Russia itself. Nevertheless, the biggest lesson we had was the appreciation of the cold weather.
Up to then, we have always been afraid of going to cold places, thinking that it has nothing to do when you are in a place below zero. But over there, we realised that cold does not stop anybody’s life. In fact, only make things cosier. And that’s what really made this place the coolest place in Russia, more figuratively than literally though!
Where to stay in Losevo
Lena Summer Camp
The chalets fit up to 6 people and have toilet and kitchen. To rent it from Monday to Thursday or Friday to Sunday would cost 7900 RUB (around US$122). You can use all the facilities of the place, such as the activities for the children, climbing wall, boats, fishing rods and so on.
Kiviniemi
Kiviniemi is a rafting and kayak base. Over there you can rent all the necessary equipment for the activities. For those who have never practised before, they also have available classes and guides. Other activities, such as bike rides are also available. Contact – info@kiviniemi.ru or serg@kiviniemi.ru
Disclaimer: We are not saying about them because we have met them, but because we truly loved the experience! For those following Monday Feelings frequently, you know we like the least known touristic tours and places that we find more local life. If you are also this type of traveller, run over there, but please contact them beforehand as this is in the middle of a forest!
Otherwise, check other options for accommodation in Booking.com OR see our page where we give you all the trip checklist to organise your trip!!