Parks of the Leningrad region. Reserves of the Leningrad Region: types and features of the Sablinsky Nature Reserve

Today I decided to publish another list of mysterious and interesting places in the Leningrad region, which, in my opinion, are worth seeing. Most of them are located nearby and are quite affordable for anyone who has a car and free time on the weekends.

I tried to choose places not used by tourists, which would be of interest not only to the guests of our city, but also to old-timers. Of course, I must have missed a dozen or two artifacts worthy of attention. Therefore, I will gladly accept from you links to interesting places unknown among ordinary tourists.

1. Baba Yaga's hut- In the village of Ulyanovka, which is near St. Petersburg, everyone can easily be transported to the pages of fairy tales. A real hut of Baba Yaga rises above the village. As befits a real dwelling of the character of Russian fairy tales, the hut is really on chicken legs and with one window.

2. Toksovsky Bison Nursery- On the territory of the untouched reserve, there is a bison nursery. This is a unique place where you can see bison in their natural habitat.

Get on the minibus from the station. m. "pr. Enlightenment" and from Art. m. "Devyatkino" or by train (from Finland Station or railway station "Devyatkino") to the railway station Toksovo (Priozerskoe direction), then 20 minutes on foot. By car: through Murino, then along the Toksovskoye highway.

3. Sablinsky caves- Sablinsky reserve is an ensemble of objects in the Tosnensky district of the Leningrad region. Stunning nature, canyons, caves and waterfalls, shrouded in a mysterious atmosphere. Previously, quartz sand was mined in these places, now abandoned mines are popular with tourists and residents of our city.

By the way, on the territory of the caves there is the only operating underground chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Russia. Take the train to the railway station. "Sablino", then by minibus or bus. By car: along the Moscow highway (M-10), turn off at the sign for the village. Ulyanovka.

4. Gatchina geysers- Geysers are one of the most amazing and little-known sights of Gatchina. Here, in the middle of the forest, real natural fountains beat out from under the ground. In winter, the water around the geysers freezes, and bizarrely shaped ice mountains of soft green color form around the fountains.

The geysers are located near the village of Korpikovo in the Gatchina region. If you go from Gatchina from the station. "Marienburg" along the Korpikovsky highway to Korpikovo - before reaching the bridge, turn left onto the dirt road and go to gardening, then along the main gardening road to the parking lot. Further - along the paths into the forest.

5. Remains of the Church of the Holy Trinity- In the village of Pyataya Gora, Volosovsky district, an architectural monument in the antique style has been preserved, majestic ruins resembling a Greek temple.

You can get by car to Volosovo along the M20 road, and then along the P38 towards Kikerino-Selo-Fifth Mountain.

6. Devon cliff and church- In the village of Khotnezha, a building made in the Byzantine style, built in the 19th century, has been preserved. The church stands on a pine hill just behind the bridge over the Lemovzha River.

Another attraction is the Devonian 30-meter cliff above the river. Get by car to Volosov, then to Moloskovits, then turn south towards B. Sabsk. In Izvoz - to the left, to Lemovzha.

7. Manor and Volkovitskaya Tower- Various rumors and legends circulate around the tower. Some argue that the tower is a kind of outpost of the Novgorodians, a kind of beacon on which they lit a fire when the enemy approached, but in fact it is a former windmill. Be that as it may, there is clearly something to see here, especially the surviving part of the park and hydraulic system.

The village of Volkovitsy is located 20 km from Krasnoe Selo, along the Tallinn highway, after Kipenya, turn left to the village of Kelozi along the highway leading to Volosovo. Regular bus 484A goes here from the bus ring at the Kirovsky Zavod, the final stop is around the corner of the outer vestibule of the Kirovsky Zavod metro station.

8. Inca Engineer's Tower- Near St. Petersburg, near the village of Verevo, there is a monumental structure dotted with bullets and fragments of shells - the Verevskaya Inca water tower.

The history of this building is closely intertwined with the beginning of the water supply of Tsarskoe Selo, and originates at the beginning of the 18th century.

9. Radon lakes- On the outskirts of the village of Lopukhinka in the Lomonosovsky district, you can find a huge ravine, about a few tens of meters deep. A small river Ruditsa flows along its bottom.

More than a hundred years ago, a dam was built on the river, thanks to which an amazing lake appeared in these parts, striking the imagination of tourists with the unusual color of its water.

10. "Stone-head"- An unusual sculpture in the form of a head is located forty minutes from St. Petersburg in the Sergievka park. This large head was carved out of stone by an unknown sculptor designed by F. Brower in 1800. The sculpture has many names: “Rusich”, “Old Man”, “Warrior”, “Samson's Head”, “Male Head”, students usually call the stone Adam.

The monument is located near the Leuchtenberg Palace. You can get there by train from the Baltic station to the station. Old Peterhof then by bus to Koporye, Globitsy to Lopukhinka

11. Fedorovsky town- There is a quaint picturesque town in the city of Pushkin in the style of the 17th century with chambers and barracks, houses for service people and priests, and even its own separate laundry.

The complex of buildings grew here in 1913 with the money of wealthy Petersburgers. Address: Pushkin, Academic Avenue, 14-18

12. Manor of the merchant Eliseev- Anyone who has ever been to St. Petersburg, certainly looked into the oldest gastronomic shop of the merchant Eliseev on Nevsky Prospekt. But few people know that the famous entrepreneur also had a magnificent estate near St. Petersburg, in the village of Belogorka. The house was built at the beginning of the 20th century in the Northern Art Nouveau style, designed by the architect Tavlinov.

Get from St. Petersburg by train to Siverskaya station. Then you can get to Belogorka by buses No. 2, 2-E and 506.

13. Oreshek Fortress- The fortress was founded by Prince Yuri Danilovich of Novgorod, grandson of Alexander Nevsky, in 1323. In 1612, the fortress came under the rule of Sweden, at the same time it was renamed Noteburg. In 1702, during the Northern War, the fortress was recaptured by Russian troops and renamed Shlisselburg - "the key-city".

In the 18-19 centuries, the Shlisselburg Fortress was called the "Russian Bastille" - members of the royal family, contenders for the throne, prominent statesmen and public figures were kept here. Now you can visit the inner passages of the two towers, the old Secret House prison, and the exhibition, which is located in the New Prison building.

14. Oredezhsky caves- These caves differ from many others in their unusual arches, vaguely reminiscent of Gothic architecture. Rumor has it that the local passages at one time stretched up to 15 kilometers inland, today only hundreds of meters have survived due to landslides.

The breathtaking corridors of the dungeons were formed not without the participation of man. Previously, in these places, in the neighborhood of the village of Borshchevo, sand was mined for the production of glass.

To get by car from St. Petersburg to Luga along the M-20 highway. From Luga along the R-41 highway to Oredezh. After Oredezh there will be the village of Borshchevo, in it there is a left turn to the lake. There is an abandoned brick building on the descent, from it there will be an entrance 50 meters to the right. Or by train from St. Petersburg to Oredezh station and walk about 5 km.

15. Quarry and lime kilns- A large quarry is located between the Baltic Railway and Syaglitsy. Six pre-revolutionary lime kilns have been preserved here.

You can get to it along the P38 highway "Gatchina - Opole", 61 km, from Syaglits along the alley towards Vruda.

16. Quarry near the village of Pitkelevo- The quarry is located in the southwestern part of the village. In the limestones of the huge "quarry-canyon" there are many fossils, corals, brachiopods, etc.

You can get there by train from the Baltic Station to the station. Gatchina-Baltic, then by bus to the village of Pitkelevo.

17. Mannerheim Line- Today, here you can see the preserved complexes of defensive fortifications, frozen in this place as a memory of the winter battles of 1939-1940.

You can get from the Finland Station to Vyborg to the station. "Leipyasuo" or "Gavrilovo", further on foot. By car: along the Scandinavia highway to Gavrilovo, then to Kamenka up to a height of 65.5, from it on foot.

18. Fort Krasnaya Gorka- One of the two powerful coastal forts of Kronstadt. During World War II, the fort was the most important part of the defense of the Oranienbaum bridgehead.

You can get by train from the Baltic Station to the platform "68th kilometer".

In the south-east of the Leningrad region, in the Tosnensky district, not far from the village of Ulyanovka, there is the Sablinsky Reserve. The protected area of ​​220 hectares includes two waterfalls on the rivers Tosna and Sablinka, canyons of these rivers, underground lakes, caves of artificial origin, as well as several historical sites.

The main attraction of the reserve is, of course, the caves. They appeared at the end of the 18th century, when white quartz sand, necessary for the production of glass, was mined on the territory where the reserve is now located. Until the First World War, sand was exported from here, from which glass for the windows of St. Petersburg was then cast, and various glass products were also created. After the revolution, the glass industry fell into decline, and the extraction of quartz sand in the Sablinsky caves was carried out only occasionally, and after the Second World War it completely stopped. Over time, the development switched to a natural regime, collapses, washouts and flooding began. Because of this, a single development array was divided into four large caves and seven small ones.

In 1976, the Sablinsky natural complex received the status of a reserve. The place is unique for the flat terrain - relief with a canyon and waterfalls is rare here. The caves are visible in the coastal cliffs. The name of the area comes from the French sable, which means sand. Millions of years ago, the ocean raged here, the bottom of which was covered with this sand. The age of soil layers is 530 million years.

Excursions are conducted in the caves, it is strictly forbidden to visit them alone, without a guide - it is very easy to get lost in stone labyrinths. There is a legend that the "White caver" wanders in the caves, forever remaining in them, and woe to those who meet him. They also say that at the beginning of the last century, V. I. Lenin was hiding here from the tsarist secret police when he was visiting his sister, Anna Ulyanova-Elizarova, who had a summer house in the village of Sablino.

Plain waterfalls on the territory of the reserve are not very high (2-4 meters). The Tosnensky Falls and the river canyon are the same age as the Niagara Falls, their age is 10 thousand years. When the Yoldian Sea sank to the ocean level, leaving behind the Ladoga and Onega lakes, the Baltic and White Seas, the waterfall formed on the Tosna River "creeped" up, and reaching the confluence of the Tosna and Sablinka rivers, it was divided into two parts.

How to get there?

We drive along the Moscow highway from the city, then turn left at the sign "Ulyanovka", and then follow the signs "Sablinsky reserve".

Ladoga skerries

In the north of the Leningrad region in the Priozersky district, the shore of Lake Ladoga turns from sandy beaches into rocky skerries. Skerries are a cluster of large and small islands with many straits and bays. The coastline of extraordinary beauty begins a little north of Priozersk and continues further north and east through the territory of the Republic of Karelia. Hundreds of islands are scattered along the entire northern coast of Ladoga, and dozens of unlike bays crash into the rocky shore. The height of the cliffs of the coastline in some places reaches 30-40 meters, and some islands rise 60-70 meters above the water.

The entire system of the coastal strip of Ladoga was formed during the Ice Age. The islands cover the skerry area from wind and waves, so traveling through skerries is much safer than through open water - hence, by the way, the word "skerry" appeared. The Ladoga skerries are shallow, full of fish and vegetation, so they are a great place for a summer holiday on the water. However, it is very easy to get lost on a boat between the islands, so you need to have a GPS navigator or at least a map on hand. In winter, you can ski here, as the calm water between the islands freezes.

Among the southern islands of the skerry region, the large island of Kilpola stands out, separated from the mainland by a narrow strait. In its narrowest part there is a wooden bridge. A rocky wall rises above a small bay in the southern part of the lake - a favorite training place for skiers and beginner climbers. Further north, the cliffs are higher, and the islands are more and more. In some places on the islands there are inland lakes. On the island of Putsaari, in a deep bay, St. Sergius Skete of the Valaam Monastery has been preserved.

How to get there?

To look at the skerries, the first thing you need to do is drive to Priozersk along the highway of the same name. After entering the city, we turn right onto Suvorov Street and move straight through the village of Storozhevoye until the road hits Lake Ladoga. From this cape you will have a magnificent view of Burnev Island, the southernmost island of the Ladoga skerries. There are many ways to get to the skerries themselves. For example, in the area of ​​​​the village of Berezovo there are several marinas where you can rent a boat.

In order to get to the island of Kilpola through a wooden bridge, you will have to make a short detour through the Republic of Karelia. Behind the village of Berezovo there will be a fork, where you need to go to the right, then, about 9 km from the fork, there will be a right turn towards the village of Tiurula (about 5 km from the turn). The main road through this village after one and a half kilometers will lead to the same bridge.

Lighthouse Tolbukhin

Five and a half kilometers west of Kotlin, on an artificial island, stands the Tolbukhin lighthouse - one of the oldest in Russia, whose construction began in 1719 by decree of Peter I. It owes its name to the first commandant of the Kronshlot fortress, Colonel Fyodor Tolbukhin.

The stone tower began to be erected in 1736, but until 1739 only the foundation was built, as the work was very difficult. Its construction was completed in 1810. A guard house and a bathhouse were erected next to the tower, and in 1833 the second floor was completed, connected to the lighthouse.

At the beginning of the 20th century, letters began to arrive at the hydrographic department with requests to repaint the lighthouse from white to any other color. The appeal was justified by the fact that the profile of the lighthouse resembles a sailboat and misleads sailors. The request was not granted, explaining that the lighthouse looks like a sailboat only under certain lighting, which occurs very rarely.

During the First World War, the lighthouse was lit only occasionally, and during the Second World War, it firmly carried out its service under the shelling of German guns. During the battles in the Baltic 1941-45. from the lighthouse tower acted as an observation post, from where they tracked the flashes of the German guns and corrected the gunfire from the forts, pinpointing the mines. In 1960-70s. work was carried out to strengthen the coast of the island with reinforced concrete slabs. They also strengthened the lighthouse structures from underwashing and built a pier.

The lighthouse is still working today, its light is visible for 19 nautical miles (1 nautical mile = 1,852 meters). It is the beginning of the Great Kronstadt raid leading to the ports of Kronstadt and St. Petersburg.

How to get there?

You can look at Tolbukhin from the western coast of Kotlin Island, which can be reached by turning off the ring road at the 15th kilometer, at the junction with the Kronstadt highway. Further, moving along the highway in the opposite direction from Kronstadt, you will reach the Rif Fort, which is freely accessible. From there you can look at the legendary building.

Excursion boats from Kronstadt go to the lighthouse, which sail near the island, but do not moor near the shore, and in winter the lighthouse can be reached on ice on skis, but only with an experienced instructor. It is also worth remembering that all operating lighthouses are in the military department and tourists may be denied access to the territory.

Toksovsky bison

Not far from St. Petersburg, in the Vsevolozhsk district of the Leningrad region, near the village of Toksovo, there is a truly unique place. Toksovsky bison is the northernmost point in the world where bison live. In 1974, in order to preserve the population, two bison were brought here from the Leningrad Zoo: a male Malysh and a female Lira. Then Novokavgolovsky park was located here, part of which, representing a wild forest, was fenced off.

Bison is a mammal of the artiodactyl family, a subfamily of bulls. An adult bison (or tour) reaches three meters, and its weight can reach up to 900 kg. Bison are listed in the Red Book and are protected by law.

In 1976, the first calf was born, a girl named Lima. After the organization of the nursery, 40 years have passed, and bison had to mate with close relatives. Because of this, their further reproduction has become almost impossible. Now there are two bulls and two heifers in the bison, but both females, unfortunately, are barren.

The nursery itself is in dire need of a new territory today, since for 40 years the site has been completely trampled down by animals, and the trees have been uprooted by horns. Bison live in an empty meadow. The nursery also needs new females, otherwise the current generation of bison will simply be the last. You can look at the last surviving bison on any day from 10:00 to 19:00. Entrance to the park is free.

How to get there?

Zubrovnik is actually located between Toksovsky and Novopriozersky highways. Along Toksovsky, you need to get to the Toksovo village itself, then turn left at the fork, onto the street. Dorozhnikov, through the railway crossing and straight ahead. After 4 km after the crossing there will be a big banner "Zubrovnik" and a turning to the left onto a dirt road that will lead to the park. If you choose Novopriozerskoe highway, then we go to the Vartemyagi / Toksovo interchange and turn right towards Toksovo. Then we move straight - passing the village of Rappolovo, you need to drive about 700 meters more to the turnaround and the already mentioned banner. Then turn right along the dirt road to the park.

Gatchina geysers

Not far from Gatchina, you can admire a magnificent phenomenon - Gatchina geysers. These are six sources, beating to a height of one to one and a half meters. In winter, they freeze, turning into intricate ice figures.

Geysers appeared from human hands, but how exactly, no one can say for sure. There are two versions. According to the first one, in the 80s of the last century, when searching for new water sources on the Izhora plateau, many wells were drilled, but later the project was stopped, and the wells were clogged. Over time, due to technological errors, some of them were knocked out and geysers gushed out of the wells. The second version says that this phenomenon is a consequence of the Soviet Union's project to create reserve gas storages in aquifers. The pressure of the gas in the underground water bubble is what causes the water to gush out.

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the reserves and national parks of the Leningrad Region for the residents of the multi-million population of St. Petersburg. It is they who make up the "ecological frame" of the region, act as its green shield. Of course, the close proximity of large natural objects stabilizes the ecological situation in the region.

National Park "Karelian Isthmus"

The national parks of the Leningrad region can boast of the "Karelian Isthmus", which is located between the Neva River and a section of the border between the Leningrad Region and Karelia. It is the largest in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. This is a kind of small country with its own relief, hills (Koltush heights), rivers and lakes. On its vast territory there are about 700 lakes, several rivers (the largest of them is Vuoksa with the famous Losevsky rapids).

A variety of landscapes, pleasing to the eye with their picturesqueness, are formed by the activity of ancient glaciers. Boulders, parts of rocks are found throughout the reserve. Its numerous lakes also owe their origin to glaciers.

Predominantly coniferous forests still make up 60% of the area of ​​the reserve. This may explain the richness of its fauna. In addition to the usual squirrels, foxes, wild boars, here you can meet bears, wolves, lynxes, and among the birds - hazel grouse, black grouse, capercaillie. Rare species of fish are still preserved in the lakes of the isthmus: whitefish, grayling, vendace.

Separate unique natural phenomena of the national park are allocated to specially protected natural areas (PAs) - there are thirty-five of them on the Karelian Isthmus.

One of them is a natural monument near the Kuznechnoye station. The lake is, as it were, sandwiched between steep granite rocks up to 50 meters high. Particularly famous is the rock of Parnassus, which attracts rock climbers.

Among the specially protected areas of the national parks of the Leningrad region are the well-known, located a short distance from the city, the Lindulovskaya Roshcha and Gladyshevsky reserves.

Natural botanical reserve near the village of Roshchino

The Lindulovskaya grove is another monument to the transformations of Peter the Great. The beginning of these famous, oldest larch plantations in Europe was laid back in 1738 according to the plan of the emperor, who planned to grow trees for shipbuilding.

Along with the oldest unique species of larch, other conifers also grow in the grove: Siberian cedar, spruce, fir, as well as oak, ash, elm. Some old trees reach a height of 40-50 meters, in diameter - more than 1 meter. Plantings continued and resumed over the past 200 years and have become the school of Russian forestry.

The grove is included in the UNESCO-protected object "The Historic Center of St. Petersburg and Associated Complexes of Monuments".

Gladyshevsky Reserve

This reserve is located almost next to the Lindulovskoy grove. It was created relatively recently, in 1996. It occupies a fairly spacious area of ​​8400 hectares.

The main asset of the reserve is the habitat of salmon fish and their constant companions - rare mollusks called European pearl mussel. This inseparable couple lives mainly in the Black River, where research has been carried out for many years by the Institute for the Protection of Fisheries

Moreover, year after year, scientists are trying to restore and increase the salmon population (and this is the Baltic salmon and the Baltic trout) in the waters of the Black River. Thousands of tagged fry released into the river are under constant surveillance. Despite the fact that amateur fishing is prohibited here, poachers still catch some part of the salmon.

Naturalist lovers visiting the Gladyshevsky Reserve note that even in its current neglected state, it has preserved many species of insects (various butterflies, wasps, bees), birds (woodpeckers, jays, hawks). Of the quadrupeds, you can often find foxes, squirrels, and rodents.

Sablinsky natural monument

The national parks of the Leningrad region can also be proud of the Sablinsky natural monument. It is located in the Tosnensky district near the village of Ulyanovka. It attracts numerous tourists with artificial caves - the result of underground extraction of quartz sand in the 2nd half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, during the years of the construction boom in St. Petersburg. The rapids on the Tosna and Sablinka rivers are also of interest.

Natural park "Veps forest"

The reserves and national parks of the Leningrad region also have the Vepsian forest on their list. A genuine natural pearl is located three hundred kilometers from St. Petersburg. This is an ecologically clean natural park with a large area of ​​189 thousand hectares. In 1999, it received the status of a specially protected natural area (SPNA).

The Vepsian forest has preserved primeval forests, ecological systems almost untouched by economic activity. The unique territory has a hilly terrain, dozens of mountain lakes at an altitude of 200-250 m above sea level, and many rivers. Almost half of it is covered with old spruce and pine forests, very rare in the north-west, which have sheltered under their cover many endangered, "Red Book" plants. Vepsian forests and swamps can boast of the presence of 57 species of rare birds. Among them are the gray heron, capercaillie, field harrier, goldeneye, black kite.

More than a third of the area of ​​the Veps forest is occupied by swamps and this is perhaps its most valuable asset. This is one of the few marshes in the area that have not been irrigated, preserving intact the traditional bird nesting sites. Perhaps the Vepsian Forest reminds everyone of the Meshchera National Park.

Meshchera National Park of Federal Importance

The nature protection complex, created in order to save the natural potential, is located in the south-west of the Vladimir region (adjacent to the borders of the Moscow and Ryazan regions). Numerous rivers and lakes are located on 118 thousand hectares, with swamps occupying 5 thousand hectares, and 70% of the entire territory is covered by forests. This statistic itself indicates the exceptional uniqueness of the reserve.

Ecologists emphasize the outstanding importance of Meshchera, since it is here that European species of coniferous-deciduous forests are most fully represented. Thanks to this rare forest-bog symbiosis, many large animals and birds survive and preserve their offspring. Only in the Russian muskrat lives - a relic species of the mole family.

The abundance of birds nesting in the reserve includes many endangered species: gray heron, bittern, curlew.

Therefore, it will not be an exaggeration to say that the Meshchera National Park is a true pearl of natural heritage.

Nizhnesvirsky nature reserve of federal significance

The national parks of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region can boast of the Nizhnesiversky Nature Reserve. It is located in the southern Ladoga region, covers an area of ​​​​41 thousand hectares, and the land is only 36 thousand hectares, the rest is water spaces and deltas

The flat landscapes of the natural complex do not amaze the imagination, its distinctive feature is the richness of flora and fauna.

Their abundance is impressive. Their concentration is especially high during the seasons of spring and autumn flights. At this time, if you are lucky, you can watch flocks of swans, mallards, teals, gray geese on the water. In total, ornithologists count 260 species of birds here.

The “livestock” of land-dwelling animals is not inferior to them in terms of diversity - there are only 44 species of mammals: elk, brown bear, beavers, lynx, wolverine, etc. The waters of Ladoga have long been inhabited by the so-called endemic, living exclusively in a certain area - Ladoga seal. And in fresh water there is lamprey, well known to many as a fish delicacy.

Swan Reserve

The national parks of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region can also be proud of the Lebyazhy Reserve. This is another specially protected natural area. The reserve, which received the additional status of a water-balance ground of international importance, is located along the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland in the Lomonosovsky district.

Recognized as the standard of coastal landscapes of the southern coast of the bay. Despite the fact that the occupied area is not so large - 6400 hectares, the reserve has a high environmental significance. It is believed that in terms of the diversity of plants, birds and animals it has no equal in the Leningrad region. 200 species of its inhabitants are already listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

The peculiarity of its location (coast and shallow water) determined the glory of this reserve, which is reflected in its name - Lebyazhy. In spring and autumn, thousands of migratory birds flock here, making a massive flight along the coastline. Every year, up to 30,000 different species of these birds are counted at the sites of swans.

The unique reserve currently exists in rather difficult conditions. Almost the entire coast is built up; increased navigation and pollution of the water area leads to the death of such rare animals as ringed seals and gray seals.

National parks and not only are of great value. The duty of every person is to save them and pass them on to future generations!