Place of Power - Mount Vottovaara

Among the numerous lakes and dense forests of central Karelia, the mysterious Mount Vottovaara has been lost. Due to its remoteness, it is not included in the list of popular tourist routes, but every year there are more and more people wishing to visit this unique place.

The best way to get here from St. Petersburg is through Murmanka, but we are not looking for easy ways, so we went along the Sortavala and stopped on the way to Ruskealu. It is difficult to calculate how many times I have been to a marble quarry.

Panorama of 8 vertical frames.

After turning to Suoyarvi, the asphalt ended, and this meant that almost half the way would have to go along the dirt road. Toivola, Lakhkolampi, Porosozero - the road is getting worse ... After long hours of travel, and here it is - the treasured sign of "Gimola". Probably, all the people who visited Vottovaara know the name of this village.

This is the base camp for tourists arriving in this Karelian wilderness. There will be no further settlements on the way to the mountain, and we still have to drive 15 kilometers to the mountain, and another 20 on the way to its peak.

When you leave for a couple of kilometers from the village, the primer ends and the forest road begins. Branches shuffle around the car, stones fly out from under the wheels, and it’s scary to drive into some puddles at all - the "real" road begins!

Some specimens of mushrooms could be cut without leaving the car, just by opening the door. Some stood right on the road, others on the side of the road, and entire families were hiding in the bushes.

I hardly understood how we managed to overcome the last 30 kilometers. The steep climbs and descents with huge boulders were especially impressive. In the last swamp, I just did not dare to climb. There, and on a prepared machine, not everyone will climb. Those who drove there rode in pairs.

As a result, we found a small clearing, where we set up a tent.

In such conditions, without a normal map and compass it is not difficult to get lost.

Mount Vottovaara in Karelia has a height of 417 meters and is famous for its futuristic landscapes with stones, rocks and dead trees of a fanciful shape.

Many consider it one of the most mystical places in Russia, a place of power. Someone even calls it a mysterious ancient civilization - Hyperborea.

At its top, on an area of about six square kilometers, there are about 1,600 stones (seids), laid in some mysterious order - a large number of megaliths, sanctuaries, altars, a stone pool and a staircase to the sky of 13 steps.
Vottovaara is also called the Karelian Stonehenge (a UNESCO-listed stone megalithic structure in Wiltshire, England).

Opinions of scientists regarding the occurrence of this natural monument were divided. Some suggest that this is an ancient cult complex, others believe that these are traces of glaciers and earthquakes. Superstitious people consider Mount Vottovaara in Karelia to be the center of evil forces and a bridge to another world. According to psychics, this place has high energy.

Of course, I don’t know which glacier can carve stairs to stones, split rocks perfectly evenly, and what earthquake can put a huge boulder (seyd) on several small pebbles ... In any case, this place is amazing and bewitching ...

The next day, the clouds did not recede. We decided to rearrange our camp lower, located at the foot of the mountain on the shores of Lake Metsavelijärvi with crystal clear turquoise water.

In the evening, it was decided to try to climb to the top of Vottovaara again.

A miracle happened, and at some moment the clouds parted. Well, how can you not believe in the magic of the mountain? From the top there were magnificent views of tens of kilometers around. There was an opportunity to explore the stone sights.

This is the lake "Eye" in the center of the amphitheater.

Geologists drilled its bottom and took soil samples. The analysis showed the presence of a powerful layer of phosphorus formed over a limited period of time. Perhaps these are traces of ancient sacrifices.

The pool is of a regular rectangular shape, behind which large stones are located on inclined plates.

The altar is one of the main details of the cult complex. From somewhere it grew in the middle of a swamp.

Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to get to the stairs, because in a matter of moments another “fog cloud” flew up the mountain. I had to go down.

Mount Vottovaara in Karelia is full of legends and rumors. Someone here saw UFOs, ghosts, heard strange sounds. Someone’s clocks stopped, electronic equipment crashed, and health problems arose.

I didn’t notice anything like that, but a visit to this place will definitely be remembered for a long time by my unique atmosphere and extraordinary landscapes. I hope I’ll be back there ...