Paanajärvi National Park
Paanarvi is a national park located in the most extreme part of the north of Karelia, near the Arctic Circle. It was founded in 1992 in order to preserve the unique natural complexes of the Paanajarvi lakes, as well as the Olangi River basin, and use them for recreational, environmental, scientific, and educational purposes. On the Finnish border, this park is bordered by another national park, Oulanka, which was established in 1956 in Finland. The area of this park is approximately 1,045 km2.
Paanayarvi Park is located in the most elevated area of Karelia, in the center of the Manselkya ridge. The terrain of the territory is quite different and consists of an alternation of hills broken by cracks, ridges with separate isolated massifs and plateaus. It is home to one of the highest points in Karelia, a mountain called Nuorunen, at an altitude of approximately 576 meters. The pearl of the park is Lake Paanajarvi, which stretches from west to east like a blue ribbon, framed by the peaks of various mountains that either approach the water like a steep cliff or are located at a small distance from it. This lake is considered to be the deepest lake in the whole world, with a depth of approximately 130 m.
The total number of lakes in this park is 120. A huge number of rivers and streams flow through the park. The largest river that flows through this park is the Olanga River. There are also a huge number of picturesque waterfalls, including the famous Kivakka Waterfall, which is the main attraction of this park. There are many swampy areas in the park, among them are "hanging" marshes, which are located on fairly steep slopes.
Most visitors to Paanajarvi Park have nicknamed it the botanical Mecca. The local flora is characterized by an abundance of diversity, which is associated with the location of this park on the border of the middle and northern taiga, intersecting with the dividing line of the Atlantic and Arctic plant communities. Today, approximately 570 types of vascular plants have been found in the park, among which 12 are listed in the Red Book of Russia. Its territory is dominated by such forest complexes as spruce forests and pine forests.
Among the mammals of this park you can find the following: bear, moose, wolverine, lynx, fox, wolf, marten, squirrel, white hare, ermine, mink, small rodents and weasel. One of the unique mammals of this park is the northern forest deer. The avifauna is dominated by the following types of birds: the humming goose, the whooping swan, the black-throated loon, the gray crane and the capercaillie. Of the birds of prey, there are golden eagles, ospreys and white-tailed eagles.
The Paanajarvi Nature Reserve includes the picturesque landscapes of the park and the amazing Paanajarvi Lake. For those tourists who are lovers of active water tourism, there are special routes along the waterfalls of mountain rivers. During the excursions, travelers are given the opportunity to visit the ancient Sami settlements, which are the original peoples in these parts. A valuable and at the same time quite interesting find is a huge Sami sanctuary, which is located on a mountain called Kivakka, consisting of a large number of stone clusters – seids. Seids were also found on the top of Nuorunen Mountain.
