Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga is a freshwater body of water that is considered one of the largest lakes in all of Europe. It belongs to Russia and is located between Karelia and the Leningrad region. The length of the lake is 219 km, and its width is 138 km. The depth of the lake is quite diverse, in some places it reaches up to 230 meters, but there is an area where the depth is only 20 meters.
The coastal cities of Lake Ladoga are Shlisselburg, Priozersk, Novaya Ladoga, which belong to the Leningrad region, as well as the cities of Karelia: Sortavala, Olonets, Pitkyaranta and others. The famous Neva River of Russia originates from the lake, and 32 rivers flow into its waters.
There are no regular water flights for passengers, but more than once a day you can see tourist ships that run along a certain route.
The lake water succumbs to the local frosts in the first month of winter, but at this time only the coastal part of it is covered with a crust of ice. If the winter is harsh, then in February the middle of the lake is covered with solid ice.
Prolonged winter affects the temperature of the water even in the summer, because it does not have time to warm up in the warmer months. In August, off the shores of Lake Ladoga, the water reaches +24 degrees Celsius, but in the middle of the reservoir, at its bottom, you can only measure +4 degrees Celsius.
Lake Ladoga welcomes tourists on its territory from June to July, and with the approach of the autumn period, storms are observed here. Sometimes the waves on the reservoir even become life-threatening.
There is an archipelago on Lake Ladoga, which consists of 50 Valaam Islands. There is also a monastery here, which was built in the period from the 10th to the 11th century.
On the territory where the Svir River joins the lake, a nature reserve is organized, which is known as Nizhnesvirsky. This protected area contains wetlands of international importance, as a territory where waterfowl live and nest. The reserve has at least 256 species of various birds, as well as 44 mammals. Nature is represented by more than 530 species of tubular plants.
Fishing in the waters of the lake is a very common activity among tourists. And this is not for nothing, because there are close to 53 species of fish, including trout, salmon, bream, catfish, walleye and many other freshwater fish. Unfortunately, humanity has a negative impact on the fauna of Lake Ladoga. The state promotes the conservation of natural resources, for this reason, some species of endangered fish are listed in the Red Book of Russia.
