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Nature and ecotourism in Arkhangelsk region

The Arkhangelsk Region is one of the few regions in the northern hemisphere of our planet which combines mild climate allowing for all year round tourists’ recreation with diverse landscapes of virgin nature and rich historical and cultural traditions.

The Region has surplus water resources. It can boast of 70 thousand big and small rivers of the general length of 275 thousand km, including 4 thousand km of navigable routes. The most full-flowing rivers are the Northern Dvina and Pechora, they are second to the Volga only. More than 200 thousand lakes are there, too, the largest of them are Kenozero, Lekshmozero, Kozhozero, Lache – their area is 50 square km and more.

Natural preserved areas in the Arkhangelsk Region are more than 3.4 million hectares and make 8.3 % of the whole area. A dense network of well-preserved territories comprises one natural preserve, two museum-reserves, two national parks, and more than 30 regional game reserves. National parks and natural preserves play a key role in preserving and rational use of cultural and natural heritage, developing natural and ecological tourism, different forms of active recreation among natural landscapes.

An important resource of ecological and natural tourism is rich mushroom and berries areas. The average annual crop of berries is up to 150 thousand tons (cranberries, cowberries, blackberries, cloudberries, great bilberries). The average annual crop of mushrooms is up to 65 thousand tons (boletus, milk mushroom, coral milky cap, saffron milky cap, orange cap boletus, brown cap boletus).

The variety of plants in forests, tundra, bogs and water reaches 1500 and more species.

Magical is the stern beauty of the White Sea. The cold sea greatly influences the nature of the Arkhangelsk Region by making the climate milder and thus allowing the abundance of fishes, sea animals and great resources of sea weeds; the latter number about 200 of species. The Kiy Island is also a unique nature creation; it is situated in the mouth of the Onega Bay of the White Sea. Its grey granite cliffs of 25 m high, wide sand beaches and magnificent pine forests are very impressive.

From mid-May to the end of July one can enjoy white nights, a unique natural phenomenon in Arkhangelsk. Then the sun sinks behind the horizon line for not more than 9 minutes, so the nights are as light as the days. It all makes the Arkhangelsk Region a very special tourist resource.