In Slanzy, a museum treasure hunt, a historical city tour and a memorial reveal different sides of the city’s history. The story ranges from questions about mining to remembrance of partisans; the Church of Saint Seraphim of Sarov is also located in the city.

City History on a Walking Tour and in the Museum

At the Slantsy Historical and Local History Museum, the “Monogorod ot A do Ya” zone takes visitors on a museum treasure hunt. The questions explore what miners ate, what was made from shale and what jobs women did in the mines. The tour thus focuses on work and everyday life related to mining. Visitors interested in these topics will find a concrete way to explore local history here.

Another way to explore is the historical local-history walking tour “Gorod molodykh”. It is free to take during a walk through Slanzy. While the treasure hunt poses questions about mining and mine work, this tour is described as a historical route through the city.

Memorial Site and Church in Slanzy

At 1a Lenina Street, a star-shaped monument at a burial site commemorates partisans who died between 1941 and 1944. The memorial site offers a different historical perspective from the museum treasure hunt and the walking tour. The Church of Saint Seraphim of Sarov is also located in Slanzy.

Nature and Trails in Leningrad Oblast

A broader natural setting can be found in the wider destination of Leningrad Oblast. In the far east of Leningrad Oblast lies Veps Forest Nature Park, which encompasses seven nature reserves with particularly strict conservation rules. There are numerous lakes in the park; the largest is Lake Lerinskoye, in the reserve of the same name.

Among the nature park’s special features are preserved old spruce and pine forests in the “Vepsskiy les” and “Ashchozyorskiy” reserves. These forests are important for numerous organisms that can survive only in forests undisturbed by economic activity. The Veps, a small people of Russia with their own culture and traditions, have traditionally lived in the park. Brown bears are also found there in larger numbers; the wolverine, extremely rare in the region, has also been recorded.

The nature trails in the wider destination of Leningrad Oblast vary in their landscapes and route types. At the “Toksovskiye vysoty” natural monument, a circular ecological trail crosses sandy hills and the hollows between them, as well as old spruce and pine forests. In the “Gryada Varyamyansel'kya” protected area in Priozersk District, an ecological cycling trail passes through a landscape of lakes, marshes and dry, old pine forest. The official pages for both routes are dated 2019; check the current route status before travelling.

The Ladva Trail leads through glacially shaped terrain and middle-taiga vegetation to the Veps village of Ladva. It also leads to Lake Ladva in Podporozhye District. These examples give an impression of the varied nature themes described in the wider destination of Leningrad Oblast.

Architectural History in the Wider Destination

Another cultural heritage attraction in Leningrad Oblast is Koporye Fortress, a museum and a monument of Old Russian stone architecture. It has survived in its present form since the 16th century; parts of the masonry date from the 13th century. Because it is in a state of disrepair, climbing the walls and towers is prohibited. The museum website describes a self-guided visit using the “Koporskaya krepost' 2.0” multimedia guide as an option; check its availability before planning your visit.

Discover more destinations: Korostel', Ropsha, Sredniye Krupeli, Kirovsk, Trubnikov Bor, Kezoruchey, Yukki, Starosiverskaya

Back to the main travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.