Okulovsky District: Lakes, Rivers and Culture

Around 200 lakes of various sizes characterize Okulovsky District: they are fringed by pines, nestled among dense forests or spread across open terrain. The Msta River also flows through the area, with a distinctive tributary area at “Semiruchye.” The Borovno hydroelectric power plant and the listed excursions also give the region a cultural and historical dimension. You can consider whether lakes and landscapes, museum visits or organized bus tours should be the focus of your trip.

Lakes and waterscapes

At the “Semiruchye” site, seven spring-fed streams flow into the Msta along a 200-meter stretch of the river’s left bank. One of them originates at the spring of the Great Martyr Panteleimon. This precise description of a riverbank complements the broader picture of around 200 lakes: one represents individual waterways and springs, while the other evokes a landscape of lakes of different sizes and settings. If you are interested in nature, you can choose between forest and riverside landscapes and open expanses of water.

Cultural heritage and routes

The Borovno hydroelectric power plant is a valuable natural, hydraulic-engineering and industrial monument in Okulovsky District, as well as a cultural heritage site of Novgorod Oblast. It is also a stop on one of the listed routes for the one-day bus excursions “Okulovskimi tropami istorii” (“Along Okulovka’s Paths of History”): this route runs from Okulovka via the power plant, Pogost, Gorneshno and Gory, and back to Okulovka. Another route runs from Okulovka via Likhaya Krucha and the “Baldazary” hills, and back to town.

The one-day bus excursions are organized for groups of 15 to 25 people aged 10 and over. The two routes described offer different stops, but both are organized group excursions. If you would like to include one of these trips in your plans, check current dates and arrangements with the organizer in advance; the age and group-size requirements are important details.

The Okulovsky Canoe Slalom Course offers a different kind of activity. It has a children’s section, a training section and a main section with a difficulty rating of five, where national competitions are held. The three sections and their different functions provide a concrete picture of the course’s layout, without implying that a competition is currently scheduled.

Museum and other excursion destinations

The main exhibition at the Okulovsky Local History Museum is dedicated to the traveler Nikolay Miklukho-Maklay, who was born in this area. The museum also lists the “Puteshestvie po Biankovskim mestam” (“A Journey Through Bianka’s Places”) bus tour on the Okulovka–Borovno–Okulovka route, as well as a local-history bus excursion via Kulotino, Boevo and Opechek, returning to Okulovka. Other listed destinations include a circular route to “Strana Div” (“Land of Wonders”) and a city walking tour titled “Nash gorod, nam dorog” (“Our City Is Dear to Us”).

Another museum trip goes to the spring of Saint Seraphim of Sarov at the holy well “Kresty.” Check with the museum in advance to see whether the trip is currently offered and what access conditions apply at this destination. The different titles and routes can also help you decide whether you are more interested in a themed bus route, local-history stops or a walking tour of the city.

Another look at Novgorod Oblast

Novgorod Oblast also has distinctive natural destinations. Mount Ryzhokha is the highest point in Valdai National Park; on the mountain stands a 25-meter-high observation tower with views of the taiga, Lake Velyo and other bodies of water. The circular trail in the Bor area passes through typical taiga forests on hilly terrain and through a variety of wetlands in hollows between the hills. These examples complement the lake and Msta scenery of Okulovsky District with mountain, forest and wetland landscapes elsewhere in Novgorod Oblast.

When choosing a holiday rental, you can first decide what you want to focus on during your trip: lakes and riverside landscapes, culture and museums, or an organized bus tour. This lets you compare your own holiday plans with the region’s different themes without treating any one route or accommodation as a standard for everyone.

Discover more destinations: Sukhoye, Lyubytinsky District, Chudovsky District, Soletsky District, Borovichsky District, Soletsky District, Marevsky District, Staraya Russa.

Back to the regional travel overview: Novgorod Oblast.