Lake Ilmen
Озеро Ильмень
A large lake south of Novgorod covering about 1,000 square kilometers, the source of the Volkhov River and the “sea” of Novgorod’s epics.
Lake Ilmen is wide and open. Its northern shore holds Yuriev Monastery, Peryn Skete and Rurikovo Gorodishche. In summer you can take boats such as the Veche from the pier by the footbridge and sail along the Volkhov into the lake, a round trip of about 1.5–2 hours. You can also watch the sunset from the lakeshore around Peryn or Yuryevo. Lakeside villages have fishermen’s eateries, and in winter the frozen lake is used for ice fishing. The coordinates point to the center of the lake; the viewpoints on the northern shore are about 6 kilometers from the city center.
Opening hours
All day (cruises run in summer)
Nearby sights
- Peryn Skete
- Yuriev Monastery
- Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture
- Rurikovo Gorodishche
- Church of the Saviour at Nereditsa
- Znamensky Cathedral
- Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyina Street
- Yaroslav's Court