The Ruskeala Express: Steam Train from Sortavala to Ruskeala — Getting There from Saint Petersburg, Tickets and What to Expect

The Ruskeala Express is a rare thing in Russia — a daily steam-hauled train: an hour from Sortavala to the Ruskeala Mountain Park in carriages styled after the 19th-century Nikolaev Express, with a real steam locomotive in front and a turntable show at the end. From Saint Petersburg a morning Lastochka train connects to it, but a same-day return does not work — the evening Lastochka leaves Sortavala before the steam train gets back. Here is the timetable, the tickets, the connections and how to plan it.

What the train is

The retro train runs between Sortavala station and the terminus called Gorny Park Ruskeala, built right at the park entrance. The set is made of compartment coaches with seats and a restaurant car; the interiors reproduce the Nikolaev Express of the late 1800s — wood panelling, period lamps and wallpaper. There is a first-class car with four compartments and a lounge, and a photo compartment with props. Russian Railways reserves the right to swap the steam locomotive for a diesel one for safety or timetable reasons, but on a normal day it is steam. In 2022 the train received the Russian Government's tourism award.

The best part comes at the terminus: after arrival the locomotive is uncoupled and turned around on a turntable for the return trip. Watching from the platform is free — do not rush into the park straight away.

Timetable and tickets

• No. 921 Sortavala → Gorny Park Ruskeala: departs 10:40, arrives 11:50 — daily.
• No. 922 Gorny Park Ruskeala → Sortavala: departs 17:30, arrives 18:35 — daily.
• In summer a second Saturday pair is added: No. 924 from Ruskeala at 12:30 (Sortavala 13:35) and No. 923 from Sortavala at 15:00 (park 16:10). Check that it runs on your date.

Tickets are sold like any long-distance train: on the Russian Railways website, in the "RZD Passengers" app and at any long-distance ticket office; sales open 45 days ahead. Fares depend on the coach class and the date, so check them at purchase. Foreign bank cards do not work on Russian websites, so if you have no Russian card, buy at any long-distance ticket office in Saint Petersburg. With a ticket for train 921 you can add an excursion package for the park including entry to its sites: 2,500 roubles per adult, 2,200 for children under 10, on Saturdays from 12 September to 31 October 2026, meeting at 12:20 by the turntable.

Getting there from Saint Petersburg

By Lastochka to Sortavala. Two pairs of Lastochka express trains run from Finlyandsky station: No. 821 leaves at 06:15 and reaches the Sortavala-Tsentr terminus at 10:28; No. 823 is the evening one, 19:25 to 23:38. Stops include Vyborg, Kamennogorsk, Elisenvaara, Yakkima and Kuokkaniemi. The steam train leaves from Sortavala main station at 10:40 — the Lastochka calls there a few minutes before the terminus, so get off at "Sortavala", not at "Sortavala-Tsentr". The connection is tight; buy the retro-train ticket in advance rather than at the station. Return trains: No. 822 leaves Sortavala at 18:07, No. 824 at 05:22. The steam train brings you back at 18:35, so you cannot catch the evening Lastochka the same day. Either stay overnight in Sortavala, or in summer on Saturdays come back on the midday retro train No. 924 at 12:30 (which leaves you under an hour in the park).

A one-day tour by Russian Railways. The RZD website sells a package "To Ruskeala by retro train in one day from Saint Petersburg" run by RZD Tour: a coach with a guide via Priozersk and Sortavala, a steam-hauled leg from Moroznaya station to the park, and the Akhvenkoski waterfalls. It is the way to see the locomotive and be back in the city the same evening, at the cost of seeing the park on a guided schedule.

By car. About 270 km on the A-121 road to Sortavala, then 30 km to the park. Leaving the car at Sortavala station and riding the steam train both ways is the most flexible plan.

One day or overnight

The honest plan is an overnight in Sortavala. Arrive on the evening Lastochka No. 823, sleep, take the steam train in the morning, spend the afternoon in the park, return to Sortavala at 18:35 and leave on the early-morning Lastochka at 05:22 or the next evening's 18:07. Sortavala itself deserves a walk: Finnish Art Nouveau, the Ladoga waterfront, fish shops. Book accommodation in Sortavala or Ruskeala early for weekends and the New Year holidays, and remember that from Sortavala you still need to reach the park — by the steam train, a taxi or a pre-booked transfer.

The park in brief

The Marble Canyon is a flooded quarry that supplied marble for Saint Isaac's Cathedral and other Petersburg landmarks — sheer walls and emerald water. Park entry on the official website is 650 roubles; tours are extra: "Marble Canyon" (1 h 15 min, 1.6 km) 950 roubles, "The Way of the Mountain Masters" (1 h 45 min, 2.6 km) 1,150 roubles, "Underground Ruskeala" through the galleries and the column hall (up to 60 min, 850 m, children from 7) 2,500 roubles. Check seasonal opening hours on the park's website; the information line is +7 (921) 621-50-50. Our separate Ruskeala guide covers the park itself.

Tips

• Buy the steam-train ticket together with the Lastochka: seats sell out before the express does, especially at weekends.
• Get off at Sortavala main station, not Sortavala-Tsentr, or you will be running back across town.
• Turntable first, park second: the turning takes minutes and happens again only before the return trip.
• Photos with the locomotive right after arrival while it is still steaming; the restaurant car serves food on the way.
• In winter the timetable is the same and the steam in the snow looks best — dress warmer than in the city for the platform.
• The Lastochka stops in Vyborg, so you can split the journey; what to do if it is cancelled is covered separately.

Frequently asked questions