Is it possible to ski in the Leningrad Region? After a grandiose repair , Okhta Park in St. Petersburg reopened its doors to vacationers. There are extreme slopes and high lifts , calm and measured skiing on magnificent tracks. Beginners come here to learn the basics of this active entertainment, families with children clothe themselves in ski suits and are in a hurry to spend their sports weekend. There are a lot of youth , people of all ages and complexions. How to get to Okhta Park in St. Petersburg? Where can tourists stay and how are they fed? What other services are there at the recreation center? We will talk about this below.
How it all began?
Today, Okhta Park in St. Petersburg is the region’s largest winter ski resort and a great base to relax in the summer. Back in 1993, a group of enthusiasts who loved to ski noticed an interesting slope 20 km from St. Petersburg, next to the beautiful Okhta River. Together they made a homemade lift, cleared a fairly large area for the first track. All this was carried out with the aim of consciousness of the training zone for the children's ski school.
So a small base was opened on which the younger generation of St. Petersburg learned to ski under the strict guidance of adults. Over time, it turned into a huge complex, which became known as the winter ski resort. This is the only place of its kind in the entire area. The address of the recreation center "Okhta Park" (St. Petersburg): Leningrad region., Vsevolozhsk district, village. Mistolovo, st. L. Kedrina. The road from the Northern capital takes no more than 30 minutes by car. You need to follow to the traffic police post on Kultury Avenue, and then turn to the direction of the village of Bugry following the sign, turn right after it. By public transport you can get from the metro stations Parnas, Devyatkino, Toksovo directly to the complex.
After reconstruction
The updated Okhta Park base (St. Petersburg) resumed its work after a short break in 2015. Renovations touched everything, but first of all, the infrastructure of the slopes and lifts was updated, the territory was expanded, many more modern innovations appeared for lovers of winter recreation.
On the photo "Okhta Park" (St. Petersburg) you can see the satisfied faces of vacationers, many of whom come here regularly with their entire families with children or large friendly companies. The base is open all year and is located in a very picturesque place among the stately pines.
The total slope area is about 140,000 km 2 . Snow cover is set by December and remains in good condition until March. At other times of the year, residents of the Leningrad Region and neighboring regions come here with pleasure to spend time actively and with health benefits, breathe in coniferous air in an ecologically clean place and take a break from everyday life and city bustle.
Infrastructure "Ohta Park" (St. Petersburg)
A comfortable cottage village for 300 people has been built to accommodate numerous vacationers, we will talk about it below. Ten ski slopes of various difficulty levels with modern Austrian ski lifts are equipped for skiing. So that guests of the complex could engage in other winter types of entertainment (snowboarding, freestyle, sledding, slides, skiing with "cheesecakes", etc.), a huge "Snow Park" is equipped. It is great for both kids and adults. Day and evening you can enjoy the excellent glide on the rink, which is beautifully highlighted in the dark.
Dining is provided by a large restaurant, a summer cafe and eateries. There are several bars where you can warm yourself with warm grog, tasty and aromatic coffee or another drink.
The indoor sports complex is equipped with modern fitness equipment, three outdoor swimming pools, unique baths and saunas, and a massage room.
Trails and lifts
The ski resort "Okhta Park" (St. Petersburg) offers its guests to use the slopes, the total length of which almost reaches 3 km. Even children (there is a special area for skiing) and beginners will feel comfortable here. Those who get down to ski for the first time often resort to the help of professional instructors. Experienced masters from the ski school of the complex teach the basics of skiing, show how to maneuver, so that then vacationers can go to the tracks of a more difficult level.
There are no sharp changes in altitude, so for extreme sportsmen who want to develop high speed, a zone is equipped in the territory of Snow Park. Here you can see how skiers hover over ski jumps, perform acrobatic figures next to airbags, or do snowboarding.
For the convenience of guests, after renovation, a new ultramodern lift was launched, the seats in it are heated, and the cabin is equipped with a glass automatically lowering lid. Now you can comfortably overcome the maximum height of 55 m to the desired track without fear of freezing wind and snow.
Snow park
The division into zones gives vacationers the opportunity not to interfere with each other, but to separately engage in freestyle, training or to teach their baby to balance skiing or snowboarding.
The large and small jumping zones at the Okhta Park recreation center in St. Petersburg have jumps with spans from 4 to 11 m high. There is a separate area for job boating and freestyle. The line with simple figures and subtle slopes is designed for children, as well as for lovers of calm and measured riding.
Cottage village
Every year more and more people who want to relax come to the complex, so the number of comfortable wooden houses for living has been increased. The cottages are very comfortable, internally sheathed with environmentally friendly material, heated (some rooms even have fireplaces), with large comfortable beds, bathrooms and modern appliances.
Judging by the reviews of Okhta Park (St. Petersburg), all rooms are very warm and clean, the cost of accommodation is quite acceptable. Guests enjoy the opportunity to rent an entire cottage, which makes it possible to perfectly accommodate a large friendly company. By the way, non-banal corporate events or family celebrations are often held here. For tourists there is an equipped conference room so that they have the opportunity to combine work and quality relaxation.
We replenish energy reserves in the English chalet
The Après Ski restaurant is designed in this style. In its center is a large fireplace that spreads soft warmth and homeliness to the entire large room. The panoramic windows of the establishment provide the most picturesque view of the snowy slopes and pines. The food here is not tasty, but very tasty. Tourists enthusiastically recall mouth-watering steaks and other amazing meat dishes prepared according to exclusive recipes. Guests who want to be in exceptional conditions can use the cozy VIP lounge. In the summertime there is an open veranda, which simultaneously accommodates up to 70 people.
Bars are located near the skating rink, the Wild Cheesecakes, Snow Park attraction and pool areas. Here you can not only drink strong or refreshing drinks, but also refresh yourself. The confectionery recreation center offers sweets, which are so necessary for the kids after intense training.
Warm up in the bathhouse after skiing!
The large wellness center includes not only a sports area with exercise equipment, a gym, swimming pools, as well as a fitness complex where you can take a master class. The special pride of Okhta Park is the Bath-Land. These are three unique complexes with phytobarrels, steam rooms, fonts and waterfalls. Guests can not only relax in the baths, but also receive wellness phytotherapy. There is a special room where vacationers will get a professional massage.
There are three pools in the territory, one of them is heated. In warm, you can swim even in the cold season, you only need to wear a hat.
Summer vacation: in anticipation of the snow ...
The swimming season in the outdoor pools lasts from May to September. In summer, Okhta Park in St. Petersburg is almost as popular as in winter. The entire infrastructure works, there is simply no snow. You can walk along the pine forest, at the source of the Okhta River, engage in a sports complex.
Active entertainment is also available: bicycles, a huge rope town for children and adults with different levels of difficulty. There is a place for team competitions, quests and other modern entertainment.
Visitors to the park at various sites leave a lot of positive feedback. People here like absolutely everything: entertainment and skiing, attentive staff and comfortable rooms, excellent food and, of course, bathhouses. They come back here and recommend this place to their relatives and friends.