Waterfall White bridges (Yukankoski) - enjoy the beauties of Karelia

Waterfall with an unusual and unusual for the Russian people, the name Yukankoski is not somewhere, but in the territory of Karelia. It is considered one of the highest cascades in this area. The locals call it: White bridges.

Briefly about the waterfall

Waterfall White bridges (Yukankoski) is striking in its scale. Its height ranges from 15 to 19 meters, the water descends by raging cascades. It is considerably higher than the more famous waterfall Kivach, a local landmark, whose height is only 10.7 meters. Yukankoski is located on the Kulismaioki River in a picturesque place amidst a dense forest, where it is necessary to travel along uneasy roads. The nearest settlements are the village of Leppäsilta, the distance to which is 10 km, and the town of Pitkäranta, 33 km from the village. White bridges. Despite the beauty of the waterfall itself and the magnificent landscape in general, it is not particularly famous and is visited by tourists quite rarely.

Hydronym

The name of the waterfall came from a small Finnish settlement, which once was located on the river Kulismajoki. The settlement was called Yukankontu, which in Karelian means "yucca manor", and the name of the waterfall is translated as "yucca threshold".

But in the 70s of the last century, local residents decided to rename the Yukankoski. They called it more easily pronounced - the waterfall White bridges. This name appeared due to the Finns who built the road, and then bridges of white stone across the river. One of the bridges passed straight ahead of the waterfall. Today they are left only ruins, which are difficult to find among the large number of stones lying around. Sometimes a waterfall is called "White pillars", but this is not the correct name.

Seasonal changes

Waterfall White bridges vary with the time of year. In spring, the rapid flow of the river with peat impurities stains the water in yellow. The waterfall furiously brings down massive water streams from all its height into the foaming boiler at the foot.

In summer, the amount of water decreases significantly, its color changes from yellow to crystal clear. Now you can distinguish between individual trickles of water, which quickly roll down the cascade and form a foamy lace at the foot. The water quickly warms up, so in summer a lot of people bathe in the waterfall.

In autumn Yukankoski is gaining strength again, water flows become more powerful, but not like in spring and only until the first frosts. With the onset of cold weather, the waterfall is crammed with thin ice, and with the arrival of strong frosts it becomes covered with ice inflows. Despite this, water continues to flow constantly under the ice.

Picturesque surroundings

Waterfall White bridges are surrounded by incredibly beautiful landscapes. The river Kulismajoki passes along ancient boulders covered with moss, on the left bank the centuries-old fir trees rise. Not far from Yukankoski is a beautiful glade where you can camp.

A hydrological monument of nature "White bridges" was created around the waterfall and in the nearby area of 87.9 ha. But tourist trips to this area are not forbidden, with the condition of careful attitude of man to nature.

Wild places

The very presence and influence of a person on the Yukankoski neighborhood is minimal. From the Finnish settlement, which gave the name of the waterfall, there were only ruins. Therefore, wild animals in these places are relatively free. If you are careful and try not to make noise, you can meet a wide variety of representatives of the Karelian fauna.

Waterfall White bridges - how to get

To get to the waterfall, you need to reach the turn to Lake Ruokojärvi. You can get here from the towns of Sortavalla, Pitkyaranta or Yarn. This turn to the lake is quite noticeable, at the intersection of Sortavala-Petrozavodsk, a car repair area was built. The road itself is unpaved and departs to the left of the highway.

Having made this way to visit the White Bridge waterfall, then you should go straight ahead, without turning off into the forks, some of them are wide enough and can be misleading. If a lake appears on the left side, then the direction is chosen correctly.

After that, the road becomes sandy and starts to go up the mountain, then you should stay to the right until the signs with the inscriptions "White bridges" appear. From them to the waterfall there are still 2-2.5 kilometers, they can be traversed on foot, admiring the magnificent scenery and almost untouched by man's hands by nature, or by car.

In the summer period, the road to the waterfall is passable for almost any car, but it is not very wide and often very close to the forest, so there may be problems with traveling with the oncoming vehicles.

Thanks to modern technology, many problems in finding a certain place disappear themselves. Now it is enough to use the GPS-navigator to visit the White bridges (waterfall). Coordinates: 61 ° 45'12 "N; 31 ° 24'37" E.

The waterfall of Yukankoski is unique in its way and incredibly beautiful at any time of the year. The only thing that makes it hard to reach, and therefore less popular - forest roads. But after visiting this picturesque place, and seeing the waterfall itself, you can get pleasant memories and permanently recharge positive emotions.