Located at 50km away from Petrozavodsk, the capital of Republic of Karelia, Martsialnye Vody (The Waters of Mars) is the oldest spa in Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1714 and visited by the Tsar on four occasions. It was named in honor of Mars, the god of war and iron, because the water has a lot of iron in composition. The delightful natural setting and striking landscape seem to have been made for a spa. Summers are moderately warm (mean July temperature, 16°C) and winters moderately cold (mean January temperature, from -9° to -12°C). Although Peter's palace hasn't survived, since 1946 there is a museum devoted to the spa's history. One of the most impressive monuments still standing is the Saint Peter's Church, built in 1721, which remembers the days of Peter the Great.
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