Kargopol has been named a Historical City of Russia due to the many old buildings which have been preserved the city, including beautiful examples of church architecture in the typical Russian North style. In addition there are several traditional wooden churches located in villages outside the city which are also worth visiting. The city is also famous for its colourful clay toys. As it has no railway station of its own it is best visited via the station in the nearby city of Nyandoma, which is otherwise not much a tourist destination.