Finland's Saimaa Lake Tour
3 days/2 nights
$1025 per person double
$179 single supplement
2008 Departure dates:
Jun 7, 21, 28
Jul 5, 12, 19, 26
Aug 2, 9, 16, 23
This short tour takes you to the heart of the Finnish lake district, where you will see some of the beautiful lake scenery Finland is famous for. Visit historical landmarks and learn about Eastern Orthodox traditions on a monastery visit.
Day 1: Tracing the Czar's Footsteps
Helsinki - Porvoo - Ruotsinpyhtää - Langinkoski - Imatra
Your journey through the Finnish Lakeland starts as you depart by coach for Porvoo, the second oldest town in Finland. Located on the banks of a
river, the old part of the town is famous for its charming red warehouses, cobblestone lanes and handicraft shops. It was in the medieval cathedral of Porvoo that Czar Alexander I declared Finland an autonomous Grand Duchy of Russia in 1809, the first step on the way to Finland’s independence.
Lunch will be enjoyed in the old Ruotsinpyhtää ironworks village, dotted with red 18th-century workers' dwellings. On the way to Imatra, stop to admire the fascinating Langinkoski rapids. Czar Alexander III had an imperial fishing lodge built on the shore of the roaring rapids, and the court in St. Petersburg was provided with salmon caught by the czar's fishermen. Dinner and overnight at Scandic Hotel Valtionhotelli in Imatra. Dinner and overnight at Rantasipi Hotel Valtionhotelli in Imatra.
Day 2: The Land of Thousands of Lakes
Imatra - Punkaharju - Savonlinna - Valamo - Koli
Travel to the Retretti Art Exhibition via the Punkaharju esker ridge, an isthmus located between two large lakes. The sub- and superterranean exhibition halls of Retretti boasts an exhibition of classical as well as contemporary visual arts.
After lunch in Punkaharju, the tour continues to Savonlinna. Olavinlinna Castle, the best-preserved medieval fortress in the Nordic countries, stands on a small island in the center of the town. Founded in 1475, the castle and its three magnificent towers have seen the Swedes rowing through the straits, the Russians skiing across the ice and the Finns building a bridge over the troubled water. Every summer it turns into the scene of one of the oldest music festivals in Europe, the Savonlinna Opera Festival.
The Eastern Orthodox monastery of Valamo was transferred to Heinävesi from the island in Lake Ladoga in 1940, and it still bears the name of this island. In the Valamo Monastery, tea is brewed in the traditional style in a massive silver samovar, sweetened with raspberry jam, and served in tea glasses. The tea is accompanied by old-Russian delicacies. Continue to Koli Hills, one of Finland's famous places of natural beauty. Enjoy spectacular views of the forests and lakes below from the highest hilltop. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Koli in Lieksa.
Day 3: Homeward-Bound
After a buffet breakfast, tour ends Joensuu.
Price includes:
- 2 nights accommodation in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities
- 2 buffet breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners
- Sightseeing, visits, excursions and entrance fees according to the itinerary
- Luggage handling at hotels
- Multi-lingual tour leader
- Transportation by private coach
- Service charges and taxes on included items
We offer competitive airfare from most U.S. cities - ask us for prices!
 |
