Finland Lake District

A short tour to the heart of the Finnish Lake District with its beautiful scenery the country is famous for. Visit historical landmarks and learn about Eastern Orthodox traditions on a monastery visit.

Itinerary

TRACING THE CZAR'S FOOTSTEPS

Meet 8:15 am at Hotel Radisson SAS Plaza entrance or 9:00 am at Scandic Continental Hotel. Your journey through the Finnish Lakeland starts as you depart by coach for Porvoo, the second oldest town in Finland. Situated 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 independence. Lunch will be enjoyed in the old Ruotsinpyhtaa ironworks village, dotted with red 18th-century workers dwellings. On the way to Imatra you will stop to admire the 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.

THE LAND OF THOUSANDS OF LAKES

We approach the Retretti Art Exhibition via the Punkaharju esker ridge, an isthmus between two large lakes. The sub- and superterranean exhibition halls of Retretti house an exhibition of classical as well as contemporary visual arts. After lunch in Punkaharju you head to Savonlinna. On a small island in the center of the town stands the best-preserved medieval fortress in the Nordic countries, Olavinlinna Castle. 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 still bears the name of the island in Lake Ladoga from where it was transferred to Heinavesi in 1940. 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 best-known places of natural beauty. Form the highest hilltop there is a spectacular view over forests and lakes.

RETURN TO THE CAPITAL

After breakfast transfer to Joensuu Airport for a flight back to Helsinki. The tour ends upon arrival at Helsinki Airport.

Notes