This tour is a non-traditional experience and different way to get to know Tallinn. The tour group is divided into four groups – 4-8 persons per group. Groups will visit the same spots at different time where they solve different tasks and riddles. Having completed the tasks on the spot, the game instructor gives a hint or riddle about the next destination. The group must find the way from one spot to another!
Groups have no facilitators but they can call any time for help line. Game instructors in medieval costumes will judge and assist the teams on the spot. They give points according to results. The final destination is at the front of Town Hall where the teams give the Game Passports. Winner is the team who has achieved the most points. The winning team is announced in a small ceremony during the dinner in the medieval restaurant.
KUMU – Estonian art museum
Opened in 2006, KUMU is the largest art museum in the Baltic States and one of the largest art museums in the Northern Europe. The designer of this impressive new main building is Finnish architect Pekka Vapaavuori. KUMU presents both permanent collections and temporary exhibitions. The main collection covers Estonian art from the 18th century onwards including works from the occupation period (1941–1991). Temporary exhibitions comprise of both foreign and Estonian modern and contemporary art.
Trip to Kadriorg Palace
During this tour you visit the magnificent Northern Baroque palace built by Peter the Great for his wife, Catherine I, in the early 18th century. The grandiose palace and surrounding manicured gardens are a humbling example of Tsarist extravagance. The palace is also home to the foreign art collection of theArt Museum of Estonia.
Patarei prison
Sea fortress Patarei is a unique monument of architectural monument built in 1840. In 1919 the fortress became a prison. Because of its two meter walls it suited very well for that purpose. It was also used by all foreign powers occupying Estonia. In 2002 the last inmates of the prison were moved to a new facility in Tartu and the Patarei was finally closed down. Today Patarei has preserved its original Soviet interior, which interests both local people and tourists. Visitors can explore the hallways to see cells, work areas, exercise yards etc. Patarei prison is not a regular museum.
Passages Under the Ingermanland and Swedish Bastions
The numerous and mysterious passages in Tallinn’s fortifications were built along with the bastions in the 17th and 18th centuries. The passages were probably commenced already in the 1630s. The passages also served as observation posts to spy the enemy’s activities in mining explosives. The tunnels for the passages were made of limestone. They were 1.5 m wide and 2.5-3 m high and as a rule covered by barrel vaults. The total length of the passages is hundreds of meters and 380 m of them are open to the visitors. In 1857 the earth bastions were erased from the list of fortifications and after that the Municipality turned them into parks.
During the years of Soviet occupation they were provided with separate electricity and ventilation systems, running water and telephone communications. The network became an underground township with bedrooms and toilets included. In 1970s the youth movement Kodulinn did some cleaning in the passages. In the 1980s the passages under the Ingermanland Bastion (Harjumägi) were used as a store for sculptures belonging to the Art Foundation but the danger of thieves forced the authorities to move the sculptures elsewhere. Since then the passages have been empty. Beginning from the 1990s some homeless people found shelter in the deserted passages.
Three-hour sail on Tallinn Bay
During this three – hour cruise in Tallinn bay you can enjoy the view of Tallinn from the sea. Passenger port and the historical Patarei prison will be passed and the historical steam icebreaker – “Suur Tõll” and the submarine “Lembitu” will be also visited. A small meal at the sea can be arranged.
Rocca al Mare with Folklore
A bus will take you to the open air museum “Rocca al Mare”. The museum is located only four miles from the city centre. After 15-20 minutes drive tourists start a walking tour through a beautiful forest area on the sea coast. During the tour you will see numerous buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries which reflect the rural life-style of the Estonian culture of that time. You will have a chance to see the farmhouses, country pubs, windmills, chapels etc., which are displayed together with corresponding furniture and household appliances. A folklore group will perform typical dances and provide musical entertainment. In the tavern you can enjoy typical Estonian refreshments. You also have the opportunity to view and purchase local art and craft.
National park Lahemaa
In the National Park Lahemaa you can see coastal lowlands, pine forests, limestone cliffs, stone fields, waterfalls and rapids. After one hour’s drive from Tallinn you will make a short hike through the Viru bog. Your tour continues to the captains’ village of Käsmu, one of the best known resorts in the Northern Estonia – Võsu and to an old fishing village of Altja. At Altja tavern you can enjoy a typical Estonian lunch. After lunch you will see the Palmse manor, which is an 18th century baronial property of the von Pahlen family. Back in Tallinn you will be taken to the upper town. On the Dome Hill you will visit the Russian Orthodox Church, inaugurated in 1900 and the 13th century Gothic style Dome Cathedral, which still has numerous cote of arms of families of German-Baltic descend on display. You will have a chance to take a look over the rooftops of the Lower Town from a scenic viewpoint.
While being in Riga you can find several possibilities to get acquainted with the biggest capital of the Baltic States and its neighbourhood. Some examples of our tours:
Walking tour in Old Riga Riga castle, medieval churches (Dome Church, St.Pieter’s Church), Town Wall, the Merchant’s Guild houses, newly built Town Hall, the House of Blackhead’s Brotherhood and Latvians famous Freedom Monument
Riga’s Open Air Museum Founded in 1924. In 100 ha the life as it used to be is exposed: farmsteads, windmills, fishing villages, churches have been removed here from all over Latvia.
Trip to Rundale
The baroque palace of Curonian Duke Ernst Johan von Biron, designed by Bartholomeo Rastrelli. The palace complex consists of the palace with its inner courtyard, the semicircular stables with a large household yard, and a formal park surrounded by a canal. The professionaly renovated palace interiors are decorated with authentic 18th cent. furniture, paintings and china.
Trip to Jurmala
Jurmala – the largest resort city in the Baltic States is well-known for its natural treasures – the mild climate, sea, healthy air, curative mud and mineral water. The attraction of Jurmala hides in its almost 33 km long white sand beach, large pine forests and the natural border of the city – the river Lielupe. In Jurmala You will discover a combination of charming wooden houses built in the beginning of the last century and modern resort buildings.
Trip to Turaida and Sigulda
This is a step back to Latvian ancient and medieval times. Turaida was settled by ancient Livs, later it became a siege of Bishop. The remains of Bishop’s castle are preserved. All that area is Natural Preserve of river Gauja with a picturesque landscape.
Trip to Kuldiga – Jaunmoku
Kuldiga is one of the most beautiful towns in Latvia attracting tourist with its peculiar atmosphere: narrow streets, small craftsmen’s shops, wooden doors with amazing variety of ornaments, tile roofs and ancient weather vanes and the brightest waterfall in Europe – famous Ventas Rumba. Jaunmoku is a picturesque hunting mansion built for Mayer of Riga George Armitsted.
The Most Unusual Beach In Europe – In A Prison Camp in Rummu, Estonia
This is Rummu, an abandoned Soviet prison and forced labor open mine located in Estonia, closed more than 20 years ago. Underground waters flooded the quarry and the place went from being a horrible punishment facility to becoming one of the most exotic and strange beaches ever seen.
Every summer this complex fills up with locals and tourists, eager to play around the dilapidated jail. It’s also attracting a lot of scuba divers because of such clear waters. So, check it out next time you visit Estonia!
Riga, the capital of Latvia, is more than 800 years old and is a blend of medieval and modern cities, mixed together so perfectly that it fits every taste. Riga is the European Capital of Culture 2014 with hundreds of special events taking place all over it.
Duration: 4 days / 3 nights
Programme:
Day 1:
Arrival in Riga airport. Transfer to a hotel. The walking tour of the Old Town includes Riga Castle, Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, the Swedish Gates, the Three Brothers, the Large and Small Guild House and the Freedom Monument. View the masterpieces of early 20th century Art Nouveau architecture.
Day 2: After breakfast panoramic city sightseeing tour in Riga. Bus tour will take you to the embankment of the Daugava river with wonderful views of the city. You will also see the university building, National Opera house, Zeppelin market.
Free time or optional Daugava river cruise/cruise with dinner.
Day 3:
After breakfast half day tour to the splendid 18th century Rundale palace, the former summer residence of the Duke of Courland. The palace boasts a beautiful French-style park. Evening free time to explore the city on your own or optional Riga Black Balsam tasing programme.
Day 4:
Breakfast at a hotel. Transfer to the airport
Package includes:
3 nights ccommodation in twin room at a centrally located 4* hotel
Estonian nature is unspoiled and diverse – deserted beaches, deep forests, picturesque lakes and rivers, mysterious swamps and rich flora and fauna are just some of the treasures awaiting you. The different feel of the four seasons presents the country in a new light, making nature tourism an exciting prospect at any time of year. This programme will let you see and feel Estonian nature up close and personally!
Duration: 4 days / 3 nights Overnights: Tallinn (2) – Vihula Manor in Lahemaa National Park (1)
Programme:
Day 1:
Arrival in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Transfer and check-in to a centrally located hotel. Medieval Tallinn – combined bus and walking tour. A bus tour introduces Kadriorg Park and the 18th century baroque palace of Peter the Great, Convent of St Bridget in the Pirita suburb and the famous Song Festival Ground. The walking tour gives an introduction to the historical heart of Tallinn.
Dinner at a hotel.
Photo: Liina Guiter
Day 2:
After breakfast transfer to a canoeing trip on the Keila River. Length of the route is appr. 8 km. A shot of adrenaline is added by some modest rapids. Service providers will help beginners, ensure that the necessary equipment is available and show people sights that might otherwise go unseen. Light lunch outdoors. Transfer back to Tallinn. A stop at Keila-Joa waterfall. The waterfall is 6 metres high and tens of metres wide, thus being the third largest waterfall in Estonia after Narva Waterfall and Jägala Waterfall.
Free evening to explore the city on your own. Overnight at a hotel in Tallinn.
Day 3:
After breakfast check-out. Bus-ride through the countryside and coastal lowlands and fisherman villages of North Estonia leads to National Park of Lahemaa. On the way to Vihula Manor, the next lodging place, we will take a trip to Viru bog.
Photo: Sven Zacek
Viru Bog is one of the most accessible bogs in Estonia. Its trail passes through the forest and marsh landscapes typical of Lahemaa National Park and is 3.5 km long. The study trail provides information about the the flora in the bog, the former sand dunes, the ridges and the heath woodland. A boardwalk winds its way through the bog, at the centre of which is an observation tower. Light picnic.
Next stop is Oandu old-growth forest nature trail. The trail introduces old coastal ridges, the different developmental stages of forest, traces of wild animal activities.
Arrival in Vihula Manor. Vihula Manor Country Club & Spa, the first full-service manor resort in the Baltic countries, set amidst wildlife-rich Lahemaa National Park. It is a perfect place to escape from the bustling life of the city. Check-in at the manor hotel followed by Vihula Manor House Tour during which you learn about the thrilling 500-year history of Vihula Manor. Visit of the Vodka museum with a legendary shot is included. Dinner at the manor restaurant.
Day 4:
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport.
A special feature of the Juu Jääb Festival is the fact that the Festival takes place outdoors exposed to the elements – be it grass that is slowly turning into mud because of pouring rain, starlit sky adding a touch of romance or the scorching July sun, people have always come to celebrate the birth of music.
Juu Jääb brings together many diverse artists and personalities, each of whom has a story to tell.
Trip to Kadriorg Palace
Passages Under the Ingermanland and Swedish Bastions
Rocca al Mare with Folklore
