SuomeksiViena Karelia and Solovetsk
Dates in 2012: 4-8.7., 8-12.8.2012
Duration: 5 days and 4 nights.
Route: Joensuu - Kolinportti - Nurmes - Kajaani - Vartius border station - Vuokkiniemi - Vuoninen - Uhtua - Vienan Kemi - Solovetsk - Paanajärvi - Jyskyjärvi - Kostamus - Vartius border station - Kajaani - Nurmes - Kolinportti - Joensuu.
Price: 495 e
- accommodation in Vuokkinemi in families 1 night, hotel Solo 2 nights dbl room (sgl spl 25 e/night) and Jyskyjärvi in families 1 night,
- dinner, sauna ans breakfast in Vuokkiniemi, dinner and breakfast in Solo-hotel, dinner, sauna and breakfast in Jyskyjärvi,
- tour in the village of Vuokkiniemi, folk music concert by Karelian women, Vuonninen village,
- guided tour in Kalevala; orthodox church, the history of the national poet, Elias Lönnrot,
- city tour in Kem, boat from/to Kem - Solovetsk,
- guided tour in Solovetsk monastery and island, tour to Segirnaja Hill,
- transfers by an own coach, tour leader,,
Other costs: visa support 10 e/person. Concert by Tuomi folk group in Jyskyjärvi, 5 e/person. Karelian songs and dance in Vuokkiniemi, 5 e/person. Extra dinner in Solovetsk 400-600 rub/person
Tour to Paanajärvi village incl. lunch and transfer over Kemijoki river, 13 e/person.
Hotels
Karelian families in Vuokkiniemi and Jyskyjärvi are typical farm houses, where you are more as a guest than a tourist. Accommodation is in a guest room or living room, 1-2 persons in a room. Houses are old family farms, which have been built and settled few hundred years ago. There is a main house, barn house and sauna which works as a main washing room as well. Toilets are outside.
Hotel Solo locates near the monastery in Solovetsk village, not far from the harbour. Hotel was built already in the 1970´s, but have constructed five years ago and now there are double rooms with toilet and shower. Rooms are in two floors and there is no lift in the hotel. There is a restaurant and bar and for an order it is possible to have sauna in the evening.
Program
Wednesday At 7.00 depart from Joensuu bus station. At 8.00 stop in Kolinportti (coffee break). There is a stop in Nurmes bus station if needed on the way to Kajaani bus station arriving around 10.30. Lunch break after Kajaani in Kontiomäki gas station around 11-12.00.
After Kontiomäki we drive to Vartius border station, where passport control and possible to change money. From the border drive straight to Vuokkiniemi village, where checking in at families. On the way a visit Tollonjoki old cemetry. After dinner a short walk to the Village House, where folk music conseret. Traditional Karelian sauna in families ends the day in Vuokkiniemi.
Thursday Breakfast in families. After a short tour in the village we drive to Kalevala. On the way stop in Vuonninen village and Kis Kis hills, which is a famous battle field of Second World War. In Kalevala guided tour in the village visiting the old house dating back to the time of Elias Lönnrot, writer of the Finnish national epic Kalevala. Aslo we visit the orthodox church of Kalevala where the iconostasis has been painted by Finnish icon painters. After the lunch break we continue to Kem, where boat to Solovetsk. The boat takes 2,5 hours to Solovetsk arriving around 22.00. Transfer to the hotel where checking in and dinnner.
Friday Breakfast. Transfer by bus to Segirnaja Hill, where guided tour in the skete of Asumption. Segirnaja is the place where the most horrible Stalin camp, GULAG was situated. Transfer back to the hote the monastery where guided tour visiting the churches of Transfiguration, St Philip and Annunciation. Also possiblke to visit after the tour the museum of Stalin camp. Just beside the monastery there is a nice cafe where is possible to have dinner. For the extra price it is possible to make a tour to Valasniemi to watch white whales. This depend of the water level of the tide in that day. First you go by a bus, but the last 6 km need to hike to get to the cape.
Saturday At 5.45 breakfast and 6.30 transfer to the harbor, where boat to Kem. After arrival a short tour in Kem visiting the old wooden church and settlement. After shopping the tour continues by bus (3 hours) to Paanajärvi Karelian village, where at first a ferry over the river Kemijoki and walk to the old part of Paanajärvi village (see the extra price). After lunch we come back to the bus and drive, 3-4 hours to Jyskyjärvi village, where checking in Karelian families for overnight, dinner and traditional Karelian sauna.
Sunday Breakfast in families. Free morning. Around 11.00 depart back to Finland first driving 2-3 hours to Kostamuksha for shopping and then to the border station of Vartius. After the passport control we drive the same route via Kajaani, Nurmes and Koli to Joensuu arrving at 23.00.
