Tallinn-Lahemaa
Day 1, 19.09.2013
09:00 - 12:00Excursion and hotel inspections in Tallinn Old town
Tallinn’s medieval Old Town is known around the world for its well-preserved completeness and authentic Hanseatic architecture. Spend a day in a true medieval milieu and you will soon understand, why so many have described Tallinn Old Town as mystic, addictive and mesmerizing . Unlike other capital cities in Europe, Tallinn has managed to preserve the completeness and structure of it’s medieval and Hanseatic origin. Most of the cobblestone streets and properties, important state and church buildings, citizens’ and merchant’s residences, barns and warehouses dating back as far as to 11th century, are preserved in their original form.
09:15 - 09:45Site inspection at Nordic Hotel Forum
The four-star superior business and conference hotel Nordic Hotel Forum welcomes you in the heart of Tallinn and its business, shopping and entertainment centres. Tallinn's picturesque Old Town is just 150 m away, which makes the hotel perfect for a business trip, conference or holiday. The hotel's Leisure Centre is located on the eighth floor- indoor pool, jacuzzi, dry and steam saunas and exercise room. Guests at Nordic Hotel Forum have a choice of 267 rooms: all spacious and elegantly furnished, with every detail carefully considered, offering even the most demanding guests the ultimate in comfort.
10:15 - 10:45Site inspection at hotel Schlössle
The Schlössle Hotels are small but luxurious. Each hotel is a “Grand Hotel” in miniature, tucked away amidst the cobblestone streets. Elegance, comfort, sophistication and taste are the hallmarks of each individually designed hotel. All of our 23 rooms & suites have been decorated to reflect the charm of Tallinn’s Old Town. The building itself dates back to the Medieval period and its thick stone walls encase massive wooden beams and antique tapestries and furnishings.
12:00 - 13:30Lunch at Restaurant Leib Resto ja Aed
Amongst 50 best restaurants in Estonia. Restaurant Leib Resto ja Aed offers handmade bread together with meals made of local produce: a simple but wonderful gastronomic pleasure.
14:00 - 15:00Visiting Seaplane harbor
The Seaplane hangars are architecturally unique in the whole World. The complex was initially completed as part of "the Peter the Greats Naval Fortress"in 1916-1917. The new museum combines both past and present, land and sea.
You can climb into the submarine Lembit, look at the seaplane Short 184, voyage on the icebreaker Suur Tõll and learn about historical vessels or military equipment. Seaplane simulator, diving deep under the water.
15:30 - 16:15Visiting Kadriorg park
Kadriorg Park is the most outstanding palatial and urban park in Estonia, covering around 70 hectares. Its construction began in 1718 on the orders of Russian tsar Peter I. Elements of park design from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries can be seen here. There are a number of museums in the park, including KUMU (the Estonian Art Museum oprnrnd in 2006, in 2008, the Kumu Art Museum was recognized as the best museum in Europe and the winner of the European Museum of the Year Award.), Kadriorg Art Museum and the Mikkeli Museum. The Estonian president’s residence and many foreign embassies are located here. The park is one of the favourite spots for walking of Tallinners young and old.
16:30 - 17:00Visiting Song Festival Ground
Completed in 1960, Tallinn's Song Festival Grounds were the first modern post-war construction to be built in the city. The Song Festival Grounds are a popular venue for events. It is best known as the place where every 5 years the Song Festival is held, in which nearly 25,000 singers take part, attracting an audience of nearly 100,000.
17:00 - 18:30Drive to Lahemaa
The national park, established in 1971, was the first national park in Estonia. In Lahemaa (Land of Bays), located on the northern coast of Estonia, you will find stony and sandy seashores, picturesque bogs, pine forests, old-growth forests, cliff forests, alvars and rivers that have cut into the limestone cliff. You will also find many geological, historical and architectural monuments. There are many erratic boulders, which were brought over from Finland by continental ice. Plenty of legends and stories are connected to these boulders.
18:30Check in at Vihula Manor Club and SPA
A charming 16th century estate with two main manor house buildings, 25 other historical buildings and 50 hectares of beautiful parkland set alongside the Mustoja River in the Lahemaa National Park, 4 km from the Baltic Sea coast and an hour’s drive from Tallinn.
19:00 - 19:45 Site inspecton ay Vihula Manor Club and SPA
20:00 Dinner at La Boheme Restaurant
Day 2, 20.09.2013
Until 09:00 Breakfast
09:15 - 10:45 Excursion by bus in Lahemaa
10:45 - 11:30Drive to Rakvere
Rakvere is Estonia’s fifth largest city, situated in northern Estonia, 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland. In 1226, Henrik of Latvia wrote the Chronicle of Livonia, which included a description of an ancient Estonian wooden castle located on hill nearby.
11:30 - 12:15Site inspection at Aqva Hotel and SPA
The exclusive Aqva Hotel & Spa is situated at the foot of the hill on which stands Rakvere's historical castle. Awaiting you are a modern hotel and relaxing sauna complex and water park, as well as luxurious treatments and procedures at the Alessandro and Emeraude Spas. AQVA HOTEL offers 120 hotel rooms equipped with all amenities and accommodation for 240 people.
12:15 - 13:00Visiting Rakvere castle’s ruins
The castle offers many exciting activities for both children and grown-ups! You can try your hand at shooting a bow or a crossbow, sword fight and pike battle, forging, pottery, minting your own castle coins, and many other things. There's an exposition of the castle's history, historical weapons, and a torture chamber.
13:00 - 14:30 Medieval lunch at Rakvere’s castle
14:30 - 16:00 Drive back to Tallinn
