THE ESTONISHING SONG FESTIVAL TOUR OF ESTONIA

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1 1 This deluxe grand tour of Estonia is designed to give insight into the country s fascinating past and hopeful future, and should certainly make you fall in love with this small and well-kept secret of Europe. Estonia s strategic maritime location between Russia and Europe has given the country a deep and controversial history, which has ramifications even in present-day Estonia. The in-depth tour will expose you to the amazing diversity this little country has to offer, with a particular focus on culture. The highlight of the trip is attending the 5-yearly Estonian Song Festival an event that will bring together approximately singers and spectators. By the end of the 10-day trip you will certainly be estonished. Dates: June 27 th July 6 th 2009 Expected Size of Group: people OR individual Form of Travel in Estonia: Premium standard coach Or have a tour tailored to your needs around the Song Festival days (July 3 rd -5 th ) Cost: 1290 EUR with dbl/twin occupancy 410 EUR single supplement Half board (includes 2 meals a day) Includes tickets to listed sights Gratuities not included Excludes airfares to/from Tallinn! Tour Operator

2 2 Day 1 / Sat / June 27th - Arrival Day Arrival at Tallinn Airport, transfer to Clarion Euroopa Hotel **** Welcome Drinks & Briefing at Hotel Day 2 / Sun / June 28th Discover Tallinn Walking Tour of Old Town Enjoy one of Europe s most charming and well preserved old towns, also referred to as the Smaller (and Better!) Brother of Prague. The tour includes entries to the Dome Church of St. Mary the Virgin s and the Russian Orthodox church of Alexander Nevski Lunch at Restaurant Ribe Ribe is one of the best balanced restaurants in Tallinn, combining excellent French cuisine with a touch of Estonian, and laid back service with modern interior design National Art Musem Kumu and Kadriorg Park The suburb of Kadriorg is home to numerous museums and beautiful wooden architecture dating back to the 18 th and the 19 th century. We ll firstly visit Kumu the Art Museum of Estonia that was voted European Museum of the Year in Afterwards we ll get introduced to the Kadriorg Palace and the surrounding park, which were commissioned by Peter the Great to be the summer residence of the Russian tsar family. Today the palace functions as a museum of European art.

3 3 Day 3 / Mon / June 29th Lahemaa National Park & Manors Departure for Lahemaa National Park Lahemaa National Park is known for both its nature as well its inhabited areas, in particular the manor houses and fishermen s villages. Our day in Lahemaa includes visits to the following sights: Viinistu Art Museum is host to the biggest private art collection in Estonia located in a Soviet era fish processing factory. Lunch at Altja Fishermen s Village - a traditional Estonian lunch will be served at an authentic tavern in the picturesque seaside village of Altja. Palmse Manor is one of the best preserved manor house complexes in Estonia and today functions as a museum characterizing life of the Baltic-German nobility in Estonia. We ll overnight at Saka Cliff Hotel & Spa, which is located where the Baltic cliff reaches it s highest point of 55 meters above the sea. We also encourage you to try out the sauna at the local spa to experience something truly Estonian.

4 4 Day 4 / Tue / June 30 th The Russian Side of the Coin Estonia s population consists of two major groups the indigenous Estonian majority (nearly 1 million) and the Russian-speaking minority ( ) of whom most came to Estonia during the Soviet occupation era. The lion s share of the Russian-speakers reside in North-Eastern Estonia, which means that this part of country is distinct from the rest in terms of culture, economy, politics, etc. We ll spend the day in this corner of the country to learn about life of the Russian-speakers, the integration process, Estonian-Russian relations, and then some Departure for North-Eastern Estonia Tour of a unique oilshale mine Estonia is the only country in the World where oilshale is extensively (and pollutively!) used for electricity production. One of the depleted mines has been turned into a mining museum where authentic Soviet era shafts, railways, and mining tools can be explored. Narva Castle the symbolic border castle on the Narva river is faced off with the Ivangorod Castle on the Russian side. We ll literally get to peak into Russia and find out learn why the two countries relations are as controversial as they are. Lunch in Narva Kuremäe Russian Orthodox Convent This convent was one of the few that did not suffer extensively from the Soviet atheist regime and is today home to more than a 100 nuns. We ll be introduced to this Russian Orthodox Landmark by one of the residents. By the evening we ll reach Estonia s second biggest town of Tartu known for the country s national university. We ll overnight in hotel London **** and enjoy dinner at Tartu s best fine dining restaurant Volga.

5 5 Day 5 / Wed / July 1 st Tartu The City of Good Thoughts Southern Estonia is an area where the pace of life is much slower than in the capital of Tallinn, and that is how we ll get to see it. Tartu in particular is a university town, which means we ll plan a meeting with a professor who would briefly speak about education and economy in Estonia Tour of Tartu Today you ll get acquainted with the historical centre of Estonia s south that is home to a beautiful old town, numerous parks, and lots of wooden architecture. We ll get to hear about the 377-year-old University of Tartu and take a barge ride on river Emajõgi. Tartu was the place where the unique Peipsi barge was born and used for centuries to trade between Russia and Estonia. On the barge we will have lunch, listen to a concert, and meet up with the university s professor for a brief lecture. After the barge ride we ll have some free time before transfer to the Summer Capital of Estonia Pärnu Transfer to Pärnu Check in at Spa Hotel Terviseparadiis Time at leisure, recommendations given for dinner

6 6 Day 6 / Thu / July 2 nd Pärnu Estonia s Summer Capital Pärnu is mainly a resort town and as such is known as the Summer Capital of Estonia. Consequently, we ll spend our time there accordingly. Morning - Free time for spa procedures and beach You ll be able to spend your morning taking complementary spa procedures and going to the famous sand beach of Pärnu. The spas in Pärnu are known for their treatments and the beach welcomes hordes of Estonian and Scandinavian tourists on a sunny summer day Check-out from hotel Lunch at Ammende Villa Time at leisure Departure for Tallinn Check in at Swissotel

7 7 Day 7 / Fri / July 3 rd - Dance Festival / Optional to Helsinki Upon returning to Tallinn you ll have a more relaxed day so you can shop around and enjoy the Dance Festival. You may also go on an optional day-trip to Helsinki for an additional Time to Shop! Tallinn is a great place for shopping from exclusive fashion brands to traditional handicrafts and exclusive artwork to design jewelry. We ll firstly recommend you to take a look at Tallinn s newest and trendiest shopping area Rotermann Quarter and then conquer shopping centres and boutiques in the whole city. We ll be happy to give you advice on where to get what! Transfer to National Dance Festival Enjoy dance concerts with 5000 participants dressed in national costumes who have trained to give orchestrated shows over the area the size of a football stadium! Old folk dances as well as modern ones will be packed into an impressive show you are unlikely to experience anywhere else in the World. Return to hotel after concert.

8 8 Day 8 / Sat / July 4 th Song Festival Closing Day Departure from hotel Visit to Patarei prison the Soviet Alcatraz Patarei complex has served many purposes since it s founding as a sea fortress of Imperial Russia in the 19 th century. During the Soviet period, the prison was a more or less permanent home to political dissidents, recidivists and, those to be deported. It also featured an execution chamber. This tour is not for the weak at heart! Lunch at Meriton Grand Hotel buffet restaurant Procession from city centre to Song Festival Grounds A procession from the city centre to the Song Festival Grounds takes place in the afternoon, which everybody is welcome to either attend or just observe. It s an impressive march with thousands of merrymaking participants in folk costumes from across Estonia. Return to hotel on own Transfer to Song Festival Grounds If you did not choose the 4km walk to the Song Festival Grounds, you can now get a transfer from the hotel straight to the Song Festival Grounds. You will be seated in the VIP area of the concerts for a comfortable and close-up experience Opening Ceremony and Concert The Opening Ceremony of the Song Festival features a joint performance given by all choirs attending the event that is an expected singers! The event regularly witnesses a spectators and it s an uplifting experience to be among them. Other than that, the first day of the Song Festival focuses on the more serious kind of choral music in Estonia, which should be a particular treat for lovers of classical music.

9 9 Day 9 / Sun / July 5 th Song Festival Closing Day Optional tour Meet the makers of The Singing Revolution (pending) We re working on securing an exclusive, optional tour that will only be available to the customers of Astellaria Travel Agency. James and Maureen Tusty, the two filmmakers behind the acclaimed film The Singing Revolution, are planning a visit to the Song Festival in 2009, possibly to shoot a new film. They will share stories about the making of The Singing Revolution, and will likely be able to show you some behind-the-scenes activity for the making of their new film. They will meet with us at the Museum of Occupations and share production stories along with first hand accounts from one or two people in the film who personally participated in the Singing Revolution. This event is looking likely, to be confirmed in April. Cost: 60 EUR (see opportunity below to get 20 EUR or 40 EUR off!) The Singing Revolution film Most people don t think about singing when they think about revolutions. But in Estonia song was the weapon of choice when the Estonians sought to free themselves from decades of Soviet occupation. The Singing Revolution tells the moving story of a people s non-violent and dramatic march to regain their freedom--while helping to topple an empire along the way. The documentary feature The Singing Revolution has played in theatres in over 140 cities across North America. The film has also screened before the EU Parliament, the US Congress, the White House staff, and various international events. Now on DVD and soon to be on a television station near you, The Singing Revolution filmmakers have been tireless in their drive to share this remarkable story of hope, freedom and human achievement. SPECIAL OFFER: There is no better way to prepare for the trip than to view The Singing Revolution film before flying to Estonia. The New York Times compared this film to Casablanca and made it a coveted Critics Pick. After viewing this film, you will have a much deeper grasp of Estonia s history and will experience much more meaning out of the places we visit on our tour, and of the song festival itself. We have arranged for a 15% discount if you order the DVD and companion book as a package before April 15 th. Go to to learn more about this film and to purchase either the home version DVD and book or the 3-disc Collector s Edition (with many extras) and book. This discount applies only to the DVD and book packages that are listed under Special Offers, and only if you order before April 15. When ordering, use the code Astellaria to get your 15% off. Attention! 20 EUR will be credited towards the cost of this optional tour if you purchased the home version DVD and book. If you purchase the Collector s Edition and book, 40 EUR will be credited towards the tour. To get your credit, you must your purchase receipt from singingrevolution.com to uve.poom@astellaria.com.

10 10 Time at leisure, recommendations given for lunch Transfer to Song Festival Grounds The second day of the Song Festival is known for its merrier melodies and, for instance, includes songs from known Estonian films and plays. In order for you to fully enjoy the concerts and recognise some of the tunes, we ll send you a CD with a compilation of Song Festival music well in advance of the trip! Closing ceremony Return to hotel Farewell Dinner at Restaurant Vertigo Vertigo is one of Tallinn s most metropolitan fine dining restaurants, and happens to be located very close to the hotel. We ll enjoy an Estonian cuisine farewell dinner at the restaurant to wrap up what we believe will be an absolutely amazing experience for each participant of the tour. *** END OF SERVICES *** Day 10 / Mon / July 6 th Departure Day Check-out from hotel at noon Individual taxi transfer to airport

11 11 Interested? Get in touch! This itinerary has been composed bearing in mind individuals who have higher-than-average interest towards Estonia and the country s rich culture. As such, we hope it has provoked interest and enticed you to join what we believe would be one of your most fascinating trips ever and one that you would not be able to experience before at least another 5 years. For signing up please fill out the Estonishing tour registration form at Astellaria Travel Agency s website ( The registration deadline is March 27 th When you sign up, we ll ask for a 300 EUR deposit within a week after registration. The full sum will be charged by April 30 th. In case of cancellation, we can provide a 100% refund before May 15th and a 50% refund before May 31st. No refund will be possible after that date. Payments can be done by credit card (Visa/MasterCard) or bank transfers. Our representative will contact you to execute the payment. In the unlikely event that the minimum capacity of 20 people will not be filled, we reserve the right to cancel the tour by April 1 st. In this case we will return the advance payment in full or use it towards a tailored tour for you. We also recommend you not to book your flights earlier, unless you d alternatively like to use the payment towards a custom-tailored trip. Should you like to tailor your own trip, please contact Mr. Uve Poom from Astellaria Travel Agency. We ll be happy to provide all relevant services for your Song Festival Weekend in Tallinn, and hope that the itinerary above inspires you to determine your preferences! As we currently have a booking standing with Swissotel Tallinn for the Song Festival weekend, literally the busiest time of the season, we can probably accommodate wishes that may not be possible with other companies. If you have further questions about the tour, please feel free to contact Astellaria Travel Agency s representative Mr. Uve Poom via song.festival@astellaria.ee or phone during Estonian office hours (please bear in mind the time difference Estonian time-zone is GMT+2). Person in Charge: Mr. Uve Poom song.festival@astellaria.ee Phone : Address: Narva mnt Tallinn, Estonia