OULU - CENTRE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE MIDST OF ARCTIC WILDERNESS

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1 OULU - CENTRE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE MIDST OF ARCTIC WILDERNESS Oulu - the urban centre of the arctic region is beyond comparison in many respects. The Baltic Sea is frozen during winter; plenty of snow and darkness where as in the summertime the rivers flow to the Bay of Bothnia and the nature receives all the sunlight it lacked during the dark winter months. Under the midnight sun one can experience how the haste in the city is counterbalanced with the serene silence of outdoors all around. The River Oulujoki has been a prominent river in the history of northern industry as well as tourism. It has always been a source of livelihood for the northern people. Oulu is today one of the leading concentrations of technological industry in the world. Further down in history wealth was accumulated by the export of tar. Over one hundred years ago Oulu was rivaling with the Russian Archangel for the title of the world's number one exporter of tar. Great vessels around the world were tarred for protection with the best tar in the world from Oulu. The traditions of tar burning and transportation can still be seen all along the River Oulujoki. The activities in the destination of Oulu are carried out by Arctic Incentives local partner, Go Arctic!

2 DAY 1 WELCOME TO OULU Arrival in Oulu Welcome Dinner and cruise on the Baltic Sea DAY 2 THE AREAS THE SEA ABONDED AND DINNER AT THE SEA Guided hiking trip and GPS orienteering in the northernmost Unesco Geopark, Rokua Midnight sun canoeing in the city waters Dinner at Restaurant Sokeri-Jussin Kievari DAY 3 THE STORY OF THE TAR Tarboat cruise to the open air museum Turkansaari Farewell dinner at the Maikkula Estate DAY 4 - FAREWELL Visit to OMA The Oulu Museum of Art and Science Center Tietomaa Departure

3 DAY 1 WELCOME TO OULU Upon arrival at Oulu airport (OUL) meet & greet by Go Arctic! guide and board the waiting coach for transfer to your hotel, privately owned Hotel Lasaretti once nominated as the most artistic hotel in Finland. At Lasaretti, high-quality paintings and sculptures are everywhere, including your hotel room. Pre-registered check-in and key envelopes are ready in alphabetical order. Your luggage will be taken to your room by hotel porters. Welcoming dinner will be enjoyed at the Baltic sea, the same sea that once abonded the Rokua Geopark area making it the way it is today. MS Oulu will take the guests to the Baltic and show another side of our city. Summer dinner will be enjoyed in one of the islands located in front of our city. Traditional Finnish music will fulfill the feeling of the Finnish summer evening. Return to the shore around midnight, coach transfer to the hotel

4 DAY 2 AREAS THE SEA ABONDED AND DINNER CRUISE AT THE BALTIC SEA Finnish buffet breakfast is served in hotel restaurant. After breakfast meet your safari guides in hotel lobby, short coach transfer to Go Arctic! dressing rooms to pick up the hiking gear. We recommend the guests to wear their own shoes, good for walking. Coach transfer to Rokua Geopark area for an interesting guided hiking and GPS orienteering in the worlds northernmost Unesco Geopark. Lunch will be enjoyed by an open fire at the silence and freshness of the Finnish woods. Rokua, situated right next to Oulu, is a unique combination of geology, nature and culture on the Northern hemisphere. The characteristic features of the area are the landforms shaped by the Ice Age: glacial ridges, pine and lichen-clad heaths, kettle holes and small ponds filled with crystal clear water. In addition to the incomparable environment, the area tells the story of a prehistoric settlement of the human being and of the ever since flourishing culture. Return to the hotel in the afternoon Leisure time to enjoy the Park Ainola area/oulu river delta or to relax at the hotels pool In the afternoon a short walk over to the Oulu market place and canoes waiting. Guests will be taken for a beautiful and relaxing canoeing trip to admire the nightless night. The beauty and silence of the Finnish summer evening is stunning. Even though in the middle of the city, you get so close to the nature.

5 Canoeing trip ends at Island Pikisaari and at the gates of Sokeri-Jussi whom with its old warehouse charm offers the perfect setting for tonights dinner. After dinner short walk over to the hotel. DAY 3 THE STORY OF THE TAR CITY Finnish buffet breakfast is served in hotel restaurant. After breakfast meet your safari guides in hotel lobby, coach transfer to the boats Today we turn back in time to more than one hundred years ago, when Oulu lived from the tar and the Salmon the river provided. We take the bus to the Turkansaari outdoor museum, where our guides dressed in vintage clothing of the era are looking forward to meeting us. Also you and the other guests will have a suitable flannel shirt and felt hat. First, we will explore the history of tar in an exhibition, which takes you to a journey from the living tree into the barrel and then further down the river towards the world market. After a visit to the café we hop on to a long traditional tar boat and follow the old route towards the sea. Luckily, nowadays these boats have engines to guarantee a comfortable and secure cruise. We disembark at one of the most magnificent estates along the River Oulu, Maikkula Estate, and our guides engage you to the colorful history of the house, which has been renovated to its former glory as well as to a restaurant. What better place to have a delicious lunch. After lunch our guests can have a go at the skills required in the old days in the not-soserious Tar Olympics. The activities follow the route of the tar. First we strip the tree

6 using a barking tool, saw it into manageable pieces and finally we have to chop them into a size that can be burned later on. Then we lay the chopped wood and light the funnelshaped tar pit. As the smoke ascends, we get to load the barrel and learn how to use the finished product of tar. The pleasant smell of tar will follow you home, as each of our guests applies tar to a small wooden souvenir to take home with them. The day ends with a traditional Finnish evening at the wonderful Maikkulan Kartano. The menu for the evening consists of local delicacies, and there will be Finnish music and dancing as well. After the dinner coach transfer to the hotel DAY 4 VISIT TO OMA AND SCIENCE CENTER TIETOMAA AND FAREWELL TO OULU Finnish buffet breakfast is served in hotel restaurant. After breakfast meet the guides at the lobby of the hotel. Short walk over to the OMA Oulu Museum of Art and Science Center Tietomaa. Guided tour in these leading attractions of the Oulu City. Lunch will be enjoyed at Restaurant Lasaretti, afterwards coach transfer to the airport.

7 Program inclusions: ACCOMMODATION: - 3 nights in twin room, hotel sauna, pool and breakfast in Hotel Lasaretti - Luggage handling in hotel in/out. TRANSFERS: - Day 1: from Oulu airport to the hotel, to/from MS Oulu - Day 2: to/from Rokua Geopark - Day 3: to boat shore, from Turkansaari Island, to/from Maikkula Estate - Day 4: to Oulu Airport MEALS & BEVERAGE: - lunches feature 2 courses with coffee/tea, water, bread & spread - dinners feature 3 courses with coffee/tea, ice water, bread & spread - full-board from dinner on Day 1 until lunch on Day 4 DAY & EVENING PROGRAMS: - Day 01: Dinner cruise with MS Oulu - Day 02: Guided hiking trip and GPS orienteering in Rokua Geopark (4h), Midnight Sun Canoeing (2h), Dinner in Restaurant Sokeri-Jussin Kievari - Day 03: The story of the tar and a tarboat cruise to Turkansaari Island. Dinner at Maikkula Estate - Day 04: Visit to OMA and Science Center Tietomaa. Departure. OTHER: - Local guiding in English during transfers, programs and dinners. - All service fees and Value Added Tax (VAT)