Full day excursion: Saturday, July 31
Lunch is included in the fee.
Keila - Tallinn
Keila: Visit Harjumaa county museum and an exhibition of bobbin lace made by the Estonian Coastal Swedes. Tallinn: walk in the Old Town, which is UNESCO world heritage listed. Visit the bobbin lace exhibition of “Estonian Bobbin Lace Association - 25” and the gallery of “Ace of Lace”. Lunch included
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Half-day excursions: Friday, July 30 and Saturday, July 31
Excursion 1. Setomaa - Värska and Obinitsa
In Setomaa we visit the Seto Farm Museum in Värska, where various exhibitions introduce the Seto traditional way of life and crafts to visitors. In Obinitsa we visit the Seto Museum House and see some very interesting Seto laces.
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Excursion 2. Põltsamaa - Olustvere - Heimtali
In Põltsamaa we visit the castle museum and handicraft shops. Then visit Olustvere Manor which is one of the most fully preserved manor complexes in Estonia. Include a visit to the handicraft and wool rooms, the smithy, the ceramics workshop, and the distillery. We then drive to Heimtali Museum which houses a very beautiful and interesting collection of Estonian handicrafts and textiles including lace.
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Lace tour: August 2-5, 2021
Accommodation, lunches and dinners are included in the fee
Accommodation is only possible in twin rooms. You can mark your preferred roommate in the registration form. In other cases, a roommate will be assigned.
L'hébergement n'est possible que dans des chambres doubles. Vous pouvez indiquer votre colocataire préféré dans le formulaire d'inscription. Dans les autres cas, un colocataire sera affecté.
DAY 1: Monday, August 2
We begin our four-day lace trip with a visit to Setomaa. It is situated at the farthest southeastern corner of Estonia, where isolation created an interesting and original culture and language. The Seto people have never become anything else but Setos. Their name translates “neither this nor that”. Their language sounds similar to Estonian, but it is not Estonian. Their religion is similar to that of the Slavonic people, but it is not the same. We will visit the Seto Farm Museum in Värska. Various exhibitions will show visitors the traditional way of life and crafts. We will head to Obinitsa to visit Seto Museum House where we will see some very interesting Seto laces. Our journey continues to Meremäe, which is one of Setomaa’s oldest settlements. Near Meremäe in the village of Kalatsova, we will enjoy a meal of Seto dishes, both traditional and modern. We will drive through Võru and Põlva to Taevaskoja. This is one of the most frequently visited sites in southern Estonia and a place that every Estonian visits at least once in their lifetime. The sandstone outcrops and ancient river form the most beautiful part of the Ahja River Landscape Reserve. Legends talk of caves and secret passageways and of demons and mermaids. On our return to Tartu, we will visit the Uhti Public Studio. It is situated in a historic tavern which is an architectural monument dating from the 19th century. Visitors can meet artists in the smithy, stables, and tavern itself. Everything which is made on-site can be purchased, for example, ceramics with lace patterns.
Overnight in Tartu.
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DAY 2: Tuesday, August 3
After breakfast, we start our trip to the north-eastern part of Estonia. First, we drive to the coast of the lake Peipsi and then to Alatskivi manor, a fairy-tale castle on the eastern border of Estonia. We will then travel to Narva, the border town of the European Union and Russia. A tour of the magnificent castle is mandatory. We will also enjoy the small handicraft and lace shops. Then look across the Narva River to see the castle opposite, which before World War II was also part of Estonia. Narva was once called the “Baroque pearl of the Baltic Sea”, but in 1944 the old town was almost entirely destroyed after being bombed by Soviet Air Forces. Only the Town Hall and some other buildings have survived. It is a town where more than 90 percent of its residents are of Russian descent. From Narva, we will go to Palmse Manor where we will have a meal in the very beautiful manor complex and then visit the famous Jägala waterfall. Next, we travel directly to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. In the evening we will walk in the Old Town (Vanalinn), enjoying the feeling of hundreds of years of history. Overnight in Tallinn.
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DAY 3: Wednesday, August 4
After breakfast, we will visit the lace exhibition of the Estonian Bobbin Lace Association in Tallinn Old Town. The association is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a large lace exhibition. We will also visit the gallery of “Ace of Lace”. We continue our trip, visiting Harjumaa County Museum in Keila, enjoying a handicraft exhibition included lace of Estonian Coastal Swedes. From there we will visit Haapsalu, the “capital” of Estonia’s very famous knitted lace shawls. We will visit the Haapsalu Lace Center, and the Museum of Estonian Coastal Swedes. We will have our meal in Kuursaal, the most beautiful wooden building in the town, followed by a visit to the castle grounds. In the evening we will visit the summer capital of Estonia, Pärnu, where we will visit the town and enjoy a walk on the beach. Overnight in Pärnu.
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DAY 4: Thursday, August 5
In Pärnu, we start our day by visiting an exhibition of lace made by the Pärnu lacemakers. Pärnu is a very important lace centre in Estonia organising annual lace festivals since 2001. Our next stop is Olustvere manor, one of the most fully preserved manor complexes in Estonia. Here we can visit the handicraft and wool rooms, the smithy, the ceramics workshop, and the distillery. After lunch, we will drive to Heimtali museum which houses a very beautiful and interesting collection of Estonian handicraft and textiles including lace. The museum is situated in an old village school which is a beautiful rubble stone building from 1864. From Heimtali we will visit Viljandi, the capital of Estonian folk music, to explore the ruins of Viljandi Order castle and enjoy the view of Lake Viljandi. From Viljandi, it is only an hour back to Tartu where we will finish our tour.
Accommodation for this night is not included in the price.
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