Low impact winter activities
Seminars
Birdwatching
Local Food
Open Space
Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Bogshoeing trips
Bogshoes have been used to walk on wetlands throughout the times. These footwear are also widely known as snowshoes - for walking over snow. Whether with or without snow, shoes make walking on the peat-bogs easier. Bogshoes allow access to the places where it is hard or even impossible to reach by foot.
Bogshoeing trips are organized by 360.ee , retked.ee , soomaa.com
Bogshoeing trips are organized by 360.ee , retked.ee , soomaa.com
| www.flickr.com |
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Up From the Ruins - Travel Story by Priit Vesilind
In the November/December 2007 issue of National Geographic Traveler, Estonian-born Priit Vesilind returns to explore the countryside with his son Bill, who is now living in Estonia and renovating his grandfather's house. The house was built on top of medieval ruins, the symbolism of which Vesilind uses to good effect. Their trip, ranging from the fast-paced nightlife of Tallinn to the relaxing waters of the Pärnu beach resort, culminates in an eerie visit to an art installation of hundreds of suitcases in a field, all painted white, representing Estonian residents who fled the country ahead of the Soviets and never returned.
See also Estonia Photo Gallery at National Geographic Traveler.
Photographs by Sisse Brimberg and Cotton Coulson/Keenpress
See also Estonia Photo Gallery at National Geographic Traveler.
Photographs by Sisse Brimberg and Cotton Coulson/Keenpress
Friday, December 21, 2007
Schengen - Connecting Borders
As of 21 December 2007, Estonia is a part of the Schengen visa area.
Read more at website of Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read more at website of Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
| www.flickr.com |
Thursday, December 20, 2007
The circle of the year
Native Estonians experience time as a circle. In our climate winter, spring, summer and autumn follow one another. Every coming of a new season means great changes in temperature and vegetation. All nature is changing constantly and with great contrasts, but everything will come around again. Time follows a cycle and brings back summer, spring, autumn and winter. Time brings back holidays as well.
The calendar of native Estonians follows the cycle of nature sensitively. Maausk, the native religion of Estonians (Faith of Earth) is a religion of nature. The holidays and customs of native Estonians designate the breaking points of nature. The holidays of native Estonians are periods that have great impact on following periods.
The most important holidays of native Estonians are:
1) jõulud (December 21 – 24): winter solstice, the end of souls' time and the beginning of the year (December 25th);
2) munapyhad, suvisted: the arrival of spring. In northern and southern Estonia spring arrives and therefore is celebrated in different times (March or April in the south, May or June in the north);
3) leedopäev (June 23th): summer solstice;
4) kasupäev (September 29th): the beginnig of the winter half-year and the beginning of the souls' time.
In addition to those, native believers of Estonia celebrate 31 other holidays.
( Source: www.maavald.ee )
The calendar of native Estonians follows the cycle of nature sensitively. Maausk, the native religion of Estonians (Faith of Earth) is a religion of nature. The holidays and customs of native Estonians designate the breaking points of nature. The holidays of native Estonians are periods that have great impact on following periods.
The most important holidays of native Estonians are:
1) jõulud (December 21 – 24): winter solstice, the end of souls' time and the beginning of the year (December 25th);
2) munapyhad, suvisted: the arrival of spring. In northern and southern Estonia spring arrives and therefore is celebrated in different times (March or April in the south, May or June in the north);
3) leedopäev (June 23th): summer solstice;
4) kasupäev (September 29th): the beginnig of the winter half-year and the beginning of the souls' time.
In addition to those, native believers of Estonia celebrate 31 other holidays.
( Source: www.maavald.ee )
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Aivar Ruukel
Work: owner and manager of small private company organizing nature experiences in Soomaa National Park
Awards: Best Promoter of Tourism in 1997 by Estonian Association of Travel Agents
Membership:
Founding member of Estonian Ecotourism Association
Founding member of Estonian Rural Tourism Association
Founding member of the Friends of Soomaa
Supporting member of Estonian Fund for Nature
Member of Estonian Greens
Hobbies: building Estonian traditional dugout canoes
Social networking: account in LinkedIn, Facebook, Orkut, Digg, DelIcioUs, StumbleUpon, YouTube, Multiply
Taking pictures, account in Flickr, in Picasa Web, in Nagi
Acting as trainer, speaker, some of his presentations can be found at SlideShare.net
Last, but not least, studies nature tourism at Estonian University of Life Sciences
Awards: Best Promoter of Tourism in 1997 by Estonian Association of Travel Agents
Membership:
Founding member of Estonian Ecotourism Association
Founding member of Estonian Rural Tourism Association
Founding member of the Friends of Soomaa
Supporting member of Estonian Fund for Nature
Member of Estonian Greens
Hobbies: building Estonian traditional dugout canoes
Social networking: account in LinkedIn, Facebook, Orkut, Digg, DelIcioUs, StumbleUpon, YouTube, Multiply
Taking pictures, account in Flickr, in Picasa Web, in Nagi
Acting as trainer, speaker, some of his presentations can be found at SlideShare.net
Last, but not least, studies nature tourism at Estonian University of Life Sciences
Kicksledding Trips in Estonia
The kicksled is driven forward by the driver standing on one runner, kicking backwards on the ground with the other foot, hence the name. The flexibility of the runners allows the driver to steer the kicksled by twisting the handlebars.
In Soomaa national park kicksledding trips are organized on the frozen rivers, season lasts from December until March. In Northern-Estonia, Reimann Retked offers kicksledding trips on the sea ice and lakes and on the snow in the forests.
In Soomaa national park kicksledding trips are organized on the frozen rivers, season lasts from December until March. In Northern-Estonia, Reimann Retked offers kicksledding trips on the sea ice and lakes and on the snow in the forests.
| www.flickr.com |
Trip Skating in Estonia
Trip skating (also known as nordic skating or tour skating) is a recreational form of ice skating on natural ice. Estonian sea shore and numerous lakes offer great possibilities to skate. Trip skating is fast enough to be interesting at the same time being calm and nature friendly activity.
The skating season in Estonia usually lasts from the end of December till the middle of March. Best skating time is the beginning of January when ice on the sea is strong enough and clean from snow. Best places for trip skating in Estonia are:
- Soodla water reservoir – this is a man made lake where Tallinn partly gets its water. Reservoir is almost 7 km long offering great possibilities for nature friendly activity.
- Hiiumaa islets in western Estonia – protected and shallow sea ensures good ice conditions that stay stable during the entire winter. Skating takes place in nature protection area that is open for visitors during the winter time. There are some great tourist farms that offer value prices during the winter.
- Haapsalu bay between Haapsalu and Noarootsi – this shallow bay is protected from Baltic sea waves. It freezes early in the season. Haapsalu bay is known as a good place for ice sailing competitions. Accommodation in Haapsalu is easy to find and affordable during the winter months.
- Bays on the North coast of Estonia – they froze only during coldest winters and usually late February. But when they froze they offer great skating opportunities while other areas might already be covered with snow. (Source: Seikleja.com
Seikleja.Com is offering tours to all of these regions. )
| www.flickr.com |
The skating season in Estonia usually lasts from the end of December till the middle of March. Best skating time is the beginning of January when ice on the sea is strong enough and clean from snow. Best places for trip skating in Estonia are:
- Soodla water reservoir – this is a man made lake where Tallinn partly gets its water. Reservoir is almost 7 km long offering great possibilities for nature friendly activity.
- Hiiumaa islets in western Estonia – protected and shallow sea ensures good ice conditions that stay stable during the entire winter. Skating takes place in nature protection area that is open for visitors during the winter time. There are some great tourist farms that offer value prices during the winter.
- Haapsalu bay between Haapsalu and Noarootsi – this shallow bay is protected from Baltic sea waves. It freezes early in the season. Haapsalu bay is known as a good place for ice sailing competitions. Accommodation in Haapsalu is easy to find and affordable during the winter months.
- Bays on the North coast of Estonia – they froze only during coldest winters and usually late February. But when they froze they offer great skating opportunities while other areas might already be covered with snow. (Source: Seikleja.com
Seikleja.Com is offering tours to all of these regions. )
Seminar on Birdwatching Tourism in Estonia
Estonia is foremost attractive birdwatching destination because of it’s well-preserved nature and coign of vantage in terms of location and climate. Our landscapes are still habitats for rare birds of prey and our seacoasts for millions of migratory birds.
What are the possibilities for birdwatching and nature tourism in Estonia- view from outside? Is it only a vision or already functioning reality? Can the image of Estonia be “Green and sustainable”? Is nature tourism hindering or supporting the objectives of nature conservation? What kind of co-operation and networking have to be developed already today in order to prevent threats tomorrow? What kind of development activities have to be planned on national level? These was the questions asked and partly answered during the seminar, that took place in Matsalu National Park, 27th of November 2007.
Seminar was organized by Marika Mann, Estonian Nature Tours.
What are the possibilities for birdwatching and nature tourism in Estonia- view from outside? Is it only a vision or already functioning reality? Can the image of Estonia be “Green and sustainable”? Is nature tourism hindering or supporting the objectives of nature conservation? What kind of co-operation and networking have to be developed already today in order to prevent threats tomorrow? What kind of development activities have to be planned on national level? These was the questions asked and partly answered during the seminar, that took place in Matsalu National Park, 27th of November 2007.
Seminar was organized by Marika Mann, Estonian Nature Tours.
| www.flickr.com |
Tourism Ecolabels in Estonia
There are two tourism ecolabels, currently used in Estonia:
Estonia - the Natural Way is a national product label for natural-cultural experiences, based on the ecotourism principals. (Source: http://estonia.ecotourism.ee/ecolabel , there you will find also a list of labeled experiences)
Green Key is an international ecolabel for environmentally conscious accommodation businesses. (Source: http://visitestonia.com/index.php?page=393 there you will find also a list of labeled accommodations)
Estonia - the Natural Way is a national product label for natural-cultural experiences, based on the ecotourism principals. (Source: http://estonia.ecotourism.ee/ecolabel , there you will find also a list of labeled experiences)
Green Key is an international ecolabel for environmentally conscious accommodation businesses. (Source: http://visitestonia.com/index.php?page=393 there you will find also a list of labeled accommodations)
| www.flickr.com |
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
