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 |
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