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Home , Olavinlinna, Savonlinna

OPERA FESTIVAL 2016 10TH TO 14TH JULY 2016

Savonlinna Castle

he annual festival at Castle in Savonlinna, , is often considered the most beautiful opera festival in the Tworld. Basked in the Nordic light of summer, the Medieval castle sits amidst stunning lake scenery and beautiful gardens. The festival was born in 1907, when the renowned Finnish soprano Aino Ackte attended a nationalist meeting in the venue and identified it as an ideal location for the celebration of classical music. The first opera festival was held in 1912, and despite an interruption of fifty years due to the First World War and the , it was reborn in 1967 and today entertains 60,000 music enthusiasts a year.

Italian opera is the main theme of the 2016 Savonlinna Opera Festival. The name of William Shakespeare will, as a result, be very much to the fore, since next year marks the 400th anniversary of his death. On this charming four night trip to Finland we will enjoy two stunning performances composed by Giuseppe Verdi after plays by William Shakespeare: ‘Otello’ and ‘Falstaff’. In addition to the wonderful performances, we will visit the town of and delight in its wooden architecture and beautiful cathedral as we explore the old city. We will also enjoy a steamboat tour of Lake and a visit to the Johanna Oras Art Manor on Island. Our time spent in will certainly be enjoyable as we discover this most charming of Scandinavian port towns.

For our visit to the Savonlinna Opera Festival, we are pleased to be working with ‘Your Next Tour ’ who pride themselves in creating quality tours to the art and opera capitals of Europe and the USA, sourcing the highest level of classical entertainment for all their itineraries. Having worked with the company for some years we know them to be a tour operator of the most exacting standards. Kerimäki Church Senate Square, Helsinki

Porvoo

OUR VIEW THE ITINERARY Olavinlinna Castle lies on a rocky island in Lake Day 1 London to Helsinki. Fly by scheduled direct Otello shows Verdi’s opera to be his most diverse Saimaa and is one of the best preserved and flight and arrive in Helsinki. We transfer to the in terms of its music and libretto. Otello ended most spectacular castles in the . Hotel Scandic Marski. This evening we have a the master’s long period of silence as an opera It was built in 1475 as a powerful to welcome dinner at the hotel. composer and the main role in the work is his most repel Russian attacks from the East. The changes taxing tenor part. The 15th century three-tower in the ownership over the centuries between Day 2 Helsinki/Porvoo. After breakfast we tour castle is the northernmost Medieval stone fortress the Nordic people and the Russians left their Helsinki, a quintessentially Scandinavian city. We still standing, and is a beautiful setting for the mark on Olavinlinna: this can be seen in the will see the famous Senate Square, the Finlandia opera as it sits amid stunning lake scenery. varied architecture of the castle. This makes for House, designed by the legendary Finnish architect a wonderful setting for opera performances and Alvar Aalto, the Opera House, the Olympic Stadium Day 4 Punkaharju. After breakfast we transfer to explains why the Savonlinna Opera Festival has (built for the Olympic Games held here 1952), the Savonlinna to board a steamboat which will transport become a pilgrimage for serious opera lovers. 19th century Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral and the us across Lake Saimaa. We will enjoy lunch onboard Taking place in the courtyard, covered over harbour with its colourful marketplace. We then visit and afterwards visit the Johanna Oras Art Manor at and with excellent acoustics, the operas hosted Porvoo which is one of Finland’s six Medieval towns Punkaharju where we will meet the world famous at the festival each summer are renowned the and has a charmingly picturesque city centre of artist who will talk about her work. The Manor was world over, not just for the setting, but the wooden houses. In 1809, Finland’s nobles assembled opened in 2010 and since then, Johanna Oras has exceptional quality of the performers. Without at the Diet of Porvoo to affirm the country’s kept a summer exhibition here each year. On the a doubt the opera performances are the conquest by . The Cathedral is amongst the way back to the hotel, we will drive through the highlight of our tour but we must not overlook oldest and largest in Finland, with parts dating back beautiful Punkaharju ridge and call into the Kerimäki the picturesque little town of Porvoo, the locally to the 11th century. Predating the Reformation, it Church, designed by Anders Fredrik Granstedt inspired lunches at beautiful manor houses, was originally a Catholic church, but was converted and built in 1847 it is considered to be the world’s the stunning scenery on all our journeys and into a Protestant one by the removing of its icons largest wooden church. We return to our hotel to meeting the delightful artist Johanna Oras in her and painting over murals. The town is famed for rest before returning to Savonlinna for the evening’s gallery- and all this whilst basking in the glow of its many wooden buildings, picturesquely perched performance of Verdi’s comic treat ‘Falstaff’ at the summer Nordic light. by the banks of the Porvoo River. We have lunch at Olavinlinna Castle. This final work of Verdi’s career is Haikko Manor before returning to Helsinki. Enjoy an being performed for the first time at the Savonlinna evening at leisure to explore independently. Opera Festival. This performance will be a Ravenna YOUR ACCOMMODATION Festival production who are guests at Savonlinna. Hotel Scandic Marski, Helsinki: The Scandic Marski Hotel is a modern, centrally located Day 5 Helsinki to London. Today we depart hotel in Mannerheimintie, a mere stones throw by coach for Helsinki. We will enjoy lunch at a away from the shopping, cafes and sights of charming country inn outside Helsinki, including the Esplanade Park. Rooms are before arriving at Helsinki Airport for our comfortable, measuring between 16-20 sqm and return scheduled flight to London. all are en-suite with safe deposit, air conditioning, minibar, television and wifi access. The Marski Saimaa lake Bar and restaurant serve local and international PRICES PER PERSON dishes, and the modern gym is well equipped Day 3 Savonlinna. After breakfast at the hotel we Based on double occupancy with exercise machines and saunas. will depart by coach to the heart of the Saimaa SPECIAL OFFER - NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT Lake region, to Savonlinna. We will stop for lunch FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY Hotel Herttua Kerimaki: The Herttua Hotel and on the way at the beautifully placed Tertti Mansion Twin Room: Single Room: Spa is situated in the beautiful natural setting on outside . In the afternoon we will check-in to £1995 £2395 the banks of Lake Puruvesi in Kerimäki. Enjoy the Hotel Herttua in Kerimäki, which is located 15 miles Price Includes: Economy class scheduled air travel, two nights accommodation at Hotel Scandic Marski in sauna, take a light stroll along one of the jogging outside Savonlinna. An area of pristine beauty and Helsinki and two nights at Hotel Herttua in Kerimäki, trails or relax with a book in the fireplace room. tranquillity, perhaps enjoy a swim in the beautiful four breakfast buffets, one dinner, four lunches with For those who are more active there are canoes, lake or take some time to appreciate the beautiful house wine, beer and soft drinks, city tour in Helsinki, rowing boats and bikes available to further setting of your hotel. At 6pm we will depart to excursion to Porvoo, all coach transfers, steamboat tour to Punkaharju, two Category A Opera Festival explore your breathtaking surroundings. Rooms Savonlinna for this evening’s performance of tickets, Tour Manager and services of a Tour Leader are comfortable, and the fully licensed restaurant, Shakespeare’s drama on the theme of jealously, from Your Next Tour, gratuities. café and pub are available for your enjoyment. ‘Otello’ at Olavinlinna Castle. The production of Not Included: Travel insurance, visa.

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