Date: Sunday, 20 August, at 18:30 - 20:00, the Art Museum Joensuu
All participants and accompanying persons are welcome to attend the reception. The reception will be hosted by the City of Joensuu.
Transportation: Buses depart at 18:10 from the Kimmel Hotel.
Date: Friday, 25 August, at 19:30 - 23:30, at Huhmari holiday village
The last get-together before going home is on Friday evening. You can enjoy dinner in the traditional Finnish countryside atmosphere, see Finnish folk dancing and dance to Finnish "dance pavillion" music. Huhmari is located in a beautiful rural area by lake Höytiäinen some 30 kilometres from Joensuu.
Transportation: Buses will depart from every hotel at 19:00. Return transportation will depart at regular intervals between 22:30 and 23:30.
Date: Wednesday, 23 August at 8.30 am - 17.30
(included in the registration package)
A whole-day trip to the Koli National Park will be arranged for all participants and accompanying persons taking part in the Conference.
Please bring good shoes for the excursion.
Please note that there are three different degrees of difficulty for the trips in the Koli National Park. You can choose one of the trips and register for it beforehand at the registration desk of the Congress Venue no later than on Tuesday morning, 22 August. The trips are as follows:
a) Bus tour to the Koli area and visit to the peak of Koli by foot (easy)
A guided tour on the group's bus to the Koli National Park, including its Holiday Housing Fair area, harbour and village, for example. The tour will either start or end by visiting the Ukko-Koli hill and other scenic places by foot. It is also possible to stop at other places, if so desired. During the trip lingonberry juice and rye crackers will be served. The guide will join the bus at the Heritage Centre Ukko. The guide will give information on the bus and at sights about the area, history and culture of Koli. The tour will end outside the Heritage Centre Ukko. The walking distance is about one kilometre.
b) Cultural hike from the village of Koli to the peak of Koli (medium difficult)
This guided cultural hike will start from the centre of the Koli village outside Kolin Kulmakivi. The guide will lead the way along National Park trails up to the Ukko-Koli hill. In the course of the trip the guide will tell stories about the history and culture of Koli. Lingonberry juice and rye crackers will be served at a suitable spot. The tour will end outside the Heritage Centre Ukko. The hiking distance is around 4 km.
c) Mäkrä trail from Peiponpelto to the peak of Koli (demanding)
This guided hike in the magnificent scenery of the Mäkrä hill will start at the parking place of Peiponpelto. During the trip the guide will tell stories about the history, culture and nature of Koli. Along the way lingonberry juice and rye crackers will be served. The hike will end outside the Heritage Centre Ukko. The hiking distance is around 5.5 km along varying National Park trails (with steep rises and falls).
Lunch will be served at the Hotel Koli restaurant after the trips.
After lunch the group will transfer to Koli harbour to board a ship for a lake cruise. Those wishing to do so can descend from Koli by the scenic elevator to admire the view. During the cruise the group can avail themselves of the ship's cafe services and just enjoy the magnificent lake scenery. The cruise will take two hours and the bus trip back to Joensuu one hour.
Please see: Koli
Date: Monday, 21 August, from 20:00 to 24:00
Price: EUR 25/person, including supper
This is not included in the registration package.
The Finnish Organising Committee has arranged this Finnish sauna evening at the sauna of the Kontiolahden Avantouimarit (Winter Swimmers of Kontiolahti), located some 18 kilometres outside Joensuu. You will have an opportunity to try a Finnish sauna bath and swim in a Finnish lake. A supper will be served. Please bring your own swimsuit and towel.
Early advance registration is desirable, since only 40 tickets are available because of size limitations of the sauna building.
Transport by coach from the Hotel Kimmel.
Date: Tuesday, 22 August
Price: EUR 67/person
Exact time will be defined later.
>>> Valamo
Valamo is the only monastery of the Finnish Orthodox Church and is located in the district of Heinävesi, in the midst of the immensely beautiful lake region of eastern Finland. The monastery maintains close connections with the society around it and supports itself chiefly through tourism. It receives more than 100,000 visitors a year. During the trip the group will have a conducted tour of the monastery and learn about its history and present. Lunch will be served at the monastery's refectory.
After lunch the group will transfer to Lintula, the only convent in Finland. The convent is very modest. In summer it offers cafe and restaurant services to visitors and runs a souvenir shop. Lintula convent is located in the middle of a beautiful and peaceful spruce forest by a tranquil lake.
Updated: August 7, 2006
