Overview
This tour is a tailor-made extension to The European Tour for Patrons of Curtis Institute of Music. It is operated in collaboration with a Helsinki-based agent. Martin Randall Travel do not provide a tour manager for this extension but a local guide accompanies walks, tranfers and excursions.
This tour extension provides a brief introduction to Finland, a small country which only gained independence in 1917 – from its influential art, architecture and design to its traditions, landscape and cuisine.
From its time at the periphery of European civilization and in the following period as a remote part of the Swedish empire, there is not much to show other than vernacular domestic architecture and castles. Only in 1812, when the territory became a Russian grand duchy, did Helsinki acquire a spacious and monumental Neo-Classical centre to rank among the most impressive.
Really interesting art and architecture begins in the later nineteenth century with National Romanticism, a manifestation of aspiration towards national self-determination. The music of Sibelius is well enough known, but the architecture of Eliel Saarinen deserves much wider acclaim, and the brilliant, haunting paintings of Albert Edelfelt and Akseli Gallén- Kallela will come as a revelation.
Sibelius was also one of the most placespecific of composers. His main literary influences were Nordic, particularly the Kalevala, the great Finnish national epic, and the landscapes which moved him so intensely are the forests and lakes of central Finland. He lived through and gave expression to the period of National Romanticism when Finland rebelled against Russian political and cultural dominance and emerged as an independent nation in 1917. This tour extension is based at Sibelius’s preferred Hotel Kamp, setting the National Romantic scene but also
Day 1: Friday 19th May
Helsinki.
Afternoon
Arrive in Helsinki in the afternoon (flights arranged independently). Meet your local guide and transfer to the Hotel Kamp, where the rest of the day is at leisure before a short walk to an excellent restaurant serving a tasting menu of Nordic cuisine. First of three nights in the city centre at the Hotel Kamp.
Day 2: Saturday 20th May
Helsinki.
Morning
Begin with a guided walking tour through the Neo-Classical heart of the city: Senate Square, the domed cathedral and the colourful Market Square by the old harbor. Continue to Eliel Saarinen’s Railway Station (1919) and end at the Ateneum, Finland’s foremost art museum that houses a collection of brilliant National Romantic pictures (museum visit not guided but tickets provided).
Afternoon
Lunch, rest of afternoon and dinner at leisure (restaurant recommendations will be made). Suggestions for independent visits in the afternoon: Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary Art (open 10–18), the nearby Church of the Rock, or Alvar Aalto’s House (1 hour, requires booking). Open 11–18).
Evening concert at the Musiikkitalo (The Helsinki Music Centre): Curtis Symphony Orchestra: Ravel, Suite no. 2 Daphnis et Chloé; Penderecki, concerto doppio for violin and viola; Strauss, Ein Heldenleben, Op.40.
A private transfer is provided to and from the concert hall. Second of three nights in Helsinki.
Day 3: Sunday 21st May
Ainola.
All-day excursion
Meet your guide and private car for a full-day excursion to include Ainola, the turn of the century villa, home to Sibelius and his family for 50 years, and the open air museum on Seurasaari island. Here a selection of buildings give an overall view of life in the Finnish countryside from the 18th to 20th century. Third and final night in Helsinki.
Day 4 (first day of the European Tour), Monday 22nd May
Helsinki to Berlin.
Morning
Early morning private transfer to Helsinki airport to join the Finnair flight to Berlin (Finnair flight: 08.10–09.05). On arrival in Berlin, private transfer to the Hotel Regent for check-in. The rest of the morning is free to settle in.
Afternoon
At 2.45pm gather with the rest of the group for the main tour programme.
Price, per person.
Two sharing: £2,060. Single occupancy: £2,390.
Included
Flight from (economy class) Helsinki to Berlin with Finnair (aircraft: Airbus 319); private small coach for airport transfers and excursions; hotel accommodation as described below; breakfasts, 1 dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant with wine, water and coffee; all admissions for guided visits as specified in the itinerary; taxes; the services of a local guide; 2 Curtis Institute of Music staff accompanying throughout.
CSO performance
1 ticket per person is included.
Accommodation
Hotel Kämp, Helsinki: an elegant five-star hotel in Art Deco style. Single rooms are double for sole use.
How strenuous?
To be able to participate fully in the tour, some walking and standing in museums is required.
Are you fit enough to join the tour?
Group size
Between 8 and 12 paying participants. Should the number of participants fall below 8, the price will be revised accordingly (the per person amount will increase with smaller numbers).
Travel advice
Before booking, please refer to the FCDO website to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting.
