New Year is an extra-ordinary event, and now there is an excellent opportunity to make it The Great New Year Adventure! We did our best to offer you the most interesting, intensive, diverse and funny New Year: snowmobiling, tubing, skiing, getting your own New Year tree in the forest, ice angling, banya, workshops in doll-making and more in Karelia…
Remember that the way you celebrate New Year is the way you will spend it... Happy New Year!
Day 1, 30 Dec
Arrive at Lodeinoe Pole station by a comfortable overnight train #17/18 from Moscow (departure on the eve, at 19.55 pm from Leningrad railway station) at 7.07 am. Make an acquaintance with your local Karelian guide who is waiting for you on the railway platform to take you by mini-bus to Umostu cottages (90 km, 1.5 hr). Check-in at the cosy wooden cottages of Umostu, which are located in a tiny Kukshegory village, on the shore of Vekkolojari lake. 9 am – breakfast in the dining cottage.
10 am – lets not lose any single minute of our precious New Year holiday! We will divide into 2 groups for different snow activities.
After the safety briefing, the first group will go for a snowmobiling safari in the forest (2 hrs): fresh snow, powerful machine obeying you, speed and excitement!
After the safety briefing, the first group will go for a snowmobiling safari in the forest (2 hrs): fresh snow, powerful machine obeying you, speed and excitement!
The second group will go skiing in the silent winter forest.
12 am – the groups swap the activities to have quite different experiences and emotions.
Attention! Our goal is to make your holiday varied and enjoyable for everyone. At any time, regardless of the main program, you can ask the instructors to give you skis, snowshoes, ice-sleds, equipment for ice fishing, and actively spend your time as you want at the moment.
2 pm – it is time for lunch in the dining cottage.
After lunch, we suggest a fun program where you will make acquaintance with the other people staying in Umostu. There are only 5 cosy cottages hosting the families and ssmall companies of friends who have come to Umostu to have the best so far New Year. If you decide to join the game, funny team competitions are waiting for you: - Snow merrymaking
- Fun team assignment - "Games of Karelia"
- Hot mulled wine "For dating!"
- Fun team assignment - "Games of Karelia"
- Hot mulled wine "For dating!"
A good Russian banya with birch-tree whisks will complete the day of activities in fresh air.
In the cottages there are equipped kitchens, utensils, spring water, tea and sweets as well. Therefore, you can always get warm of cozy fire in the fireplace with a cup of hot tea.
20 pm – dinner.
21 pm – after dinner do not drop off - our animators open the first evening of the "Mafia Club". Playing in the Mafia, Pantomime, Twister and other favorite games!
20 pm – dinner.
21 pm – after dinner do not drop off - our animators open the first evening of the "Mafia Club". Playing in the Mafia, Pantomime, Twister and other favorite games!
Night in the cottages.
Day 2, 31 Dec
9 am – breakfast.
10 am – lets think about the coming New Year… We do not have yet the most important thing, without which no New Year is possible in Russia – the New Year Tree! Lets take hot tea, put on snowshoes, and set out into the snow-dusted forest to choose our own – the most beautiful and special - New Year Fir!
In the woods, we will have to overcome a series of obstacles earning decorations and toys for our New Year tree. The choice of the New Year tree is important… but it is finally done, and we return to Umostu, happy and fresh.
14.30 pm – lunch.
15.30 pm – we will decorate our New Year Tree. You earned only a few decorations during the contests in the woods?... Well, then we simply make them by ourselves. Aside from the scissors, glue and colour paper, we will need only our fantasy to make the most original and precious decorations!
From 10 pm on - New Year dinner and celebration.
In addition to a delicious dinner and clinking of glasses, you expect surprises from the animators, the traditional New Year's fun "orange tree", fireworks and magical Christmas gifts.
Day 3, 1 Jan
After the proper New Year celebration, we can enjoy sleeping late today.
11-12 am – late breakfast.
12.30 am – every person has in mind his/her own preferred way to spend the very first day of the new year. And so you have a choice:
- snow fun,- riding the snow tubes binded to the snowmobile,
- tobogganing from the hill,
- ice angling: we are getting properly dressed, take along the fishing rods, ice drill, bait and set out on the lake’s ice… A bit of patience and luck… and here it is, the first fish is on the ice! The third will follow the second, a few more - and we have a delicious fish soup!
- to go skiing in the silent winter forest,
- or just walk in the surrounding woods.
- tobogganing from the hill,
- ice angling: we are getting properly dressed, take along the fishing rods, ice drill, bait and set out on the lake’s ice… A bit of patience and luck… and here it is, the first fish is on the ice! The third will follow the second, a few more - and we have a delicious fish soup!
- to go skiing in the silent winter forest,
- or just walk in the surrounding woods.
16 pm – lunch.
17 pm – we will have a chance during a workshop to learn how to make a torch and a traditional Karelian doll.
After such an active day you can relax in a real Russian bath!
20 pm – dinner.
21 pm – “Mafia Club". Karaoke.
21 pm – “Mafia Club". Karaoke.
Night in Umostu cottages.
Day 4, 2 Jan9 am – breakfast.
10.30 am – we split into 2 groups for different activities.
During a 3-hrs long safari by snowmobiles we will discover new remote corners of the forest and small village. Meanwhile, the other subgroup will enjoy winter fun – skiing, sledging, ice-angling await us.
During a 3-hrs long safari by snowmobiles we will discover new remote corners of the forest and small village. Meanwhile, the other subgroup will enjoy winter fun – skiing, sledging, ice-angling await us.
13-14 pm – lunch.
14 pm – we will swap the activities. The day will fly!
19.30 pm – dinner.
20.30 pm – Banya, Mafia Club" and Karaoke.
Night in Umostu cottages.
Day 5, 3 Jan
9 am – breakfast.
10 am – we split into 2 groups for different activities.
A new interesting snowmobiling itinerary, winter fun and walks are in store for today. And, we need to make some pictures to have a memory of these fairytale places and a special New Year…
A new interesting snowmobiling itinerary, winter fun and walks are in store for today. And, we need to make some pictures to have a memory of these fairytale places and a special New Year…
12.30-13.30 pm – lunch.
13.30 pm – we will swap the activities.
18 pm – dinner.
Unfortunately, everything nice ends sooner or later… it is time to leave Karelia. We share the impressions, exchange the contact details, and after dinner leaving by minibus to Lodeinoe Pole. Departure from Lodeinot Pole to Moscow by an overnight train #17/18 at 22.22 (arrival in Moscow at 9.06 am).
