1. religion and spirituality
2. buddhism

CULTURAL CENTRE SOFIA
Kallvikinniementie 35
FI-00980 Helsinki
Tel. +358 10 277 900
[email protected]
www.sofia.fi
Valamo Monastery
Valamontie 42,
FI-79850 Uusi-Valamo
Tel. +358 17 570 111
[email protected]
www.valamo.fi
Kuhmo Chamber Music
Torikatu 39, FI-88900 Kuhmo
Tel. +358 8 652 0936
[email protected]
www.kuhmofestival.fi
Guesthouse to guesthouse
tours
Tel. Minna +358 400 877 085,
[email protected]
www.aksytammat.fi
More information on eastern Finland
www.VisitKarelia.fi w www.WildTaiga.fi
Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival
July 12–25, 2015
July 10-23, 2016
For two frenetic weeks in July, Kuhmo is host to a chamber
music festival attracting thousands of music lovers. In that
fortnight, this town of 9,000 inhabitants echoes to the sound of
music against a backcloth of a lake that almost laps the walls of
the concert halls in the clear, unbelievable northern light.
The concerts are held at the Kuhmo Arts Centre, in the Lentua
Hall renowned for its excellent acoustics, at the festival’s cult
locale, Kontio School, and in Kuhmo’s beautiful wooden church.
The concert venues are all within walking distance of one another, or bicycles are a popular means of getting about, for artists
and audiences alike. Music is everywhere, there are concerts
from morning to late at night, and people just live for the music.
In the evenings, gathered round an open fire in the yard of the
festival restaurant, musicians and festival-goers get together and
strike up friendships.
In just over 40 years, Kuhmo Chamber Music has grown to
become one of the world’s foremost music festivals. As early as
1989, the prestigious American journal Connoisseur was already
calling it “possibly the best anywhere”. In 2009–2012 the Austrian
music magazine Festspiele rated Kuhmo among the world’s
leading festivals, and in summer 2014 the British Financial Times
described it as “a remarkable event, where unfettered creative
idealism reigns”.
Each year Kuhmo adopts a different theme. That for 2015 is
“Time is Music”. The programme will be announced in January
2015.
Kuhmo Chamber Music
Tel. +358 8 652 0936
[email protected]
www.kuhmofestival.fi
www.facebook.com/kuhmofestival
The Guesthouses
Skiing Tour
The “Wild herbs“ Tour
The “Finnish Cuisine” Tour
Cycling and Canoeing
More information on the tours: www.aksytammat.fi
THE GUESTHOUSE
“Puukarin Pysäkki“ is
known for its pure organic
and traditional Karelian
food. The hostess Anni tells
that they use mainly their
own farmhouse products. www.puukarinpysakki.fi
The guesthouse
“Pihlajapuu“ was a
school in its earlier days
but now hosts tours for
guests. Over 90% of the
guests come from abroad. The hostess Minna can also teach
you how to shoot with a crossbow. www.aksytammat.fi
The guesthouse
“Laitalan Lomat“ is
known for its reindeers!
Among other activities, the
hosts organize reindeer
sledging in the winter. The hostess Henna caters also weddings and birthday parties. www.laitalanlomat.com
The guesthouse
“Männikkölän Pirtti“
hosts guests and has also its
own bakery in Nurmes. The
hostess Ritva bakes the best
Karelian pasties in Finland.
www.mannikkolanpirtti.com
MORE INFORMATION
AND RESERVATIONS
www.visitkarelia.fi
www.aksytammat.fi
Nature und Culture
w
Eastern Finland
w
Heartily Welcome in
The tours in the winter and in the summer:
Cultural Centre Sofia
Kuhmo Chamber Music
We organize different kinds of activities in the
nature. Join our tours that are organized in an ecological way. We cook local food and make jams, berry
juices and herbal teas that you can taste. The saunas
are heated with wood. Here you will have time to
enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the guesthouses.
Valamo Monastery
Guesthouse to Guesthouse Tours
Guesthouse to Guesthouse Tours
in Eastern Finland
Valamo Monastery in Heinävesi
OULU
Round trip
with nature and culture
Kuhmo
KAJAANI
KOKKOLA
Valtimo
THERE ARE SEVERAL SERVICES for you in the monastery
area: the Café-Restaurant Trapesa with its daily buffet; the
Monastery Hotel with 70 beds; the gift shop Tuohus in which
you can find the monastery tee, gifts or books, for instance,
and in the summer, the wine room where you can taste the
monastery’s own wine. The gift shop also has a webstore at
webtuohus.valamo.fi.
Cultural Centre Sofia
Nurmes
– a journey to the scenery of Holy Wisdom
VAASA
KUOPIO
SEINÄJOKI
Are you hunting for new experiences on your vacation
– or would you like to discover something new about
yourself? Come to Sofia! Sofia will guide you onto the
path of wisdom, beauty and understanding.
JOENSUU
Valamo
JYVÄSKYLÄ
Eastern Finland with its numerous lakes connects
PORI
the distinctive tourist attractions of the
regions Savo, TAMPERE
Northern Karelia and Kainuu.
More than 20 % of Finland’s surface area is water. Eastern
Finland is a part of the area called the Finnish Lakeland. The
HÄMEENLINNA
best way to explore the area is to hike or take a boat or a
kayak.
TURKU
You can reach the area easily by airplane. After arriving
in Helsinki, you can stay first in the Cultural Centre Sofia
before continuing to Eastern Finland by airplane, by train or
by car.
“The Pearls” of Eastern Finland offer you fascinating
experiences in the nature, excellent culture events, peace and
relaxation.
Sofia stands in the cultural crossroads of East and West. Sofia
invites you to participate in vibrant art experiences and to relax in beautiful landscape. Sofia is about participation, getting
in touch with others and yourself. Sofia offers an adventure
into the beauty of mystery.
MIKKELI
Average flight times
LAPPEENRANTA
to Helsinki:
LAHTI
Berlin................ 1h 55m
Practise silence under guidance and use the opportunity to
enjoy aesthetical experiences of Sofia Gallery and the chapel
of the Holy Wisdom. Experience the healing of soul through
arts, take a course in gilding and take your own time to relax
in Sofia.
Frankfurt.......... 2h
37m
KOUVOLA
München.......... 2h 34m
As a private provider we are glad to be flexible to design your
package according to your needs.
HELSINKI Distances
from Helsinki:
Sofia is located by the seafront in the unique Finnish nature.
In only 20 minutes you will reach the heart of Helsinki.
Oulu
Valamo............. 400 km
Nurmes............. 500 km
Kuhmo.............. 585 km
Kuopio
Joensuu
Helsinki
Oslo
Stockholm
The Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, the Valamo Monastery and the four guesthouses in the region Pielinen-Karelia
cooperate in an extraordinary way and invite you to a round
trip in Eastern Finland.
Berlin
Welcome!
Frankfurt
München
Sofia is a hotel.
Stay comfortably
near the city
centre of Helsinki
- and wake up at
the birdsong...
Sofia is a culture
centre. The art
gallery and the
chapel of Holy
Wisdom, in an
ecumenical spirit.
Sofia is delicious.
Tasty breakfasts
and dinners are
served to you with
big heart.
Sofia is full of
treasure. Learn
about gilding with
the master and
see his works.
Sofia is peace.
Try yoga on the
beach rocks. Relax
in the sauna at
the end of an
idyllic forest path.
THE NEW VALAMO MONASTERY is an active centre of the
Orthodox religious life and culture in Finland. Located in the
beautiful surroundings of Heinävesi, the monastery welcomes
visitors throughout the year. The peaceful atmosphere of the
monastery and proximity to nature offer the hurried people in
the busy world of today a rare opportunity to relax − far from
the bustle and noise of everyday life.
VISITORS ARE FREE TO PARTICIPATE in church services
and view the church icons on display. There are three services
daily: at 6 or 7 am, at 1 pm and at 6 pm. Visitors may also stop
to pray for a moment during the services or at other times
when the church is open.
ACTIVITIES IN THE MONASTERY: During the guided
tour around the monastery area you can hear stories about
the past and present of the monastery. You can also visit the
high-class temporary exhibitions and the museum in the culture centre of the monastery. In the surroundings of the monastery, there are several beautiful walking routes. You can also
take the boat m/s Sergei and visit the canals of Heinävesi and
the Lintula Convent.
St. Petersburg
Tallinn
Moskau
WELCOME!
Heartily welcome!
Cultural Centre Sofia
Kallvikinniementie 35
FI-00980 Helsinki
Tel. +358 10 277 900
[email protected]
www.sofia.fi
Valamo Monastery
Valamontie 42, FI-79850 Uusi-Valamo
Tel. +358 17 570 111
[email protected]
www.valamo.fi