Active family guided tour

Day 1 Guided tour to the Stepanovsko-Volosovo estate

At about 10:30-11:00 am you will arrive to the Volosovo village of the Tver region. Here you will have a guided tour of the Stepanovsko-Volosovo noble manorial estate. This is one of the monuments of classicist architecture of the XVIII century that survived to this day. The estate belonged to the Kurakins princely family, one of the richest noble dynasties of the Russian Empire.

After the Revolution of 1917 the estate was nationalized, and much of the Kurakins' property was looted. The Stepanovsko-Volosovo estate suffered serious damage during the Second World War, and by the beginning of the 2000s it completely fell into disrepair.

A new history of the Kurakins estate is associated with the name of the Moscow philanthropist Sergei Vasiliev, who started restoration of the manor in 2007. Today you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the noble family's life, see portraits of the Kurakins, their personal belongings and furniture of the XVIII-XIX centuries.

You will have lunch in a cafe after the tour and move on to the Toropetsky district of the Tver region. On your way you will stop at the city of Rzhev at the memorial to the Soviet soldier. On your way you will have a small snack with hot tea and pies. By the evening you will arrive to the hotel, located on the shore of Nagovye Lake, and will be accommodated in comfortable rooms. At 8 pm you will have a welcome dinner with a grill menu in the gazebo on thelake  shore.

Day 2 Eco-trail hike at the “Pure Forest” biological station

After breakfast you will be taken to the “Pure Forest" biological station in Toropets. It was created for the purpose of scientific research and ecological educational activity concerning preservation of natural, cultural and historical heritage of the region.

You will walk along the eco-trail that runs along the shore of the Rucheyskoye Lake (2.7 km by foot, 2.5-3 hours). On this route you will learn how various forms of the Valday Upland terrain were formed and see historical and archeological monuments. You will observe ancient burial mounds and pagan temples.

After that you will have a master class on making a herbarium, plant samples for which you will collect during a walk along the eco-trail. At the master class, you will get acquainted not only with the herbarium collection technique, but also with the modern rules for collecting wild plants.

Lunch will be organized in the gazebo after the end of the master class. Then you will watch a movie about the rescue of orphaned bear cubs and listen to a lecture by zoologists who work at the biostation. They will tell about the peculiarities of the behavior of brown bears, as well as about the work of the Brown bear Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.

You will return to the hotel in the evening. You will have a gastronomic workshop, cook popular Toropets region specialties and taste them.

Day 3 Guided tour to the Chistoye village and hiking to the forest lakes

After breakfast you will go on an excursion to the village of Chistoe. The first mention of this Russian village dates back to 1540. The history of its origin is connected with the development of the great trade water route "from the Varangians to the Romans"  passing along the Lovat and Western Dvina rivers.

During the walk you will observe the Pokrovskiy stone church built in 1720 and the wooden school building of the XVI century, climb to the observation terrace, and also visit the eco-farm. Here you can feed a reindeer, pet a curly horse of a rare breed and watch Hungarian pigs, which have a bright orange color.

Then you will be invited to have lunch in the hut, where you will taste traditional dishes from the Russian oven, and have a tea party in the gazebo outdoors. You will drink tea from an old samovar with homemade jam and chat with a local historian.

After lunch you will have a short hike to the Chistoye (Rus. for “Clear”) and Uzvan forest lakes (3-4 km on foot). On this route, you will learn how lakes of glacial and karst origin differ, you will be able to see traces of beavers and other wild animals. You will also visit the ancient settlement of the early Iron Age and get acquainted with the history of these lands. If you wish, you can go fishing and swim in the lake. For dinner, you will return to the hotel and go to the sauna.

Day 4 The Toropets ancient city and the museum of photography

Today you will see the old provincial Toropets town. First mention of the city on the Toropets River dates back to 1074. It was the center of an independent Toropets princedom in the Middle Ages. 

During the guided city tour you will see houses and churches of the XVIII-XIX centuries, and the ramparts of the ancient settlements. You will learn about the relation that Alexander Nevsky had to the town, the special jewelry that the local beauties wore, and how Toropets traditions and life differed from from other settlements in the Russian heartland.

Further you will have a guided tour and a workshop in the Museum of Photography. Its exposition consists of two parts: the first one contains collections ofold photos and photo cameras of different models, from the very first to the most modern ones; the second one recreates a traditional way of life at a Russian house.

You will be able to take pictures using one of the oldest cameras and take them with you as a souvenir after the tour. 

Then you will have lunch, and a return transfer to Moscow at 3 pm (arrives around 10-11 pm).