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Eco-weekend in the Russian heartland
Active family guided tour
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Summer is the best time to escape from a noisy and stuffy metropolis for a weekend. What if instead of crowded city beaches, we offer you to choose a secluded forest lake and to take a walk around a noble manor and to visit an eco-farmand instead of shopping centers and city parks? And it is only some points of our plans the weekend in the Tver region. Join us!

Experiences you'll have
Most popular

Eco-weekend in the Russian heartland

Difficulty
Age
from 6 y.o.
Group size
from 6 to 10
Duration
4 days

Accomodation at the trip

3 nights

Языки

guide
from 35 200 EUR

A weekend eco-tour from Moscow

You will stay in a comfortable eco-hotel on the shore of the picturesque Nagovye lake. It is located in the Toropetsky area of the Tver region, which is considered to be an ecologically pure part of Central Russia. Forests with numerous rivers, swamps and lakes of glacial origin cover more than 60% of its territory. These lands also have a rich history thanks to the great trade water route "from the Varangians to the Romans" passed through these lands.

This tour is ideal for a family weekend or for those who want to spend an active weekend outdoors with comfort and not far from Moscow. The program includes hiking eco-trails and a variety of excursions and workshops in which children from 6 years old can take part.

Highlights of the tour:

  • visiting the Stepanovskoe-Volosovo noble manorial estate — you will get acquainted with the history of its restoration and learn more about the Kurakins family, one of the richest princely dynasties of the Russian Empire
  • ecological program at the Toropets "Pure forest" biological station — you will hike along the eco-trail, learn about the work of the Brown bear Rescue and Rehabilitation Center and create your own herbarium at a workshop
  • walking tour to the Chistoye and Uzvan forest lakes, where you can go swimming and fishing
  • acquaintance with architectural monuments of the XVIII-XIX centuries in the ancient Toropets town that used to be the center of the Toropets princedom
  • gastronomic and photography master classes 
Itinerary
Маршрут тура

The journey begins in Moscow where you should get to on your own. Transfer to the starting point of the route will be arranged from Schukinskaya Metro Station at 8:00 a.m.

Day 1

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

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

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

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).

Accomodation at the trip

You will stay at a modern "Vremena Goda" eco-hotel, located in the Toropets district of Tver region on the shore of the picturesque Nagovye Lake. All the buildings of the complex are made of wood. You will be accommodated in standard double/twin rooms at the hotel, each of them with a unique interior, as well as with a balcony or mansard windows. There are large double beds or two separate beds, handmade vintage furniture made of solid oak, ash and natural fabrics, flat screen TV, bedside tables, closet, Wi-Fi in the rooms.

 

There are a restaurant, a Russian sauna complex and Finnish sauna, an eco-farm, playgrounds, barbecue areas, a professional tennis court, billiards, karaoke and an own boat pier on the territory of the eco-hotel. The "Vremena Goda" Hotel received the title of the best eco-hotel according to the Russian Hospitality Awards-2020.

FAQ
Who will be my guide

You will have experienced English-speaking tour guide with you throughout the tour.

Meals

There are three meals per day included in the tour price, except the breakfast on the first day and the dinner on the final day of the tour. Breakfasts and dinners will be organized at the hotel’s restaurant, while lunches will take place at cafes along the route or outdoors. 

 

The menu will include fresh farm products, local homemade liqueurы, grilled meat and vegetables.

What transport is used on the route

All transfers per program will be made by comfortable vans.

Booking

Eco-weekend in the Russian heartland

Most popular
Difficulty
Age
from 6 y.o.
Group size
from 6 to 10
Duration
4 days

Accomodation at the trip

3 nights
from 35 200 EUR
What's included in the price:
  •  transfer from Moscow to the starting location of the trip and back by minibus 

  • DBL accommodation at an eco-hotel

  • three meals per day

  • English-speaking guide services 

  • transport service as per program

  • guided tours and workshops per program

  • Russian sauna (on day 3)

Extra charge:
  • ATV rent (+1500 rubles/person for 30 min) and water scooter rent (+1000 rubles/person for 10 min) at the hotel, optional

  • fishing at the lake (+2000 rubles/person), optional

  • rowboat rent (+200 rubles/hour), outboard motor boat rent (+800 rubles/hour), powerboat rent (+2000 rubles/hour), optional

  • archery (+500 rubles/30 min), crossbow shooting (+500 rubles/30 min), trap shooting (+100 rubles/1 shot), optional
     

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