"Go Rural" Product manual 2018 - Latvia/Estonia/South coast Finland

This manual is aimed at helping you discover rural destinations in the South of Finland, Estonia and Latvia beyond traditional touristic routes. The programmes and sites in this manual are based around small-scale accommodation, open farms, local producers, living traditions and sincere people. The people here have a close relationship with their natural surroundings and annual cycle. Each season has its own specific activities like mushrooming, berry picking, collecting herbs, ice-fishing and different agricultural jobs as well as traditional and seasonal celebrations. The countries are a haven for the tourist who loves nature, respects traditions and would like to experience them and their cultures more deeply.

Behind this manual there is a team of professional countryside tourism organisations and tour operators. For many years we have carried regular inspections of our accommodation and sites, have closely cooperated with national parks and nature experts, researched and developed new routes.

In this brochure we present example products based on rural experiences such as visits to country farms, hands-on workshops, tours of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, stays at spa hotels, and opportunities to get closer to nature or to live like locals. Some model itineraries for touring the three countries are presented. All of these can be linked with the traditional touristic routes and city experiences to bring more variety and attraction.

Travelling options between the countries are shown by air, ferries and bus. A list of tour operators that can help to arrange tours and services group and individual customers is provided in this manual.