Lahema National Park Estonia - June 2018

Lahema National Park is located about an hour outside of Tallinn, Estonia and is the largest National park in the country. It is home to over 200 bird species and around 900 different species of plants. On your way you can visit Jagala Falls, Estonia’s most massive falls (about 8 meters tall). It is more impressive in its girth however and spans approximately 50 meters. In the winter, these falls freeze and one can walk behind them in a narrow cave like area.

Other local attractions include Sagadi Manor – the site of an impressive manor that dates from the 18th century. Both a hotel and a hostel are on site, along with a fine restaurant and a very educational small museum. A stop in the small “captains” village of Kasmu is worthwhile. Be sure to visit the small maritime museum – the owners often provide lunch to visitors for a set price. In good weather, small beaches in the vicinity re worth visiting.

Approximately 20% of Estonia is covered by Peat Bogs. A good example of this is the Viru Bog in Lahema where you can hike about 3.5 km through both a pristine forest as well as through the center of the bog (via a wooden boardwalk). As soon as you reach the peat bog, the same tall trees growing nearby become dwarf like. This environment is very high in acid and low in oxygen. A number of beautiful small bog ponds dot the landscape and on a warm day one can actually swim in one of them close to the boardwalk.

For more information visit: www.keskkonnaamet.ee