The Seto are an indigenous Finno-Ugric people who have historically lived in the borderlands between Estonia and Russia. Unlike most Estonians, who are Lutheran or non-religious, the Seto follow Orthodox Christianity mixed with older folk beliefs. They speak their own language, distinct enough from Estonian that since the early 2000s the Seto have sought its recognition as a separate language.
Three quarters of historical Setomaa now belongs to the Russian Federation, with only one quarter remaining in Estonia. The old capital, Petseri, is on the Russian side. Today Setomaa life revolves around Värska. Approximately 15,000 Seto live in Estonia, with another 300 in Russia.
Their god is Peko, an ancient fertility deity said to be sleeping under the Pskov-Caves Monastery, now on the Russian side of the border. He will wake only if great danger threatens the Seto people. So far, he has stayed asleep.
Leelo is an ancient polyphonic singing tradition and a cornerstone of Seto identity. It features a lead singer who delivers a verse line, followed by a choir that joins in for the final syllables and then repeats the whole line. The most respected title in leelo is lauluema, song mother, given to the most skilled lead singers.
Most choirs are made up entirely of women. Leelo formerly accompanied nearly all daily activities in Seto rural communities – work, celebrations, funerals, feast days. Today it is heard most often at cultural events and festivals. UNESCO added it to the intangible cultural heritage list in 2009. On Seto Kingdom Day, the most notable lead singer is crowned Mother of Song.
Hearing it for the first time is disorienting in the best possible way. Nothing sounds quite like it.
In Seto culture, red is the colour of life, it protects the wearer from evil and illness. You will see it everywhere, from traditional embroidery to costume. Seto women’s costumes include long white linen under-dresses, woolen skirts and red ribbon headscarves. Every detail is meaningful. The silver jewellery is made by hand and can sometimes take up to 50 days to complete a single piece. The wealthier the family, the more silver a woman wears. A married woman covers her hair completely. An unmarried woman leaves her braid visible. A conical brooch protects the soul from the evil eye. The costume tells you who someone is before they say a word.
Men’s costume is considerably more understated – plain white linen shirt, dark wool vest or jacket. The visual weight of Seto identity rests with the women, their silver and their singing. The men provide the accordion. That said, the belt carries its own signals, the fringe worn on the left means the man is unmarried, on the right means he is taken. A small detail that tells you everything, if you know to look.
You are invited to Obinitsa Museum to dress up! The Seto culture workshop "Putting on Seto clothes" is about putting on Seto women's clothes. One member of the company or group will put on the garments. While dressing, the guide will tell you how a Seto woman and man should dress according to tradition, including how to distinguish a married woman from an unmarried girl. The historical context and significance of the objects in Seto culture will also be presented. Come and learn about Seto folk costumes and history!
Värska Farm Museum is a unique place in Setomaa, offering comprehensive insight into the life of a wealthy Seto fortified farm in the 1920s. It is a great place to experience Seto culture, architecture, and traditions. The building complex includes a smoke sauna, a residential building, a clothing, dining and granary barn, an animal barn, a hay barn, a men's workshop, a threshing floor, a blacksmith's shop, and a pottery factory — you can get an overview of the entire Seto architecture. The museum also houses genuine Estonian farm animals. Various workshops are offered upon reservation, such as making sõir, bread making, and crocheting Seto lace, among others. The largest handicraft shop in Setomaa is open under the threshing floor! Come visit us!
At the Obinitsa museum, one can explore the unique culture and history of Setomaa, participate in various workshops and events. Most of the museum collection items are sourced from surrounding villages. Special value is placed on the fine handicrafts of Seto women. The museum is located in the heart of Setomaa and offers an overview of the area's life, traditions, and folk costumes. The permanent exhibition displays authentic farm tools, clothing sets, and photos that reveal different aspects of Seto culture. The museum's most popular program is called "Rõivile!". Dressing up means putting Seto clothes on a woman and doing her hair. During the dressing process, the historical context of the items is introduced. It is possible to order a handicraft workshop at the museum, where traditional Seto belts and ribbons are made. Seasonally, other activities are offered, such as embroidery and wool work introductions and guided village tours.
At Seto Tsäimaja, you can eat Seto food from handmade earthenware and listen to Seto songs and musical instruments. You can also practice Seto by reading from the menu. The restaurant is next to the Värska Farm Museum — combine your dining experience with a visit to the museum and explore the local craft and souvenir shop. On the second floor of the building, there is a classroom suitable for organizing seminars and meetings or seating for smaller groups. Prior arrangements should be made for catering for groups, party catering, meeting room use, events in cooperation with Setomaa Museums, etc.
The Saatse Museum's main building was originally a residential building, then a school building, and now it's a museum. What makes Saatse Museum special are the texts painted on the wall and the opportunity to watch old film clips about the history and religion of Setomaa. The former classroom on the upper floor is set up in the style of the Soviet era. The museum has a spacious outdoor area and a small stage, so it's a nice place to have a picnic. A small hiking trail runs along the border and starts and ends at the museum — it can be walked even when the museum is closed.
The Art Nouveau summer residence of General Nikolai Reek on the shores of Lake Õrsava is undoubtedly an architectural gem of the North Military Training Camp, which has been restored in a way as close to the original as possible.Since June 2020, the Värska Visitor Centre has been operating in the building. The exposition of the centre provides information about the Pechory Northern Military Training Camp, founded here in the 1920s, the events of the War of Independence, and the use of medicinal mud and mineral water in this resort area.The visitor centre has a small café and you can rent bicycles, boats, pedal boats, or skates here, depending on the season, and there is also a car park for caravans.
Discover Setomaa's unique culture, traditions, and authentic local foods. On this Babelhouse day trip from Tartu to Setomaa, you will explore different places and learn about life in the region. During the tour, we visit the Värska Farm Museum, where you can get a glimpse of traditional Seto farm culture and experience how life was lived in the past. We try authentic Seto cuisine, where local flavors have deep meaning. If desired, the program can be supplemented with a Seto leelo workshop, dressing in Seto clothes, a cheese-making workshop, or a raft ride on Lake Värska. Babelhouse guided tours are flexible and tailored according to the group's wishes and time limits. During the tour, it is also possible to purchase souvenirs and local handicrafts. The Setomaa tour is perfect for business partners, conference guests, and foreign friends to get to know Estonia in a different yet authentic way. Book the trip and enjoy an unforgettable experience in Setomaa!
A hike that combines physical activity, fresh air, and a sense of history!Come alone, bring a friend or all of them, and enjoy a scooter hike in the magnificent atmosphere of Setomaa in the landscapes and villages near Lake Lämmijärv. We will ride along the old lake bed, through pine forests, pass ancient settlements and burial mounds, until we reach a traditional well-preserved Seto residence.The hike starts and ends at the parking lot of the Mäe Nature House of the State Forest Management Centre. Min. group 10 people or minimum group fee 200 €
Seto food is shaped by nature and by Orthodox fasting traditions. Meat is consumed less here than in the typical Estonian kitchen. Dairy, mushrooms and fish take its place.
Food was cooked in a large wood-fired oven that was never stoked without good reason. The unhurried cooking method is part of what gives Seto food its character.
The dish to know is sõir, a homemade pressed fresh curd cheese that is the signature food of Seto cuisine. It is not a cheese you slice for sandwiches. It is served as a dish on its own. Sõir carries EU Protected Geographical Indication status, placing it in the same category as Champagne and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Suulliim is a cold summer soup. The name translates directly as salt broth, made with fermented milk, fresh vegetables and Seto onions that have a flat shape and a particularly strong flavour. It sounds unremarkable until you try it.
Handsa is a home-distilled spirit made from grains or potatoes, traditionally served at weddings, holidays and cultural events. Several licensed producers now make it commercially, but the home-brewed version at a Seto feast is the one worth finding.
On St George’s Day, usually May 6, families go to the local cemetery to commemorate their ancestors and lay out rye beer and dishes on the graves. The food is put on the grave covered with a nice tablecloth. People eat, drink, walk around and greet each other. The priest goes from grave to grave, eating, drinking and praying with each family.
This is not mourning. It is a meal with people who are no longer present, conducted as though they still are. The Seto have a strong belief in the importance of honoring the ancestors and maintaining a connection with the deceased. It is one of the stranger and more moving things you can witness in Setomaa if the timing is right.
Setomaa is dotted with small wooden chapels that have been standing in forest clearings and at field edges for centuries. Built by the Seto people for their Orthodox faith, each one belongs to a specific village and is dedicated to a particular saint. The feast day of that saint is when the chapel comes alive – a service, a procession around the building, and then families spreading food on the graves of their ancestors in the surrounding cemetery.
The tsässonad are small, often no bigger than a garden shed, and easy to miss if you are not looking for them. Most are unlocked. The interiors are simple – icons, candles, a few benches. Some date back to the 18th century. The modest cross on the roof is sometimes the only thing that distinguishes them from a sauna or a barn.
They are active sacred sites, not tourist stops. Visit quietly, leave things as you found them.
The Seto have been doing things their own way for long enough that some of it looks strange from the outside.
At Easter, painted eggs are not just decorated. They are rolled down a specially built sand ramp. On St George’s Day and other feast days, families carry food and drink to the cemetery, set it out on the graves of their ancestors and eat there, with the priest moving from grave to grave joining each family for a bite and a prayer. It is not mourning. It is lunch, with people who happen to be dead.
Peko, the Seto god of fertility, was traditionally kept as a wooden statue hidden in the family grain store. Once a year, families brought him out for a ritual feast with offerings of butter, curds and wool, then competed in wrestling and fence-jumping to decide which household would keep him for the following year.
The Seto Kingdom Day ends with a military parade. The army carries pitchforks, spades and weapons made from old barrels. The oath of allegiance goes to a newly elected king or queen, who will spend the year receiving instructions from their sleeping god in dreams.
In Setomaa it is said you should hear a Seto woman before you see her. The silver jewellery jingles as she moves. A married woman covers her hair completely. An unmarried woman leaves her braid visible. The costume tells you everything about who someone is before they say a word.