Alatskivi Park

Räpina Manor Park is located on a picturesque peninsula surrounded by the Võhandu River, with Sillapää Castle in the middle. The mixed-style park consists of English, French and forest park parts. The manor house is surrounded by the manor park, which is rich in species (nearly 800 species of trees and shrubs, as well as roses, lianas, rhododendrons, grapevines, etc.). The manor park can be visited at any time. In the northern part of the park, on the bank of Võhandu River, in the shade of the primeval trees, there is an open pavilion-rotunda with a round domed roof and white columns.There are paved paths in the park, which are well suited for strollers.

The field of naturally growing daffodils, which is unique in the Baltic states, can be found in the Vara rural municipality. Yellow daffodils are rare in the wild and the daffodil field in Sookalduse is a rarity that has been taken under conservation. The daffodils originate from the bulb that Peep Sibul, the landlord of Sookalduse, got from Saare Manor and planted in his garden in the end of the 19th century.The yellow sea of flowers can be enjoyed from around the middle of April, depending on the spring.

When walking around the Räpina School of Horticulture, you will find an exciting planting area for perennials, and you can enjoy various summer and perennial flowers in the collection garden. In the collection garden, you can admire 50 different varieties of park roses by Rein Joost, lilies of Mart Heering, about 30 varieties of lilacs by Adolf Vaigla, and 20 varieties of vines by Jaan Kivistik.There are more than 600 different species of trees and shrubs throughout the park and the school (dendrological plant material), with herbaceous plants that include perennials, roses, lianas, natural herbaceous plants, and summer plants – a total of almost 1,200 plants.It is possible to book excursions both in the park and in the collection garden.

The park in Vana-Vastseliina was established in 1830 by the then owner of Vastseliina Manor Guido Reinhold von Liphart, who designed a beautiful species-rich 8-hectare park. The bandstand has been preserved, where folk festivals take place. Bird lovers will be delighted by the rare species nesting in old tree cavities. You can also admire Estonia's fastest-flowing Piusa River.In 2016, 25 new trees were planted in the park, one of them in honour of the Lipharts.The 15 km long hiking trail of Piusa River valley starts from the park.The manor park can be reached from Vastseliina Episcopal Castle by coming down a romantic staircase or from the highway a little further away.

Laidi and Igor Zalekeshin's garden in Mustvee attracts gardening enthusiasts from outside Estonia as well.Visitors are charmed by the quarrystones and conifers, more than a hundred in total in the garden. Most of them, more than 50 varieties, are arborvitae. Both the host and the hostess love quarrystones, so this love has resulted in many exciting garden design elements – stone baskets, pathways, garden posts. Garden patches are mostly covered by stones. Old items are on display in the garden house; a visitor enjoying a walk is enchanted by the small bridges, waterholes, a swing set and a windmill, most of them made by the family. The walls of the house are decorated by paintings of the family's favourites – quarrystones, conifers and cats. There are more than 20 cat statues in the garden.

You'll need several people to measure the circumference of the ancient, nearly 400-year-old oak tree towering nearby Lake Pühajärv in Otepää! The trunk of this ancient tree has a circumference of 6.6 meters. It is called the War Oak because it has witnessed many historical events. Apparently, peasants of the Pühajärv Manor refused to work for the manor in autumn 1841 and the rebels were punished near the oak. The Pühajärve War was one of the first peasant uprisings against the landlords in Estonia, and in memory of it, an oak tree was planted nearby, where a memorial stone was erected on the 130th anniversary of the uprising. A beautiful park with walking tracks surrounds the tree today, and although the ancient tree is no longer in its full glory, it stands here to its full dignity, recalling times gone by.

Mõniste Manor was first mentioned in 1542. The last owners of the manor were the von Wulff family, but the manor was destroyed in the Estonian War of Independence. The 14.6 ha park at Mõniste was founded in 1840 and is one of the oldest in Võru County. The Mõniste Reservoir plays an important role in the design of the park. The site of the former Manor House is now a large meadow. Spruce, oak, linden, silver birch and larch are indigenous to the park. Some of the more rare species include common spindle, Manchurian walnut and Douglas fir. A sculpture depicting bears is located near the park on the Võru-Valga highway - a reminder of the highway decorations that were in fashion during the Soviet occupation.

The garden was founded in 2004. The size of the flower garden is 1.5 ha; 0.5 ha of this is for planting. Picturesque views of the forest, hilly landscape and the Võhandu river can be enjoyed from the plot. Special attention has been paid to plant communities that require little care, frost resistant and healthy coniferous tree varieties and deciduous trees and bushes. The garden has been designed in English style, while keeping in mind all four seasons. More than 2000 taxa are represented here.The garden can be visited upon prior agreement. The minimum size of the group is 5 people. It is also possible to order luncheons for groups.