Helme caves

Cabins for hikers, an observation tower and a boardwalk attract many nature lovers to the Meenikunno bog. It is a beautiful recreation area. While walking down the boardwalk, you can see the most common bog plants: leather leaf, bog rosemary, crowberry, Marsh Labrador tea, and tussock cottongrass; at the edge of the bog, dwarf birches can also be found. There are also a number of different species of peat moss of various colours. The bravest hikers can try drinking bog water (it has an interesting taste!) from the overgrown ditch near the edge of the bog.Good to know: The boardwalk is pram and wheelchair accessible.

Tamme Outcrop hiking track is located on the eastern shore of Lake Võrtsjärv between the villages of Tamme and Neemisküla in Elva municipality. The area is rich in Devon sandstone outcrops from the Aruküla layer. Tamme Outcrop, which is located on the track, is an area where placoderms have been found and where valuable paleontological material has been collected since the second half of the 19th century.Ten information boards have been set up along the hiking track, which is almost 2 km long. They provide interesting information about the local natural environment. If you walk 1 km north on the track, you can turn back and hike back along a field or on a forest trail on the outcrop.

In Tartu County, near the Elva railway station, the Väike Väerada trail is one of the area's most popular hiking paths. It is special because of the wooden sculptures inspired by Estonian fairy tales and created by local artists. Small but mighty, Väerada has a healing effect on both the mind and body. The nature trail offers experiences for hikers of all ages and is suitable for exploration year-round. The attractive sculptures not only adorn the trail but also guide the correct path. The forest trail includes several resting spots and exciting attractions for children, making the journey even more enjoyable. The hiking trail ends at the Tartumaa Health Sports Center, where you can continue adventuring on other forest trails, play disc golf, or enjoy playground fun with children under the beautiful pines. Come take a walk in nature, discover fairy-tale sculptures, and let Elva Väerada offer you peace and experience in every season.

Pühajärv, with its picturesque winding shoreline and four islands, is the largest lake in Otepää Nature Park. At the northern tip of Pühajärv, there is a beach area with a beach house, ball courts, a children's playground, recreation areas, a café, and a boat harbor. At the southern tip is the Kooliranna recreation area, and from there begins the Väike Emajõgi, which meanders through Valgamaa. Pühajärve Park is the starting point for the Murrumetsa hiking trail, and around the lake runs the 12 km long Pühajärve hiking trail, which passes by the lake's most famous spring, the Armuallikas. In winter, when weather conditions are suitable, an ice trail is created on the lake for hiking, and a winter swimming area is open at Pühajärve Beach.Pühajärv has provided plenty of inspiration for writers and artists. For example, Fridebert Tuglas and Eino Leino have vacationed here. Information about Konrad Mägi's Pühajärv paintings can be found on an info board by the lakeshore near the GMP Pühajärve restaurant. In 1991, the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, visited Otepää and blessed the lake, an event commemorated by a wooden sculpture on the shore of Pühajärve Park.

The Baltic Forest Trail is a hiking trail over 2,000 km long running through the Baltic States, of which 720 km are available for hiking in Estonia. The trail is divided into 50 one-day sections, each approximately 20 km long and marked with signposts. The trail sections have different difficulty levels so everyone can choose the most suitable one for themselves! The hiking trail passes through forested areas and two national parks, Lahemaa and Alustaguse National Parks. Along the way, you can observe trees of different species and places connected to historical events or legends. The trail is well-suited for bird and animal watching. The Baltic Forest Trail is part of the international European long-distance trail E11.

Among the approximately 1 km study trail introducing the life of wood ants, the hiker can feel like a giant in the minuscule world of ants. In an area of 20 hectares there are 200 ant hills, the biggest of which is 1.7 m high; you can also admire the record-high spruce (42 m). The trail has signs, information boards, and bridges crossing ant highways.The trail is for walking only. While hiking on the trail near ant hills, use only the bridges installed there. The Laari forest study trail starts on the other side of the railway.The civilisation of ants offers an experience for both children and adults.

The study trail is well-suited for getting acquainted with the development and vegetation of bogs and for observing pine cultures. A 1.8 km long circular study trail revolves around the Valgesoo bog. On the she study trail you can explore the bog vegetation, old pine plantation ("Baron's pine forest"), and a forest edge rich of Scottish wood ants. The whole trail is accessible by a wheelchair or stroller. To facilitate movement on the track, there is a track map and colour markings on the trees. There is an observation tower and a campfire site at the start of the study trail.Valgesoo bog is one of the 21 places worth discovering in Southern Estonia, which is suggested to be visited for those who are interested in nature.

Come walk with your family on the Taevaskoda hiking trail, located in the Ahja River Valley Landscape Reserve. The trail starts from the Taevaskodade parking lot and runs circularly along both banks of Ahja River, where the outcrops of Väike and Suur Taevaskoja, caves formed by springs, and picturesque views catch your eye.At the beginning of the hiking trail, there is an information board with a map of the recreational area and the trail. On the trail, signs in Estonian, English, and Russian will help you find the way. Visitors with a wheelchair or a stroller can travel along the alternative trail to Suur Taevaskoda, length 3 km. Good to know: you can see kingfishers flying around while walking in Taevaskoda.