Luunja Manor Park

Alatskivi Castle's park is the largest in Tartu County, covering approximately 130 hectares. The park, designed in the 19th century by Count Arved von Nolcken, surrounds Alatskivi Castle and is one of the best-preserved manor parks in Southern Estonia. From the towers and terrace of Alatskivi Castle, there is a view of the lake, bridge, church, and surrounding landscape. The park's hiking trail winds through a forest of lindens, maples, and oaks and is perfect for walking and enjoying the natural surroundings. Within the park is also the Alatskivi landscape protection area, which preserves the region's diverse flora and landscape. Here, you can see both old park groves and natural lakeside zones. For those looking for a more active holiday, there's a disc golf course. It is also worth visiting Alatskivi Castle, which houses an information center, the Eduard Tubin Museum, artists' studios, and the Alatskivi Castle restaurant. We welcome you to immerse yourself in the history and natural beauty of the park and landscape protection area.

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.

Families with children are particularly welcome in the Lake Pühajärv Park as there are many opportunities to feed ducks and other birds when walking on the lakeshore. There is an exercise track by the northern part of the park. This is also the place where you will find the beach with a beach house, cafés, arbours and boat hire.The park used to be a part of the Pühajärv Manor Park and it was designed as a walking forest with paths already in the 19th century. The park is mainly a naturally grown forest.

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.

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.

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.

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.