Lahemaa National Park is the oldest national park in Estonia and it is incredibly well kept, seeing as how it has become a rather popular tourist destination. Not only is it the largest park in Estonia, but it is among the biggest national parks in Europe as well. So of course, being so close in Tallinn, we had to do a day trip to Lahemaa, get away from the city, and experience this lush forest. True, we did see an area rich in flora and fauna (forests do cover more than 70% of Lahemaa) but the park offers so much more to see and experience. Set beside the north coast, it has small lakes and bogs, charming coastal villages, beautiful extensive forests, old German manor estates, and lovely landscaped parks. It was hard to believe we saw so many different areas in a single day and in a single park!
Lahemaa National Park is about an hour east of Tallinn and just north of the Gulf of Finland (you can actually see if from some of the park). It is famous for its hiking trails – there are 20 trails, all are very well marked that introduce the local, natural, and cultural heritage. Several of these trails are part of the Oandu-Aegviidu-Ikla hiking trail that goes through the whole of Estonia! To make it comfortable for the hikers, there are several campsites and observation towers from which one can view birds or simply enjoy the sea view.
The landscape has many raised bogs including the 3,000-year-old Viru bog. We walked through this surprisingly beautiful bog on the hiking trail available (about 3 and a half miles) with most of it being on a boardwalk which made walking through the bog extremely easy. There were observation platforms along the trail and a large observation tower in the middle of the bog, which overlooked the entire area. Hiking information boards and signposts along the trail made the hiking more informative and easy. Fun fact: several mushrooms and berries grow here, and people actually come out to pick them.
After exploring Viru Bog we headed to another section of the national park for the small seaside village of Altja. Altja was first mentioned in written records in 1465 as a typical fishing village for the time. We walked through the very quiet and peaceful town, some of which had been restored by Lahemaa National Park to the way it was – even down to the thatch-type fencing and large community swing. Walking around this quaint small town was lovely – the only soul in sight was an adorable pet cat keeping an eye on us while we explored. The surroundings were a sharp contrast to the bog (equally beautiful but in a different way). It was hard to believe we were still in the same park.
Our final stop in the national park was at the Sagadi Manor. Over the past 500 years it has belonged to several different German families but the Von Fock family was the one who built the lovely Rococo-style manor in 1749. It is one of the most well-preserved manors in Estonia, with its own park and 20 outbuildings to go with it. Interestingly enough, it spent most of the 20th century as a school. I don’t know how the students got anything done, as the manor is so incredibly beautiful.
The surrounding grounds are lovely and, of course, is a great place to take a leisurely stroll. I’m sure that’s what most people did back then anyway for fun, so you can imagine how beautiful and peaceful it was. Make sure to check out the small lake in the back if you do walk around. Stories say that the Von Fock husband hired hundreds of workers to build the artificial lake in just one night while his wife was sleeping so it would be a surprise for her when she awoke! And I’m sure it was a great surprise, walking downstairs to the dining room and looking in the backyard to find a lake seemingly appear out of thin air.
But my favorite part was touring the inside of the main house. Its numerous details, such as painted ceilings and carved wooden stairs, have been restored, and it is historically furnished. The manor and grounds are now rented out for events such as parties and weddings – what a fantastic venue!
I never would have guessed we would see so much diversity in a single national park and in just one day! We hiked through a 3,000-year-old bog and a lush forest, strolled through a quaint restored old fishing village, and toured an exceptionally ornamental manor house and gardens. If you will be visiting Tallinn, I highly suggest you add this as a day trip to your itinerary.
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