Lahemaa National Park
Estonia · Lääne-Viru · 30 m
Description
Lahemaa is the oldest and largest national park in Estonia, an hour east of Tallinn on a coast cut into four peninsulas with bogs, pine forest and erratic boulders left by the ice between them. It protects landscape and buildings together, so restored Baltic German manor houses at Palmse, Sagadi and Vihula stand inside the park alongside fishing villages that were closed border zones under Soviet rule. Boardwalks cross the Viru bog, the easiest introduction to a landscape that covers a fifth of the country. Bears and elk live in the forest but are rarely seen.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Viru bog boardwalk
- Palmse Manor and its park
- Käsmu captains' village
- Erratic boulder fields on the coast
- Sagadi Manor and the forest museum
- Altja fishing village and its swing
- Jägala waterfall on the park edge
- Bog shoe walks off the boardwalk
- Pine forest and coastal cycling routes
- Elk and beaver in the forest