What to do
Enjoy Soomaa's 'Fifth season', when raised bogs stand as islands in the water
What to see
Soomaa NP is home to a raised bog complex, which is valued to be one of the best preserved bogs in Estonia and also in Europe. The largest of the Soomaa bogs, Kuresoo, is designated as the wilderness zone of Soomaa NP.
The flood is called the fifth season in Soomaa. During the periods of heavy rain or melting of snow, when large amounts of water run down the Sakala Upland through the rivers of Soomaa, the riverbeds just can't manage to contain it all. The water flows over flood plains, but also over villages and roads connecting them. In some years the spring floods have risen the water level by a meter a day for 3–4 days. The Riisa flood area covering 175 square kilometres at its largest, is the biggest flood area in Estonia. Steep-sloped, raised bogs stand as islands in the water.
The naturally meandering rivers and floodplain forests and meadows are worth to be explored also whilst there's no flood. While the bogs might be considered poor in biodiversity, as only specialist species live in this habitat poor in nutrients, then the floodplains are very rich in biodiversity.
The small community living within the national park knows how to live together with wilderness. Cut off from the rest of the world during floods the people have been forced to keep their traditional skills. So the few people who live in the villages in the national park still bake their own bread, they have cattle and other livestock. Also the tradition of carving boats from aspen tree logs has been kept live here, so that at present day also tourists can experience trips on log-boats on the river or even participate in a workshop where such boats are made.
The villages around Soomaa have surprising heritage. Here you can find Kõpu manorhouse with replicas of famous frescoes from Villa Cicero in Pompeii. One of the higlights is surely Tori horse farm - one of the oldest horsebreeding farms in northern Europe that has been founded to breed and protect special tori heavy-weight horses that have been bred from the Estonian aboriginal horse. Another thing that one can’t miss around midsummer is the Suure-Jaani music festival when also concerts are organised in wilderness.
Pärnu is a resort in western Estonia with well-established traditions that has held the title of summer capital and heart-warming town for over ten years. During the sunny summer period, the beautiful, sandy beaches that invite both baskers and bathers become the heart of Pärnu. Pärnu is also a former Hanseatic town and will host the 30th International Hanseatic Days medieval festival in 2010.
Viljandi is an ancient town situated on a hill by a beautiful lake. Green parks, old wooden houses, monuments and small art galleries allow for pleasant walks in town. Summer in Viljandi culminates with the annual folk music festival, which brings friends of folk music to town from all over the world. The town has the honour of being the home of Estonian folk music, and the former manor ham located at the foot of Viljandi castle hills is renovated into the building of the Estonian Traditional Music Center.
What to do
Birdwatching in Soomaa is challenging. This is not a site to get high number of species in short time, but here it is possible to see different rare and endangered species in their natural breeding environment. Highlights: different woodpeckers, capercaillie, golden eagle, black stork, great snipe, lesser spotted eagle.
As scarcely inhabited by people, Soomaa leaves today space for all typical boreal mammals. European beaver, lynx, elk or wolf are the typical animals for Soomaa. You can trace them throughout the year. Rich wildlife is especially exciting in winter, when ice covered landscape opens up leading you to areas, where disturbance could occur in summer. In early spring and late autumn the call of wolves is rather a regular sound to be heard in Soomaa.
Rivers have been filling the role of roads in Soomaa through centuries - its the best way of exploring the national park also today - on log boat, canoe or a kayak. Rivers of Soomaa are interesting to explore - the water of soomaa rivers does not run too fast, so one can get to know the surroundings - find the trails of the beavers or other wildlife, see the remains of former settlements or if you're lucky and happen to Soomaa during floods, paddle to the forest or over the meadows.
Heat up in a sauna and cool off in a river or snow - depending on the season.
When in Soomaa during wintertime one can experience kick-sledging or cross country skiing. Sudden cold during flood season offers perfect skating fields.
Estonians have a tradition of using snowshoes year around. It doesn't mean we have snow all year around, just we have a lot of wetlands, where it's easier to walk on snowshoes. In bogs snowshoes make it bossible to access parts of bogs that otherwise people could never see - hollows.
Adventure tips
PAN Parks offer a wide variety of wilderness experiences. We collected those adventures that help you best experience PAN Parks wilderness.
Experience wilderness using bog shoes (snowshoes). Quite an experience to walk on water in the open endless bog fields.
Local partner offering an activity related to this adventure:
soomaa.com
Hike on boardwalks, special trails to discover wilderness in Soomaa’s Kuresoo bogs. You start in old-growth forests to reach the endless bogland which you should explore walking on the boardwalks for both safety and conservation reasons.
European beaver, lynx, elk or wolf are the most typical animals for Soomaa and you can track them throughout the year. Rich wildlife is especially exciting in winter, when ice covered landscape opens up leading you to areas, where disturbance could occur in summer. In early spring and late autumn the call of wolves is rather a regular sound to be heard in Soomaa.
Local partner offering an activity related to this adventure:
soomaa.com – beaver safari
People living around Soomaa have a so-called ‘fifth season’ when the landscape is flooded by the wild meandering rivers. In this period of spring the only way to get around is in a canoe or boat. A real adventure – special time to visit the Estonian national park.
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