Lahemaa National Park (also know as Lahemaa rahvuspark) is
a 725 km²
park located by the Gulf of Finland, between Harju and Lääne-Viru Counties, being the largest National Park in Estonia (and one of the biggest in Europe) and is perfect for a rural day trip from Tallinn. There are more than 840 species of plants and 50 of mammals, like lynxs, brown bears or wolve, 220 kinds of birds and 24 species of fish.
How do I arrive to Lahemaa National Park?
The area is quite well communicated from Tallinn and the eastern part of Estonia.
- Bus: buses aren't frequent but there is a daily bus from Tallinn to Altja (aprox. 1 hour 45 minutes) via Loksa, Käsmu, Lepispea and Võsu. There are more frequencies from Rakvere reaching Sagadi (aprox. 45 minutes), daily buses to Palmse (aprox. 50 minutes) and Altja (aprox. 1 hour), 6 daily buses to Võsu (aprox. 1 hour) and 4 daily buses to Käsmu (aprox. 1 hour).
- Car: to reach the National Park you can drive from Tallinn to Kolga (aprox. 45 minutes), Loksa (aprox. 55 minutes), Võsu (aprox. 1 hour) while from Rakvere it can also be reached Palmse, Sagadi and Võsu (aprox. 30 minutes), Atlja (aprox. 35 minutes) or Loksa (aprox. 50 minutes).
Once
in the Park the best ways to move around the park are the car or simply walking.
History
From 1945 to 1991 the coast was a protected border and there used to be a 2 m high fence to prevent the access to the sea, there used to be a Soviet Union secret submarine base built in the 1950s. It was created in 1971, being the first National Park in the former Soviet Union. Nowadays it's one of the main destinations in Estonia.
What can I visit in Lahemaa National Park?
These
are many things to do in this National Park, explained now according to
the village where they are or the nearest one:
-
- Kolga (Kolk in German): 442 inhabitants village in Harju County known for Kolga Manor, a
 |
| Kolga Manor |
manor from 1642 (althought it was rebuilt afterwards) owned by Stenbock till the beginning of the 20th century. The nearby Kolga Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun from Apr to Aug; 9-16 Mon-Fri from Sep to May; 3€/ 2€ adults/ reduced) has an exposition about the Broze Age burials in Kahala Lake. Near Kolga you can explore Viru Bog Nature Trail (3.5 km), boardwalk around Viru Bog that introduces the vegetation and terrain characteristic of the raised bog in
Estonia. On the outskirts of the park there's a larger and more diverse bog, Kõnnu Suursoo. There are great views of it from Kõnnu Suursoo Observation Tower and Paukjärve Observation Tower. In the coast it can be taken the charming Tsitre Trail of Trees (0.8 km), a short and pleasant hike.
 |
| Viinistu Art Museum |
Viinistu (Kaspervik in German and Swedish): 119 inhabitants village placed in the western part of Pärispea Peninsula. Here it can be visited Viinistu Art Museum (11-18 Wed-Sun; 4€/ 2€ adults/ kids), art gallery that displays Jaan Manitski's collection (one of the welathiest in Estonia, former manager of ABBA music group) which is focused in Estonian art, particulary contemporary one. Despite being located in such a faraway place it's considered one of the best art galleries in Estonia.
- Palmse (Palms in German): 61
inhabitants village located in the southern part of the National Park.
 |
| Palmse Manor |
- Lahemaa National Park Visitor Center (9-17 from May to Sep; 9-17 Mon-Fri from Oct to Apr): visitor center located in the stable of Palmse Manor where visiting the exhibition and slideshow about the National Park, as well as getting information about it.
- Palmse Manor (10-18 from Apr to Dec; 10-16 from Jan to Mar; 9€/ 7€ adults/ kids): manor from 1720 built by the Baltic-German family Von der Pahlens till it was expropiated in 1923. Currently the complex, with more than 20 buildings, hosts different museums of furniture or clothing, hotel or restaurant.
- Ojäärse Forest Trail (3.5 km): trail around Kuresso and Pikapõllu streams with some objects of culture historical
 |
| Pähknemännik |
significance
along the trail like old boundary stones or verst sign posts. - Close to Palmse it's located the northernmost point of mainland Estonia, Pähknemännik. Herere there's a great panoramic view of the Estonian coast, stones, pretty paginated birds and nice and small sandy beaches.
- Käsmu (Kaspervik in German and Swedish): 144
inhabitants nice village that hosted a Naval Academy (and every family
was said to have a boat captain).In 1920 nearly a third of the Estonian
boats were registered here.
 |
| Coast at Käsmu Peninsula |
It's located in the smallest peninsula in Lahemaa National Park.
- Käsmu Maritime Museum (3€):
small private museum located in former Soviet coastguards barraks with
an eclectic collection of maritime objects like nautical charts.
- Käsmu Hiking Trail (15 km): trail around the whole Käsmu Peninsula that reaches Käsmu Lake.
- Käsmu Nature and Historical Trail
(4.2 km): small trail that is a great introduction to the largest
boulder field in Estonia and the rich cultural heritage of the village.
- Käsmu Cycling Trail
(10.1 km): trail perfect for taking a break from civilisation by the
forests on the peninsula, catching glimpses of the sea on Palganeem cape
and between Kõrgekalda
and Palganeem, Järvekael.
 |
| Võhma-Võsu Hiking Trail |
Võsu (Wösso in German): 418 inhabitants nice village that is one of the most popular places in the National Park due to its nightlife and its long beach.
- Võhma-Võsu Hiking Trail (18 km): route along the bank of Raudna river up to where Raudna and Lemmjõgi rivers join where traces of beaver activity can be seen.
- Oandu-Võsu Hiking Trail (10.2 km): trail that runs through primeval forests on the prehistoric Seljaku road (it used to be Oandu-Koljaku Nature Reserve). It can be done both on foot or by bicycle.
- Another nice hike is Lobi Peninsula Trail (4.3 km), a trail that goes by Lobi Peninsula.
 |
| Sagadi Manor |
Not far from Võsu it's located Sagadi (Saggad in German), 60 inhabitants village with the beautiful Sagadi Manor (10-18 from Jun to Sep; 10-16 from Oct to May; 4€/ 3€/
08:00
Banknotemaniac
