Home > Nature Tour: To Tartu via Lahemaa National Park and the Onion Route
Nature Tour: To Tartu via Lahemaa National Park and the Onion Route
1. Tallinn Botanic Garden → 2. Tallinn Television Tower → 3. Estonian Museum of Natural History → 4. Tallinn Zoo → 5. Jägala Waterfall → 6. Viru Bog study trail → 7. Lahemaa National Park → 8. Palmse Manor and Open-Air Museum → 9. Rakvere Tourist Information Centre → 10. Rakvere Castle → 11. Ontika Limestone cliff → 12. Valaste Waterfall → 13. Toila Oru Park → 14. Narva-Jõesuu beach → 15. Narva Visitor Centre → 16. Narva Castle → 17. Kurtna Lake District → 18. The Pühtitsa Dormition Convent (Kuremäe Convent) → 19. Kauksi beach on Lake Peipus → 20. Lake Peipus and its northern coast → 21. Peipsimaa Visitors Centre → 22. Emumägi hill → 23. Endla Nature Reserve → 24. Norra Springs Area → 25. Tartu Visitor Centre → 26. Tartu Barge Yard → 27. AHHAA Science Centre, Tartu
Why not drive to Tartu through Lahemaa, and enjoy the alternation of bays and peninsulas, historical buildings, the limestone cliff and Estonia’s longest sandy beach on your way?
Ask for tips about visiting Lahemaa National Park from Palmse Visitor Centre. Turn back the time in Palmse Manor or Rakvere and Narva castles. Discover Ontika Cliff and Oru Park in Toila, and holiday on the beach in Narva-Jõesuu. After visiting Kuremäe Convent and walking on a long sandy beach, drive to Tartu via the Onion Route. In Tartu, explore the Barge Yard, the botanical garden and the Observatory.
Route map
Sites along route
Tallinn Botanic Garden
Only ten kilometres from the city noise, in the picturesque valley of River Pirita is where pure nature and a beautifully designed landscape meet in harmony. Foreign rarities grow next to local…
Tallinn Television Tower
The Tallinn Television Tower in Pirita is the tallest building in Tallinn and Estonia with 314 metres. The TV Tower is a great tourist, culture and leisure centre. Waiting for you at the tower: a…
Estonian Museum of Natural History
There is an extraordinary amount of space in Estonia per capita - more than half of the country is home to Mother Nature alone, swathed in forests, misty bogs and rock-strewn beaches. There are very…
Tallinn Zoo
Boasting the most exciting collection of wildlife in northern Europe, Tallinn Zoo is home to more than 350 species of birds and animals - including rare creatures from temperate climes, the Arctic…
Jägala Waterfall
Jägala Waterfall is a waterfall in the lower course of the Jägala River, approximately 4 km before the river flows into the Gulf of Finland. The waterfall is approx. 8 metres in height and more than…
Viru Bog study trail
Viru Bog study trail is 1 km off the Tallinn-Narva highway (E20) on the road leading to Loksa. The 3.5 km trail starts at the car park on the Loksa road and ends at the car park on the Kemba road…
Lahemaa National Park
Lahemaa is Estonia's oldest and largest national park. It was established in 1971 to preserve, study and promote the natural environment and cultural heritage characteristic of Northern Estonia. The…
Palmse Manor and Open-Air Museum
Palmse Manor is one of the grandest baroque mansions in Estonia. The mansion and open-air museum were the first fully restored manor complex in the country. They are surrounded by the beautiful…
Rakvere Castle
The castle offers many exciting activities for both children and grown-ups! You can try your hand at shooting a bow or a crossbow, sword fight and pike battle, forging, pottery, minting your own…
Ontika Limestone cliff
Estonia’s highest limestone cliff, the Ontika cliff that is up to 55 metres high, is like a stone nature book, revealing the layers of various eras to the viewer. The best place to see the cliff is…
Valaste Waterfall
Valaste Waterfall situated on the Ontika Limestone Cliff is the highest in Estonia with its fall of 30 metres. The waterfall shows its more rebellious side of nature in springs and during the high…
Toila Oru Park
The Oru Park and grand palace in the beautiful valley of the Pühajõgi River was built by Grigori Jelissejev – one of the wealthiest men in 19th century Russia. In 1935, three industrialists bought…
Narva-Jõesuu beach
Narva-Jõesuu is well-known for its unique natural environment. The beach, covered with fine sand and lined with a singular pine forest, is the longest one in Estonia, running 7.5 km on the south…
Narva Castle
The Narva Castle is one of the main attractions of the city. In the seventh decade of the 13th century, the Danes established a castle as a residence for the Danish King’s vice-Regent. The Narva…
Kurtna Lake District
The Kurtna Lake District located in Illuka Rural Municipality is one of Estonia's most lake-rich areas, where 42 lakes, with areas of 0.2 to 136 hectares, can be found in an area of about 30 square…
The Pühtitsa Dormition Convent (Kuremäe Convent)
The Kuremäe Convent, located in the centre of Kuremäe, was established in 1891, and is the only functioning Russian Orthodox nunnery in Estonia. In ancient times, a sacred place of the Estonians was…
Kauksi beach on Lake Peipus
The northern shores of Lake Peipus are a popular holiday destination which is unique for its natural beauty. Kauksi is one of the best known beaches in the area. A boardwalk extends from one end of…
Lake Peipus and its northern coast
The sandy beaches and pine forests on the shores of Lake Peipus are the perfect place to relax and offer great hiking opportunities. The unique sand dunes and 40 km of sandy beaches mean the lake is…
Peipsimaa Visitors Centre
Peipsimaa Visitors Centre is situated in the heart of the region, in the village of Kolkja in Tartu County - home to the Russian Old Believers. We offer visitors: *a variety of active recreational…
Emumägi hill
Emumägi hill is the highest point in the Pandivere uplands and indeed the highest point in northern Estonia. The top of the hill is home to a viewing tower which offers stunning views over the…
Endla Nature Reserve
The middle part of the bog is under protection – its eight bog massifs are divided by rivers with narrow flooded meadows or swamped forests. A marked hiking trail and the boardwalk in Männikjärve bog…
Norra Springs Area
There are 11 groups of springs with almost 40 springs in the western part of Endla Nature Reserve. These springs are rich in water and start on the slopes of Pandivere Highlands. Interesting facts…
Tartu Barge Yard
The barge yard forms part of Tartu's Lifeguard Station on Ujula Street. It includes a blacksmiths, handicraft workshop and construction area. The Emajõgi River Barge Association organises special…
AHHAA Science Centre, Tartu
Want to surprise yourself? The AHHAA Science Centre offers science, excitement, adventure and useful skills, as well as a fun time for everyone. Our centre is an attractive learning environment in…
