Kerli's TOP 10 magical places

Vilsandi is the oldest nature protection area in the Baltics, created in 1910 and reorganised as the Vilsandi National Park in 1993. At Vilsandi National Park there are over a hundred islands with lots of birds, seals' haul-out sites, fish spawn bays, and various coastal sceneries in the western part of Saaremaa. The biggest and most interesting one is Vilsandi Island. The park is located in an area which is geologically, zoologically, and botanically very interesting, and the sea-related cultural heritage there is well preserved .  Visitors are asked to begin their National Park tour at the RMK information point at Loona, where there are permanent exhibitions, explanations, and maps. Take a look at the opening times!

Viru Bog, one of the most accessible bogs in Estonia, passes through the forest and bog landscapes characteristic of Lahemaa National Park. The trail is 3.5 km and the lap is 6 km long. The study trail introduces the bog's flora, former sand dunes, eskers, and heath forest. There is a boardwalk with an observation tower in the middle of it. The trail is marked and there are signposts. Good to know: the boardwalk leading to the observation tower (1,400 meters) is accessible to wheelchair users and families with strollers. The entrance to the first viewing platform was also designed with accessibility in mind. To preserve the flora and soil, only walk on the boardwalk. Not suitable for cyclists.  

There are seven lakes at Rõuge primeval valley, which is 10 km long and 52 metres deep. The lakes include Kahrila, Tõugjärv, Ratasjärv, Kaussjärv, Rõuge Suurjärv, Liinjärv, and Valgjärv. The lakes are connected by the River Rõuge or River Ajo, which starts from the Tindiorg Valley. Tindiorg, Külmorg, Mõhkorg, Ööbikuorg, Tinopeetri, Hinni, Sikasoo, and Järveotsa are the tributary valleys of the Rõuge Primeval Valley. The most well-known is Ööbikuorg (Nightingale Valley), which borders the ancient hillfort from the North. The valley is 300 m long and 12–15 m deep. It got its name from the singing nightingales who stay there during the springtime when bird cherries bloom.  The Rõuge Nightingale Valley Centre is located at the edge of Ööbikuorg and provides visitors with information about nature, history, and changes in climate.

The two Taevaskoda outcrops on the banks of the ancient valley of the Ahja River are one of the most frequently visited sites in southern Estonia. The sandstone outcrops and the ancient river form the most beautiful part of the Ahja River Landscape Reserve. Legends speak of caves, secret passageways and of demons and a mermaid with a golden comb. A walk from the Saesaare dam to the Small Taevaskoda outcrop, the Emaläte spring, the Neitsikoobas cave and the Large Taevaskoda outcrop, which rises 22.5 metres above the river, is worth undertaking in every season. The beautiful and exciting natural setting attracts hikers – it is a place that every Estonian visits at least once in their life! NB! The bridge in Large Taevaskoda is closed at the moment!

The approximate time of the Kaali meteorite fall is 7500-7600 years ago. The meteorite fall caused big damages on already inhabited Saaremaa and has been compared to the explosion of the atomic bomb. At the height of 5-10 km from the ground, the meteorite fell apart and came down in pieces. The biggest piece created a big crater with a diameter of 110 m and a depth of 22 m, and 8 smaller craters. Around the beginning of the Common Era, a massive stone wall was built around Lake Kaali. The many findings of the bones of domestic animals give a reason to believe that it used to be a sacrificial site. Interesting to know: the Kaali crater is in 8th place among the world's youngest giant craters. The Kaali field of meteorite craters in Saaremaa is the rarest nature wonder in Estonia and of the most spectacular crater fields in Eurasia.

You are welcomed by the ancient and idyllic Estonian islands. Endless juniper fields, rustic windmills, old castles, stone fences, thatched roof houses and the largest meteorite crater in Europe provide an experience, which cannot be found elsewhere. You will taste the sweet-and-sour black bread, homemade beer, wander the corridors of Kuressaare Episcopal Castle, and marvel at the biggest meteorite crater in Europe. Tour includes guide service, transportation, ferry tickets, entrances to Angla Windmill Park, Kuressaare Castle and Pädaste Manor Park, Kaali meteorite crater visit, 2-course lunch.

Would you like to listen to the sounds of the forest or hear your own thoughts better in silence? Then come to Võru County to a fir forest by the RMK Pähni Nature Centre where you'll find forest megaphones – three gigantic wooden megaphones with a diameter of three metres, each named Ruup. Ruup invites you to read forest sounds and offers hikers a possibility to rest their feet and their minds. Here, you can sit, sleep, think and listen. You can select between a small and a large view, depending on which direction you look in the Ruup. Ruup is an open library with only one book – the nature.

An epic site for a sunset picnic, the Panga cliff rests on the northern coast of the island of Saaremaa and is the highest one on any of the islands. In the old days, it was thought to be a sacrificial site where people would give offerings to the spirits of the sea.

Heilu rocks were first described and characterised by the Russian geologist Gregor Helmersen in 1871 and 1879. His name is also connected to rocks elsewhere in Estonia. With over 80 rocks on the 0.5 hectare plot, carried to their location by glacial ice, geologist Gregor Helmersen described the Helmersen rock field as the most magnificent group of boulders originating from Finland that he had ever seen in the Baltic countries.

Siniallikas (blue spring) was an ancient sacrificial spring, named after its crystal clear water and its characteristic blue colour from the blue clay at the bottom. According to a legend, a blue-eyed maiden, who was teased by the manor owner, drowned herself in the spring. The spring is said to reveal a treasure if seven brothers drink from it together. The water of the Siniallikas spring was believed to have the power to heal. Silver coins were thrown into it as a sacrifice. Nearby, there is a hill fort, where ancient Estonians built a stronghold in the 12th–13th century, and Lake Sinialliku.