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EESTI ELU reedel, 16. juulil 2021 — Friday, July 16, 2021
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Take a Hike!: Experience Estonia on foot through its walking trails Vincent Teetsov When considering any kind of travel to Estonia, it’s appro priate that at least part of a trip would include some time to go hiking. Why? Hiking is a great way to keep fit. It works your lower body. It gets the blood pumping and is beneficial for your cardiovascular health. At the same time, it’s a low impact activity for your joints, especially on grass and natural trail surfaces. There are a lot of those in Estonia, and the vast lengths you can cover by foot across the country are impressive. Here are two major trails you can take. The first one is recom mended by RMK–Riigi metsa Majandamise Keskus (the State Forest Management Centre). The second one is suggested by Visit Estonia. The first is the PerakülaAegviidu-Ähijärve trail (https:// loodusegakoos.ee/where-to-go/ hiking-route/perakula-aegviidu-ahijarve-hiking-route). It goes from the extreme northwest shores of the Baltic Sea to Võrumaa in the south east. At 820 kilometres long, there is around 90 hours of hiking time for you to get under your boots. You’ll see sandstone outcrops and the Endla bog. Landmarks include the glacial drumlins of Jõgeva County that look like a basket of eggs, and Estonia’s sole operating cable ferry at Kavastu. Shops can be found at certain points along the route so that you can restock your food and water supplies. GPS and Google Earth files for navigation can be accessed from the RMK site. The second excursion takes you on the Taevaskoda nature trail in Põlvamaa (https://www. visitestonia.com/en/taevaskoda-nature-trail). You can see imposing cliffs hovering above the Ahja River. The river percolates with the legends of mermaids, elusive tunnels, and more. Kingfisher birds with brilliant blue feathers fly above the trails. Ahja Manor is also in the vicinity. The hiking here is definitely more abbreviated, and has a shorter section that is wheelchair accessible. Then again, if you’re getting
Seli Bog.
around Estonia by car, you can identify points along any longer trails, park your car, and go for smaller day hikes. It may be necessary to double back to get to your vehicle. When you plan any of these routes, be sure to look at the latest updates on the web pages above, so you have the latest info on trail quality and potential diversions. Hiking has minimal costs, apart from a good pair of shoes, food supplies, and water. There is also the cost of getting to Estonia by plane, of course. But things like lodging can be affordable. Accommodation along the way isn’t too expensive. For example, an overnight stay at a hut in Põlva County may cost 45 euros per person, per night. There would be parking, a wood burning stove, firewood, and sleeping space for six people. You would need to bring your own bedding and water. Cheaper and even more spartan options exist in terms of lodging. If you’re on more of a budget or want to be fully immersed in these landscapes, wild camping is legal in Estonia, which broadens your options. How ever, keep the following points in mind. You won’t be able to set up your tent on private land, including farmland, or in the city (you may have to go to Japan for this privilege, as the film Kintaro Walks Japan). Each stay should be one night long, or two nights long at most. Don’t leave garbage where you go. Dig and cover over holes when you use the bathroom. Stick to marked trails. And if you build a campfire, call 1524 on your phone to check if it’s currently allowed in your area, relative to the risk of wildfires. The trails listed above are just the beginning! You could make many more trips out of these passages. For instance, the Baltic Coastal Hiking route (known as Ranniku matkarada in Estonian) takes you all the way around Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania’s coastlines. The entire Estonian portion alone is 622 kilometres long, which would require 30 days to walk fully.
Photo: loodusegakoos.ee
One inspiring source of info about hiking in Estonia when the weather is warmer is Maiu Lünekund from Maiu Takes a Hike (https://www.facebook. com/maiutakesahike/). She regu larly posts practical content on how to make the most of hiking in Estonia, what you can expect, and also a bit about her off-season activity – her hikes are accompanied by scenic paintings. In the winter, she is a dog sled guide! Finally, hiking is a meditative sport. When you do a lot of külastamine (“visiting”) with family and friends in Estonia, no doubt you’ll need some time to be quiet and soak everything up. For all those who are able to do hiking, let’s not take for granted the immense benefits it provides physically, mentally, and in the pursuit of seeing the world. You’ll see it more slowly and closely. That pays back dividends when the fun ex perience of travelling in Estonia often flies past you and ends before you know what happened.
Estonia ranks 9th in Female Opportunity Index 2021 BNS/TBT, July 2021 TALLINN – Estonia has ranked ninth in the world in terms of equal opportunities for women, the daily Postimees writes, citing an analysis carried out by German neobank N26. The study measured women’s opportunities and achievements around the world based on comparable data from 100 countries. The aim was to look at inequalities between men and women, both in the workplace and in society. The top three of the index are Norway, Finland and Iceland. Estonia ranks ninth, while Latvia is even higher, in eighth position. Lithuania ranks 22nd in the index. The top 10 also includes the United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand, Denmark and Slovakia. In terms of political representation, the study included data from 1970-2020 and looked at how many years a woman has run the country. Estonia scored zero because Kaja Kallas’ term as prime minister did not fall within the study period. The representation of women in higher positions and entrepreneurship, the pay gap between men and women, and women’s access to education were also examined. Estonia stands out the most among the 100 countries with the longest period of maternity leave – 1,162 days.
Donor profile: Erik and Sandra Küttis Estonian spirit and determination inspires enthusiastic support for KESKUS A longstanding love of ani mals and a strong entrepre neurial spirit propelled Erik and Sandra Küttis to turn their vision into a successful enterprise. Now, with their $100,000 Kalevipoja Laud donation to KESKUS International Estonian Centre’s Capital Campaign, they are able to help another vision become a reality: a dynamic new home for the Estonian community. “We are so proud and ex cited to be involved in this campaign,” Erik said. “It is the way forward to ensure we have a sustainable future for the next generation.” The couple have a son Nikolas, 23, and a daughter Kira, 21 and live in St. Agatha, a community just outside Waterloo. Their children are proud of their Estonian heritage and look forward to connecting with the new centre. The family has traveled together to Estonia and welcomed many Estonian visitors to their home. “A new state-of the-art facility is the next step and crucial in keeping our heritage alive outside of Estonia. A cultural center with a business accelerator perfectly reflects who we are. Estonians are world leaders in technology while also being foremost in cultural activities such as choral music and folk dancing. That amazing duality is what KESKUS is all about!” The couple are passionate about encouraging others to step forward. “The decision to build KESKUS has been made, and now everyone must come on board, regardless of past opinions,” Erik says. “It is in cumbent upon all Estonians, not only in Canada, but around the world, to support the project.” Erik and Sandra are owners of TLC Pet Food. Erik, a dedicated pet owner, started the business in 1994 after becoming frustrated with the level of quality in commercial pet foods. In true Estonian style, he thought of a better way. He worked with top nutritionists to create a new formula and, in order to make the business viable, became the first pet food company to offer online ordering direct to the customer. The business flourished, and their dog and cat products are now
shipped across North America. Erik’s parents Jaan and Katrin Küttis were both born in Estonia and eventually settled in Kitchener after they came to Canada. He recalls how they would drive him and his brother Andre every Saturday morning to participate in Kalev Scouts at the Estonian house. “Even though we lived in Kitchener, over an hour away, this cultural connection was important to the family,” he recalls. Erik also attended Jõekääru summer camp every year from the age of four to 15 and went to scout camp at Kotkajärve as well. “It is the blood, sweat and tears of the previous generation that we are honouring with our donation. Imagine the dedi cation it took for that group of immigrants to build the foundation that we have today – the Estonian House, three camps with acres of land, the schools, credit union, newspapers and food businesses,” he said. “Now it is our turn to pick up the torch to honour them and build for the future!” “We are grateful to play our small part and send a huge thank you to the boards and community leaders who con tinue to guide this project.” Get involved and help support our future Are you interested in helping build this spectacular new home for the global Estonian community? Please join our growing list of capital campaign donors! The International Estonian Centre’s donor categories are Kalevipoja Laud for gifts over $100,000 (including naming rights for specific areas), Viru Vanemad for gifts over $10,000, and Kungla Rahvas for gifts up to $10,000; the list of generous donors at www.estoniancentre. ca/capital-campaign. To make a donation, call +1.647.250.7136 or email d onations@estoniancentre.ca. Do nations may be made as a family gift, or in honour of an individual or family. All Cana dian, Estonian and U.S. donations will be issued a tax receipt. Let’s keep in touch! • Visit the KESKUS website www.estoniancentre.ca for all the latest news • Sign up for the monthly email newsletter at www.estoniancentre.ca • Follow us on Facebook @ EestiKeskus, Instagram @keskus.iec, Twitter @keskus
