Alutaguse National Park

Alutaguse, Estonia’s newest national park, stands in contrast to its surroundings—pure, untouched nature alternates with small villages, ancient burial sites, and former mining areas. Some may feel nostalgia; others will feel struck by the impact of human development on nature.

This national park is remarkable for its beautiful native forests and deep marshes, sometimes reminiscent of the taiga (boreal forest). Several endangered and rare species live here, such as willow ptarmigan and flying squirrels—the forests and swamps of Alutaguse are their last suitable habitat.

Brown bears, Estonia’s largest predators, roam the thick forests, and about 500 of them make their home in the larger Alutaguse region. It’s possible to come across one searching for food in the spring. If this thought makes you nervous, but you still want to see bears with your own eyes, try visiting one of the purpose-built bear-watching huts to observe them from a safe distance.

In Alutaguse, you can enjoy the 30-kilometre-long beach with dune forests and singing sands on the north coast of Lake Peipsi or the 18-metre high ridges of continental dunes of the Alutaguse wetlands, which are not often visited even by locals.

Alutaguse National Park borders one of Europe’s largest bodies of fresh water — the north coast of Lake Peipsi, which attracts holiday goers with its beautiful beaches and spectacular boating opportunities.

What to do:

• Go snowshoeing or skiing in Muraka Bog.

• Discover the Puhatu-Agusalu swamps—these unique continental dunes are up to 18 meters high with good berry and mushroom forests.

• Go on a bird or animal-watching trip.

• Visit the ancient forest of the Porun River and the Kurtna lakes.