Soomaa National Park

Did you know it is possible to experience a fifth season in Estonia? This phenomenon occurs when waters overflow and cover the floodplain meadows, roads, forests, and farmland in Soomaa National Park in Central Estonia. Boats become the primary form of transportation.

More than half of the area of the Soomaa National Park consists of bogs and rivers surrounded by forest groves, colorful wooded meadows, and ravines. During snowmelt or rainy periods, the water cannot fit in its usual place and begins to conquer new lands.

Even though the area floods several times a year, residents have adapted rather than fled—homeowners always have boats at hand. During the floods, you can take a guided canoe trip, paddling between the trees and gliding over the marshes. When the flooded water freezes in winter, it creates a magnificent skating rink, and you can get around on skates!

Soomaa is one of the best places in Europe to admire beavers in the wild. The shallow waters provide a stunning setting for watching sunrise or sunset, especially during spring and autumn. If you’re lucky, you may also see moose, roe deer, wild boars, lynx, and many bird species while boating through the forest groves.

Soomaa is charming all year round. Even if there are no floods, plenty of hiking trails and boardwalks take you through the park’s bogs and wetlands.

A wooden dugout canoe—called haabjas in Estonian— exemplifies how Soomaa’s ancient traditions have survived to the present day. UNESCO added the construction and use of these canoes to its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2021.

What to do:

• Go beaver watching—Soomaa is one of the best places in Europe to admire beavers in the wild.

• Take a canoe, kayak, or paddle board trip on the Raudna River, Mulgi Meadow, or Halliste River.

• Try a snowshoe or ski trip in the Kuresoo and Riisa Bogs.

• Walk on hiking trails with boardwalks, like in Kuresoo Bog.