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www.visittartu.com 7 The landscape in Peatskivi village (1.5 kilometres northwest from Alatskivi) has been shaped by Kalevipoeg, the legendary ancient giant of Estonians. The story goes that Kalevipoeg once fell asleep so soundly, that the wolves ate his horse. The only thing left was its saddle that had turned into stone – the Saddle Stone (Sadulakivi). The high mountain slope where Kalevipoeg is said to have slept is called the bed of Kalevipoeg. In fact, it is an ancient Estonian settlement dating from 3rd century BC. Nowadays this is the place for bonfires and village parties.
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The road onward passes through old biodiverse forests and over the hilly kame field of Selgis to the southern part of Vooremaa (land of drumlins), the most prominent collection of ice-age moulded landforms in Estonia; it is like a geological open-air museum.
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8 Lake Saadjärv is the biggest, southernmost and most fishy of the lakes in Vooremaa. Several manors of Baltic German nobility have been situated on the beautiful shores of the lake. On the northern coast, you can see the grand Saadjärv Manor House with its renovated classicist style main building, currently in private hands. The manor ensemble comprises several facilities, such as a distillery that generated a large portion of the estate's income in the 19th century, a stable for oxen, a combined granary and grain dryer, and a beautiful gardener's cottage. 9 In Äksi village on the southern coast of Saadjärv you'll find the Saadjärv Nature Centre where you can see how the landscape of Vooremaa has evolved and what its peculiarities are. The building also houses the Museum of WWII Estonian Volunteers in Finland. In summer 2012, a new Ice Age Centre will be opened in Äksi. Its multifunctional sound and light installations and interesting exhibits give you an impression of the ice age in Vooremaa about 15,000 years ago and a chance to think about climate change. You can walk around and see the exhibitions on your own, but you can also order a coached study or entertainment program.
Tartu Visitor Centre Raekoda / Town Hall, Tartu ESTONIA Ph/fax +372 744 2111 info@visittartu.com www.visittartu.com
Hunter’s lodge; scenic view
Natural features; archaeological place of interest
Hotel; accommodation
Tenting site; camp fre site
Museum; manor house
Filling station; beach
Hiking trail; lookout tower
Church; monument
Caravan stop; internet
Horseback riding; protection area visitor centre
Historical place of interest
Tourist information centre; tourist information Text: Annereet Paatsi Layout: Triinu Sarv Print: Paar Photoes: Tartu County public photostock
If you want to get to know Lake Saadjärv as it is, the best place for it is in the Saadjärve Yachting Club. You can go on the lake on a yacht or catamaran, go swimming or take a sauna.
Travel Routes in Tartu County
10 As you drive along the lakeshore northwards, you reach the neo-Gothic Äksi church with its slender steeple. The church participates in the Wayfarers Churches project and is open throughout summer. The Äksi church has an important part in the cultural development of Estonia, being the home church of Otto Wilhelm Masing (1763-1832), a minister and writer, who introduced the letter “õ” into the Estonian alphabet. 11 After having seen enough of Äksi, you go south by the main road. For your last stop, turn left before Lähte hamlet to go to the viewing platform you can see from far away. It is about 15 metres high and gives you a perfect opportunity to view the Vooremaa striped landscape in the north and the highest buildings of Tartu in the south. Another 15 kilometres up and down the drumlins and you are back in Tartu!
The tour of Northern Tartu County
Travel Routes in Tartu County About two-thirds of the 147,000 inhabitants of Tartu County live in the city of Tartu. The rest live in rural areas and towns. It hasn't always been the case. For a long period of time, Estonians were a people of land and forest. In order to get to know the inhabitants of Tartu County and grasp the earnestness and profoundness of Estonians, it is necessary to take a glance at the landscape and people around Tartu. The versatile landscapes of Tartu County have much to offer, whether you prefer to enjoy nature and scenery or are more interested in the place's history. You can rest in the tranquillity of marshes and forests, enjoy the sun sparkling on lakes, or go sightseeing in places that have played a significant role in the different stages of the intricate history of Estonia, the border area between East and West.
Hill forts, burial mounds, sacred groves and the legends of our giant hero Kalevipoeg are signs of an ancient era of freedom in Estonia. Stone forts and fortified churches along with manors in green parks stand as silent witnesses of the long German rule. Orthodox churches and projectwise identical community centres and railway stations reminisce of the Russian Tsarist period. The Old Believers living on the western shore of Lake Peipus remind us of a fraction of the complex history of the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire. The huge multi-storey kolkhoz (Soviet collective farm) centres and abandoned state farms surrounded with fields that are left of the Soviet times may cause controversial and perplexed feelings. During your tours, you can rest your weary feet in the cool shade of medieval churches or recreation areas alongside the hiking trails. This might give you an idea why there are still quite a few Estonians who prefer to live among the woods and fields, far away from other people. The Emajõgi River divides Tartu County into northern and southern parts. This river flowing from east to west is also an important waterway and trade route. The oldest settlements of Tartu County were situated on its shores, and in medieval times, the river was an important Hanseatic trading route. Furthermore, the Emajõgi is the reason that the city of Tartu came into existence as a trading post where the river and land routes met. Tartu lies in the place where the otherwise wide floodplain on each bank of the river is narrow, thus offering an easier possibility to cross the river. The Emajõgi River is the symbol of Tartu County and has greatly shaped its settlements. Because of the Emajõgi, we shall divide the county tour into two parts.
The tour of Northern Tartu County Tartu – Kõrveküla – Aovere – Vara – Koosa – Varnja – Kolkja – Nina – Alatskivi – Rupsi – Alatskivi – Kallaste – Peatskivi – Selgise – Välgi – Pataste – Igavere – Saadjärve – Äksi – Lähte – Tartu. Head outside of Tartu taking Narva Road (road No. 3).
1 Drive north-east through the low-density cultivated landscape full of fields until you reach Lake Peipus. You'll notice that the surroundings have changed and do not look very Estonian any more. Varnja, Kasepää and Kolkja, villages situated on the narrow shore of the lake, are inhabited by Russian Old Believers who fled here from tsarist repressions as early as during the 18th century. They have maintained their beliefs and ancient traditions for centuries. People live side-by-side in long street-villages. Between houses, you can see chapels and cemeteries reaching the waterfront. For a long time, the Old Believers have earned their living as fishermen and by growing onions and vegetables. When it's autumn, you can see golden onions drying in almost every yard and shed. Fish and onion festivals are held. The road leading through the region is called the Onion Route (Sibulatee). If you are more interested in the Old Believers' culture, you can find more information in the Lake Peipus Visiting Centre, the Old Believers Museum in Kolkja and the Living History Museum in Varnja.
2 A traveller keen on nature who is driving along the coastal road northwards may make a stop at Lake Lahepera and observe the nesting hatchers (mute swan, great crested grebe, moor hen, etc.). During the autumn and spring migrations, the lake serves as a resting ground for thousands of tundra swans, pochards, goldeneyes and smews. You can enjoy scenery from the observation platform on the northern shore of the lake even if you are confined to a wheelchair.
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3 If you take a detour from the main road, you'll reach Nina village with the powerful Orthodox Church of the Protection of the Mother of God, a monument to the fight between the state church and Old Believers. The numerous erratic boulders on the shore and in the lake have been here since the time the Estonian giant Kalevipoeg wanted to build a bridge across the lake to Russia, as the legend goes. In the other end of the village you'll find a guesthouse that once used to be a border guard station. Besides a great night's sleep, you'll have a chance to go boating in summer or ice-fishing in winter or buy antique furniture.
As you go further inland, you come to Alatskivi. This is the place of the most valuable architectural gem of the area: the manor house of Alatskivi Manor dating back to 1885. This luxurious neo-gothic castle was designed by Arved von Nolcken, the owner of the manor. The bright white main building of the manor with its towers and turrets and strongly structured façade stands at the edge of the Alatskivi prehistoric valley. The renovated castle is furnished with the elegance of the earlier times and now serves as a museum open to the public. You may dine in the landlord's former dining room. There are concert and exhibition events in the manor; because of its romantic and stylish nature, it is also often used as a place for weddings. There are other sights in Alatskivi as well, such as a small village church in a pine grove and a cemetery with a memorial to people from Alatskivi who died in the Estonian War of Independence. No need to fear hunger, since there are several places in the vicinity where you can dine out.
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When you are in Alatskivi, it is recommended to take a small detour south and visit the Liivi Museum. This is the place for keeping and reviving the material and spiritual heritage of Juhan Liiv (1864–1913), the most beloved poet in Estonia. The buildings and furnishings of this open-air museum give a chance to see the life of Estonian peasants at the turn of the 20th century. If your time is up, you can now go back to Tartu. If you are interested in a longer tour, go back north t hrough Alatskivi to Kallaste.
6 Kallaste is situated on the coast of Lake Peipus. With its almost thousand inhabitants, it is one of the smallest towns in Estonia. The red sandstone exposure of the Devonian period, almost a kilometre long and 8 metres high, situated in the southern part of the city, is worth seeing. An ornithologist will be happy here in summer as well, since this is the paradise for more than a thousand bank swallows that have foraged their nesting holes in the sand bank on the lakeside. The town is tranquil and peaceful. Nobody is in a rush. But don't be deceived – you can still find yourself in the middle of hustle and bustle. In autumn, honey and onion fairs are held, and in winter, you can enjoy the competition and show of karakatitsas, bizarre self-constructed, bigwheeled ice vehicles. More people than usual can also be seen during the religious festivals of the Old Believers. Kallaste is the northernmost point of this tour. Now you'll have to turn around and head back south. About one kilometre before Alatskivi, turn right (west) and drive through Peatskivi, Välgi, Pataste and Igavere to Saadjärve.