Lahemaa National Park & the Coastal Heritage

Our private tours skillfully walk the line between rich historical depth and an engaging, fun narrative style – led by a knowledgeable and passionate native Estonian guide who knows this country inside out. We weave honest personal anecdotes into our grand narratives, connecting Estonia's picturesque and versatile sights with centuries of triumphs and tragedies, present-day realities, and future aspirations. Real stories, real history, no fluff. We respect your time.

​​

Estonia is one of Europe’s greenest and most sparsely populated countries — and thanks to its compact size, the wilderness begins just minutes from Tallinn. Lahemaa National Park, the country’s oldest and largest, is also the closest to the capital, making it the perfect day trip into nature without missing your dinner plans back in town. ​This tour blends some of Estonia’s most iconic natural sights with key moments in its history — from our ancient animist roots to the present-day digital age, where forests are equally well covered in berries, mushrooms, and 5G.

​

• Did you know Lahemaa was not only Estonia’s first national park, but also the first in the entire Soviet Union? We'll unpack some of the Cold War-era Soviet “greenwashing” that helped to make it happen.

​

• The wetlands make up 1/3 of Estonia's mainland, with the bogs being particularly mystical and treacherous landscapes, yet for centuries they have also been seen as both sacred places and safe refuge, and we'll tell you exactly why.

​

• You’ll also hear of Estonia’s long and proud seafaring roots, as remarked even by Hemingway in one of his novels: "No well-run yacht basin in Southern waters is complete without at least two sunburned, salt bleached-headed Estonians..."

​

• Learn about Estonia's peasant-folk and their long history of serfdom under the yoke of foreign landowners who could've ranged from brutal tyrants to surprisingly progressive intellectual thinkers.

​​​​​
These are just some of the tales we will explore, grounding facts and history in memorable chapters that connect and build up to every next story – all part of a bigger, cohesive narrative that makes this land come alive for you.​

​

​The usual tour route will specifically show and tell you about all the following sights:

​​

• Jägala Waterfall, the largest in Estonia

• Guided bog hike along special wooden boardwalks through otherworldly inaccessible wetlands 
  (Route may vary depending on season, weather, time, and your preferences – we prioritize the quiet, pristine ones)

• Tour of the Palmse Manor – Estonia’s most complete and stunning baroque estate

• Drives past several other historic manors, both restored and still decaying, for fascinating variety & contrasts

• The quaint and picturesque Käsmu coastal village & a walk on its serene coast

• Tour of the private Käsmu Maritime Museum — one man's passion and lifework

If there’s a place you’re curious about that's not listed, just let us know. We’ll do our best to weave it into your tour and our story. Book your own journey through the Lahemaa National Park today, and let's turn your Estonia visit into a personal and meaningful experience, full of stories and emotions that you'll actually remember!

​​

​​​​Photo credits: Thank you to Kaupo Kalda; Rasmus Jurkatam; Rene Altrov; Aleksandr Snitovskii; Sam Mcallister; Kadi-Liis Koppel; Thomas Lotter; Mark Harisson; Jorden Tually; Vivian Velle; VisitTallinn.ee