Soomaa National Park in South West Estonia was created in 1993. At 390 km², it is Estonia’s second largest after Lahemaa National Park. The Soomaa National Park was created to protect its large raised bogs, flood plain grasslands, forests and meandering rivers.
The territory of Soomaa National Park is mostly covered with large mires, separated by tributaries of the Pärnu River. On the eastern margin of the national park lie the highest dunes on the Estonian mainland, situated some 50 kilometres off the contemporary coastline. The visiting centre of the Soomaa National Park is located in Tõramaa.
Soomaa is home to, and a breeding zone for, rare European mammals including roe deer, elk, wild boars, beavers, lynx, wolves and brown bears. Soomaa bog is also a breeding ground for several rare bird species, including golden eagles, black storks, black grouse and capercaillies. It is a habitat for some rare orchids as well.
What makes Soomaa unique is the so called "fifth season" - the spring flood, which can raise the water level five metres above the low-water level! Everywhere floods - meadows, fields, forests, roads and sometimes even houses. At the maximum flood level the water-covered area can be 7–8 km across and in some extreme years the flood area has covered 150 km2.
Foto: Soomaa, Joel Tammet, CopterCam OÜ
Canoeing is one of the best ways to explore the watery wilderness of Soomaa and several canoe tour companies operate in the area.
You can also follow the many hiking and study trails on foot.
