Wandering the Wetlands: Bog Walking In Estonia by Catherine Cooper
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Tallinn is usually what comes to mind when people think of Estonia, but with 50% of the country’s surface covered by forests and nearly a quarter of its land by swampland, I thought it might be an interesting place to go walking. There are around 7,000 bogs in Estonia: wetlands formed from peat made of decomposed plant material. Some are up to 10,000 years old and are home to many diverse types of flora and fauna as well as different species of wildlife – everything from frogs and beavers to bears and lynx.
Estonia's Newest Park
There are many areas in which you can go bog walking in Estonia. One of the best places is Soomaa National Park; Estonia’s newest park, which means ‘Land of Bogs’ and also the largest flooded area in Northern Europe. What makes Soomaa unique is its ‘fifth season’ – the spring flood which can raise the water level by up to five metres – flooding everything in the area of up to 175 square km. Here, as well as hiking through the bogs on boardwalks, you can also take a guided tour in bog shoes – snow-shoes that allow you to walk directly on the peat without sinking. My guide tells me “it can feel very bouncy and can even make you feel quite sick after a while if you are not used to it”.
As I am based in Tallinn, like most visitors to Estonia, I head to Lahemaa National Park which is less than an hour’s drive away and has several bogs. “Estonia’s bogs can feel almost spiritual because they are so quiet and still,” says guide Margit Hallmägi. “People have come here to escape the cities for centuries – they are very calming” she says.
Boardwalk Trail
As we enter the boardwalk trail of the 235 hectare Viru Bog, Margit lightly touches the two upright tree trunks which act as a gate. She explains that she is asking natures permission to enter and does the same as we leave to say thank you. “That way it won’t rain on us,” she tells me, and indeed, at one point, we almost glimpse a little sunshine in spite of the cloudy day. “Estonians have been asking nature’s permission for everything from entering a bog to picking berries since the Stone Age”, she adds.
“Over the years local people have escaped to the bogs for sanctuary,” Margit tells me, “Everyone from women accused of being witches in the 17th century, to Estonian people trying to escape from foreign invaders. If you are not used to bogs, they can be scary and dangerous places, but of course they are also very beautiful.”
Walking Boots
It is vital to stick to the paths and boardwalks in the bogs, unless you have a guide, as it is impossible to tell how deep the many pools are or where the spongy ground might give way into a no-way-to climb-out-from quagmire. The peat layer is regularly around seven metres deep and reaches 17 metres in Vällämäe bog in the south east of the country. I am surprised to find my walking boots are not deemed up to scratch – even though we will be hiking on boardwalks, the water often creeps over the top and I am given a pair of wellies to borrow.
The bog is incredibly still – there is no wind and while it is apparently home to many types of wildlife including wild boar, beavers, brown bears, moose, wolves, dozens of different species of bird and even lynx, nothing moves or makes a noise. “The animals are all nearby,” Margit says, “but they hide away when people are close.” There are also over two hundred species of birds native to the area including the unusual looking capercaillie, with its distinctive fan tail, and twice a year the bogs play host to migrating birds such as cranes, grebes and sandpipers.
A Riot of Colours
In spring, the bog is a riot of greens, browns and reds. In summer, it is much the same with the exception of some flowers in and around the bogs such as sundews, butterworts and irises. In autumn it returns to browns and reds. People also come to pick cloudberries which are common in bogs and can withstand temperatures of down to minus 40 degrees. Cloudberry picking can be quite a time-consuming task as each bush yields just one berry, but the locals love to make them into jam or mix them into yoghurt. In winter the bogs will usually be covered in snow.
Much of the ground is covered by moss: there are 100 different types in Estonia, as well as 250 species of lichens, which can be anything from a mouldy-looking mix of fungi and algae to plants which look like miniature shrubs. One of the most striking features is the strange dwarf birch trees dotted through the bog, in stark contrast to the larger trees, which you can see in the distance where the ground is drier.
Viewing Tower
In the centre of the Viru Bog (and indeed many of the other large bogs in Estonia) there is a viewing tower. Even though you can hear the faint sound of traffic from the nearby road, the stillness and ancientness of what you can see from the top of the tower gives the distinct impression that, except for the boardwalk, introduced in the early 1990s, probably little has changed here for hundreds of years.
Estonia is very flat – it’s highest ‘peak’ is just 318 metres – but despite this it has some impressive waterfalls close to the bogs. Probably best known and most impressive is the crescent-shaped Jägala Falls close to Lahemaa. By waterfall standards it is fairly small, at just eight metres tall and up to 50 metres across, but it is stunning despite seeming out of place in such a flat landscape. In summer, it slows to a trickle and you can walk from one side to the other, while in spring and autumn it is a pounding torrent of water, turned brown by the peat from the bogs. In winter it freezes over entirely.
Easy Hiking
Bog-walking can be enjoyed in Estonia all year round because the bogs are surrounded by forests and, at Lahemaa, a coastline, so the walks feel varied and interesting. The boardwalks make hiking easy and safe and the watchtowers add a different perspective.
Bog-walking is certainly not as challenging as hill-walking but the still; calmness of the bogs is something very special which I hadn’t really experienced before. Estonia has a very chequered history, it has been ruled by many different nations and seen a lot of changes, in more recent years with the fall of Soviet Union. But out in the bogs, you feel that very little has changed at all for centuries.
Other Outdoor Activites
Walk through the trees at the Otepää Adventure Park along five suspended walkways split into 58 sections – plus two long zip wires over to an ancient stronghold. Some sections are suitable for children and the whole course takes around two hours to complete.
Go sailing around some of the islands. Estonia is made up of over 1,500 islands and has 3,700 kilometres of coastline. The best time for sailing is during the summer when there are over 20 hours of daylight each day.
Go bird watching at Matsalu National Park 50 million migrating birds are estimated to fly over Estonia each year. Matsula has 282 species of birds, 49 species of fish and 47 species of mammals registered within it.
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