Today was AMAZING! Little did we know when we signed up for this Travelers Tour day what a packed full, incredible day it would be! The tour lasted nine hours and included multiple stops.
The first was at the Jägala waterfall, the widest and largest natural fall in Estonia. The area has lots of fossils in the surrounding limestone from the prehistoric era when this area was a sea. Our guide was quite proud of the falls, given that Estonia is relatively flat. https://www.jagalawaterfall.com/en
Next stop:
Lahemaa National Park. The Viru Bog Boardwalk wound through this primordial landscape. We experienced spongy earth, and mirror-like ponds reflecting the rare blue skies along this 2 mile walk. A tower mid way gave us a sweeping view of the area. The walk ended in a forest of tall trees with an open forest floor and dappled sunlight shining through. Magical. https://visitlahemaa.com/en/
Lunch was at Altja Kortz in the tiny seaside village of Kortz. We had some interesting conversations about how connected the world is, despite us all being from different places. After lunch, John and I tried out a giant wooden standing swing! It could hold multiple people, but no one else was game to join. We got it going pretty high! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village_swing We walked through a museum area with older homes and a well on the way to the beach. We had lovely walk on the shore which led into the otherworldly forests we have seen all day.
Last stop: Sagadi Manor
Wait! There's more! We couldn't believe we had one more stop. The Sagadi Manor is a rococo style manor house which was last owned by the Von Fock family. We had a crash course in Estonia history and the influence of German Baltic nobility as well as the changing rule of Estonia through the centuries. The grounds featured manicured gardens as well an orchard. There was also a fascinating exhibit about forestry...both cutting and preservation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagadi
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