Accessible Nature Trails Can Also Be Found in Estonia
Text Timo Raussi Photos Priit Adler, RMK and Visit Pärnu
Estonia increasingly offers nature-based recreation opportunities also for people using wheelchairs or other mobility aids. Although most hiking trails in the country are not yet fully accessible, the State Forest Management Centre, or RMK, which manages state forests and recreation areas, as well as various municipalities and cities, are gradually improving sites in their areas, by building, among other things and where conservation rules allow, boardwalks and otherwise easily navigable sections for solo visitors or those with assistance.
“It must be acknowledged that full accessibility is guaranteed on only two of our nature trails: one is located in Valgesoo in Põlvamaa and the other in Sõõriksoo in Harjumaa, near Aegviidu. These are 100% accessible. But we have many trails that are, for example, 5.2 kilometres long, and within them there may be 350 metres or 1.2 kilometres of sections where visitors with mobility impairments can also move on equal terms with others,” said RMK Head of Visitor Experience Marge Rammo in an interview with Estonian public broadcaster ERR.
According to mapping carried out by Visit Estonia, fully or partially improved accessible nature sites can now be found almost everywhere in the country. Easy-to-navigate routes are available in bog, forest, and coastal landscapes alike. Here is a small selection:
- Pääsküla Bog Nature Trail on the edge of Tallinn: In the Nõmme district, the area includes not only boardwalks but also a fully accessible two-kilometre route;
- Viru Bog Nature Trail in eastern Harjumaa: One of Estonia’s best-known bog trails. A gravel path and a boardwalk section (1.3 km) lead to a viewing tower, whose first platform is also accessible without stairs;
- Sõõriksoo Nature Trail in Harjumaa: A 700-metre accessible circular boardwalk right next to Aegviidu railway station, forming part of a longer 1.5-kilometre route;
- Riisa Nature Trail in Soomaa National Park: Of the 4.8 km route, the first 1.2 km is accessible; the trail includes rest areas and an accessible toilet at the start;
- Beaver Trail Nature Path, also in Soomaa: The accessible section starting near the visitor centre is about 350 metres long;
- Pärnu Coastal Meadow Nature Trail: An accessible boardwalk loop of 600 metres across wetlands;
- Kabli Nature Trail in southern Pärnumaa: A 650-metre crushed-stone path introducing coastal birdlife near Kabli Nature Centre; assistance may be helpful in some sections;
- Arbujärve Nature Trail in the town of Elva: A 1.2 km illuminated gravel lakeside route;
- Valgesoo Nature Trail in Põlvamaa: A fully accessible 1.8 km loop through beautiful bog and forest landscapes. An accessible toilet is available at the parking area.
According to RMK’s database of Estonian nature and recreation areas, there are a total of 93 nature sites and national park visitor centres where accessibility means that a person with mobility limitations can move either fully independently or with only occasional assistance. New routes are also planned, including in eastern Harjumaa on the Kaberneeme coast, in Järvamaa near Paide at the Koordi bog, and in eastern Estonia in Kauksi, at the visitor centre of Alutaguse National Park on the northern shore of Lake Peipus.
An interesting entrepreneur-led nature site is also the Clean Water Theme Park at Metsamõisa Tourism Farm in Lääne-Virumaa. The owner and nature guide Priit Adler has created a three-kilometre forest trail suitable for people with reduced mobility on his property, as well as a special sensory garden with hard-surfaced paths, where he guides nature visitors.
To learn more about this and similar topicsaccessibility Clean Water Theme Park nature trail RMK Tourism wheelchair
