At the Aidu hiking trail, a disused quarry meets water: the route crosses high embankment slopes and passes flooded mining areas, one of which is crossed by ferry. The circular trail starts and ends at the Aidu-Nõmme campfire site, with blue markings on the trees indicating the route. Such contrasts define Ida-Viru: alongside post-mining landscapes are bogs, waterfalls, coastline and stories from different eras.
Hiking trails through bogs and forests
The Kotka hiking trail takes you through fens and transitional mires, as well as over sandy ridges formed by glacial deposits. The route is eight kilometres long in total; a shorter 1.5-kilometre section can also be walked in RĂĽĂĽtli Bog. The Poruni hiking trail is listed as a ten-kilometre out-and-back route and a 2.5-kilometre loop. It runs through old-growth forest along the banks of the Poruni River to the Narva River and back. There is a car park and an information board at the starting and finishing point. The two lengths offer a concrete comparison of the route options, without making it possible to infer walking times.
The Selisoo hiking trail also lets you experience different bog landscapes: it passes through transitional mire, open raised bog and forested bog. Selisoo is a raised bog with bog pines, pools and a well-developed bog pool system. On the Uljaste hiking trail, you will encounter Lake Uljaste, an esker, a bog and old-growth forest. At 95.2 metres, the Uljaste esker is the highest natural point in Ida-Virumaa. The scenery changes along the Kurtna hiking trail, which runs along the shores of eleven lakes and offers opportunities for swimming and fishing. It includes 300 metres of boardwalk, three piers and twelve small information boards.
Waterfalls and coastline on the Gulf of Finland
The highest section of the North Estonian Klint, reaching up to 55.6 metres, lies in the Ontika Landscape Protection Area. The 26.1-metre-high Valaste Waterfall, described as Estonia’s highest waterfall, is also located there. The Valaste educational hiking trail is 1.5 kilometres long. In the Pangametsa nature area, there is a viewing platform and stairs by the waterfall. This makes it possible to distinguish the height figures: one describes the section of klint, the other the waterfall.
The sandy beach at Narva-Jõesuu stretches for almost ten kilometres along the Gulf of Finland, with pine forest lining the coast. The shallow water extends far from the shore, making for pleasant swimming for families with children. The lighthouse stands at the mouth of the Narva River, where it flows into the Gulf of Finland, and has served as a navigational aid for ships for more than a century. Its open platform is more than 30 metres high; from there, you can see the resort town, the harbour, the long beach and the opposite shore.
History, monastery life and mining
The history trail at the Vaivara Sinimäed Museum focuses on military fortifications from three eras in the Blue Hills. The Iisaku Parish Museum explores the culture of the Votes, who historically shaped Alutaguse; a nature section displays stuffed animals and birds from Alutaguse. Six exhibition halls at the Sillamäe Museum present the history and development of the town. The minerals room explains how dolomite, limestone and granite formed in Estonia and offers the chance to view gemstones. Exhibition themes may change; check the latest details before your visit.
Kuremäe Convent was founded in 1891 and is now Estonia’s only functioning Russian Orthodox nunnery. You can bathe at the Holy Spring. The churches in the convent complex are otherwise closed to the public; to visit, you can arrange a tour with the nuns. Make arrangements for the tour before your visit.
At the Estonian Mining Museum, a processing plant explains the journey of oil shale, energy production and future developments in the energy sector. The Crash Course is a 1.5-hour underground tour that descends eight metres into the mine shafts and offers insights into mining equipment, as well as a ride on an underground mine train. Advance booking may be required; check before your visit. The underground restaurant serves miner’s soup and miner’s bread with salo at a table that moves along rails. Food must be booked at least two days in advance. If you are looking for wildlife, you can watch bears from a safe distance in specially built observation huts in Alutaguse National Park; sightings are not guaranteed.
Discover more destinations: Narva, Jõhvi, Aseri, Narva-Jõesuu, Toila, Kohtla-Järve, Mäetaguse, Sillamäe, Kuremäe, Kalvi, Kohtla Parish, Iisaku, Lüganuse, Mäetaguse, Jõhvi, Avinurme, Kiviõli, Valaste, Sonda, Tudulinna, Aseri, Alajõe, Illuka, Maidla Parish, Toila Parish, Vaivara, Lohusuu.
Back to the main travel overview: Estonia.
