Albu combines the history of its manor house with cultural and natural attractions for your stay. Buildings and historical events play a role in the town’s history; the surrounding area offers different options for planning your day, including trails through marshland and activities related to hiking and cycling.
Manor House and Local History
The Albu manor house complex includes the preserved main buildings, granary, arched bridge, magazine, distillery and park. Opposite the main building stands the production building Kukenoosi rehi. The history of the “Albu veresaun” is also associated with this place: on 1 November 1861, soldiers of the Laadoga Infantry Regiment, summoned by a magistrate, beat farmers from Albu and the surrounding area there. The punitive action later became known as the “Albu veresaun”.
The so-called Albu Orphan School is also part of the region’s history. It was founded in 1717 at the Seidla manor house and operated on the land of Albu manor from 1719 to 1740. The manor house park covers 5.1 hectares and is laid out on two terraces. Every summer, exhibitions are held at Albu manor house as part of Albu kunstisuvi. Check that year’s programme before your trip.
Trails in the Surrounding Area
Near Albu, the Kakerdaja nature trail lies within the Kõrvemaa Landscape Protection Area. It includes a 4-kilometre boardwalk through Kakerdaja Bog, as well as a 3-kilometre loop trail by the Kalajärved lakes. The boardwalk is one kilometre longer than the loop trail—a specific difference to take into account when planning your route.
Parking options are also listed by stopping point: at Suur-Kalajärv there is a car park for six cars; by the Noku rest area, one for twelve cars or two buses.
Hiking and Cycling
Bicycles can be rented at Jäägri Villa in the village of Albu for rides on the trails of Kõrvemaa. As availability may change, check in advance if you are planning to rent one. The villa also offers guided nature hikes, for which you can choose the length and difficulty level. The hikes can use either a safe boardwalk or a forest trail; booking may be required.
One recommended cycling route runs from Jäägri Villa through the village of Albu to Vargamäe. This offers destinations in the wider area as a guide for a cycling trip, in addition to the trails of Kõrvemaa.
In Vargamäe, the A.-H.-Tammsaare Museum has six unique visitor routes that lead through the landscape with the help of a mobile Vargamäe app. In the village of Vetepere, Tammsaare-Põhja Farm is the birthplace and childhood home of Estonian writer Anton Hansen Tammsaare. The attractions in the area around Albu therefore lead both to nature trails and to places connected with cultural history.
Discover more destinations: Mägede, Vetepere.
Go to the main travel overview: Albu.
