Antsla combines illuminated loops on the edge of town with a history that can be traced through its inn, railway station and fairground. The landscape of Karula National Park is also one of the municipality’s defining features. If you’re looking for hotels in Antsla, the focus of your stay can help you choose a destination: a loop near town, nature experiences or cultural and historical discoveries.

Loops on the edge of town and in the national park

The Kasumetsa health trail lies on the edge of Antsla in a forest area managed by RMK. It offers a shorter 1 km loop and a longer 2.2 km loop; both are illuminated. This makes it easy to compare the lengths of the two loops: one is just over a kilometre long, the other just over two kilometres. The long hiking trail in Karula National Park is laid out differently: it forms a loop, has no fixed starting or ending point, and is marked in both directions.

Karula National Park, covering 123 km², lies in the southern and southwestern part of Antsla Municipality and also extends into the municipalities of Valga and Rõuge. It protects forested, lake-rich hilly landscapes typical of southern Estonia, as well as protected species and cultural heritage. This distinguishes the broader landscape focus from the specific choice of route on the Kasumetsa Trail: here, the emphasis is on a large natural and cultural landscape and a loop with no fixed starting or ending point.

Near the visitor centre in Ähijärve is a children’s nature trail intended mainly for younger visitors. The playground has a slide, an observation tower, swings, a sandbox and a rope roundabout. The Uhtjärv recreation area has a picnic spot, a small sandy beach and a swimming area. The lake is 28 metres deep and is considered Estonia’s fifth-deepest lake.

Antsla’s development and historic sites

Antsla developed in the last quarter of the 19th century around the Siksälä inn at a busy road junction. In 1889, the traditional fairground was moved closer to the railway station and inn. The settlement around the station was named Hauka after a local historic farm. The railway also shaped the town’s development: the Valga–Petseri line, completed in 1889, gave Antsla a strong boost. The station was named after the two nearby manors, Uue-Antsla and Vana-Antsla.

A monument to the Estonian War of Independence stands on the former fairground. Other historic landmarks include the present-day Urvaste Church, consecrated in 1889 and built as a three-aisled Gothic basilica, and the Vana-Antsla manor complex. The manor was first mentioned in 1405. Its park was established in the late 18th century and features avenues and ponds.

The Hauka Fair

The Hauka Fair was first mentioned under this name in an official fair announcement in 1903; the dates given were 20 March and 23 October. At the 2026 Hauka Fair, the streets of Antsla became a crowded open-air market. Traders, shoppers, entertainers and spectators gathered there. The fair has a tradition spanning more than a century. If you want to plan your trip around this event, check the dates for your travel period.

Discover more destinations: Rõuge, Mae–suhka, Juba, Võru, Haanja

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