The Rebala Nature Reserve

The historical reserve of Rebala (rebala) is famous for its stone burials of the 8th-7th centuries BC. — the oldest in the territory of Estonia. I read about this in one of the glossy editions of Glianets, where I later ordered for myself another print catalog Kiev.

The magnificent and unique reserve of Rebala

The main attractions of Europe, which has the Rebala Reserve, is the tower in Kiyu and, naturally, the waterfall on the Yagal River. Its latitude is about 50 m, the height of the fall of water is 8 m. Near the waterfall there is a small power station. It was blown up during the years of the struggle and served as director Andrei Tarkovsky as a decoration for the movie Stalker (room for the fulfillment of desires). Now the station is repaired.

Approximately 40 km from Tallinn is the smallest medieval castle — the tower in Kiyu (kiiu tornlinnus). This tower, which was considered a «castle of the vassal,» was built in 1517 by Baron von Tiesenhausen. Now in the tower there is a cafe, a great interest is the medieval toilet, which still functions.

Further, to the east, 70 km from Tallinn, along the motorway 1 E20, Estonia’s largest national park, Lahemaa, is recognized, recognizable for its unique coastal nature. It was founded in 1971 and became the main national park in Estonia and in the former USSR.

It perfectly combines sandbanks, huge boulders of the glacial period and boron. Lahemaa is considered one of the main forest reserves in Europe — it managed to preserve the practically untouched bogs of ancient Estonia. In the national garden there are about 200 species of birds and grows more than 900 plant species. It is thanks to which the visit to the park is regulated — on special trails: marsh, forest, coastal. Trails are visited by pedestrians and bicycles.

Detailed information is allowed in the guest center of the National Garden. About 80 km from Tallinn to the east is the town of Kiasmu. According to legend, the settlement arose after a captain named Casper in 1453 miraculously escaped after the crash and in gratitude to God built a chapel on the site of salvation. In 1884 in this «village of captains» a naval school was opened. Young people studied the marine science with zeal.

Traveling in Estonia

As a result, desperate naval smugglers settled here in the 1920s — on small motor boats, they transported alcohol to Finland, which was languishing from the dry law. Now in this unusual village there is an interesting Maritime Museum, which knows, including the history of maritime smugglers.

It is difficult to imagine tourism in Estonia without manor farms. Lovers of landlord life highly appreciate Palmse Manor (palmse), which at the time of its birth belonged to the famous family of von Palen. In the manor, a swan pond, a palm greenhouse, a collection of rare cars were restored.

It is here that the guest center of the National Garden is located. Lovers of culture can also move to Viinistu (viinistu), where the summer arts festival is held. On the seashore lie ten huge glacial boulders, any of which has a girth of at least 25 m.