The Piusa Sand Caves (Piusa koopad), one of the country’s more offbeat tourist attractions, lie just north of Obinitsa. The “caves” (really a single chamber) were excavated between 1922 and 1970 to extract sand for use in the glassmaking industry. The area became a protected nature reserve in 1999, largely owing to the caves’ importance as a habitat for bats – the creatures have flourished since the end of mining activities, and Piusa now harbours one of the biggest colonies in the Baltics.

You’re free to enter the excavations at any time, although some sections are boarded off for fear of cave-ins. Once inside it’s a marvellously atmospheric place, with rows of sand-carved arches bringing to mind some kind of abandoned subterranean cathedral. The section nearest the entrance is hauntingly illuminated by the daylight leaking in from outside; if you want to venture further in you’ll need to bring a torch.

Round the back of the caves, paths lead around the edges of the Piusa Sandpit (Piusa liivakarjäär), a Sahara-like expanse of sand edged by rare grasses and shrubs.

Practical Info

The sand caves are 5km north of Obinitsa - an hour’s walk north along road 182.