Despite the lack of anything resembling a mountain, low-lying Estonia offers a wealth of hiking opportunities. If you like forests, then you’ll love the woodland trails of the Lahemaa National Park. It’s easy to combine a forest hike with traditional activities like berry-picking in early summer or mushrooming in autumn.

Boardwalk trails in bogs, trails through the heaths of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, Kihnu is perfect for short strolls. Beach-walking on the islands or at Pärnu Beach, famous for its never-ending stretch of sand, is also a compelling activity.

Estonia’s bogs

Created by the natural accumulation of moisture-bearing mosses, there are few landscapes as starkly beautiful as an Estonian bog. The archetypal bog-scape comprises a spongy-green carpet of sphagnum moss, frequently punctuated by shimmering blue ponds and supporting a sprinkling of heathers, stunted conifers and spindly birches. Plants which relish the soggy conditions include cloudberries and cranberries (note that you are usually banned from picking these), making the bog a popular feeding ground for birds and insects.
Many of Estonia’s bogs can be explored via specially constructed wooden walkways that keep your feet above the soggy ground - especially in the Soomaa National Park, and the Viru Bog in Lahemaa National Park.