The 10 Best Things to do in Polva County, Polva County

Cabins for hikers, an observation point and a boarded path attract many nature lovers to Meenikunno bog. This is a beautiful recreation area. While walking down the boarded path you can see common bog plants: leather leaf, bog rosemary, black crowberry, marsh Labrador tea and Tussock cottongrass, on the edge of the bog dwarf birches can also be found. There is also a number of different species of peat moss of various colours. The bravest ones can try bog water with an interesting taste from the overgrown ditch on the edge of the bog.

Taevaskoja nature trail is 3 km long and goes along both banks of the Ahja River. The trail starts in the Saesaare parking lot of the State Forest Management Centre which is situated near Saesaare small town on the road between Taevaskoda and Kiidjarve. The entire trail runs in the landscape reserve of the Ahja River. There are 10 observation points on the trail with boards providing information in English, Russian and Estonian. At the beginning of the trail there is also a board displaying maps of the trail and recreation area, and direction signs. At the level of difficulty it ranks in the middle.Interesting to know:The folk call high sandstone outcrops Heaven’s Hall (Taevaskoda).

Polva Peasant Museum is a unique open air museum in Southern Estonia. The visitors can learn about the school, local community government and life in farm of the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. The typical arrangement of the buildings in the community centre was formed at the end of the 19th century. The territory of the museum is 5 ha and the visitors can take a look at a court, a school and a community house with outbuildings, a smith farm and a Dutch windmill. The exhibition also includes agricultural machinery and vehicles.

The newest part of the museum is the Machinery Hall, opened in July 2019, with the exhibition The Rule of Machines – a fascinating interactive exhibition on car mechanics and traffic physics, safe driving, and building safe roads. Outdoor exhibition Road Time is a road going through time and space where you can see old and new vehicles. Visitors can also explore Eastern Europe’s largest collection of road construction machines. For children, we have a wide selection of two-wheeled and electric cars in the traffic city. At the Varbuse Post Station, you can learn about the development of roads and modes of travel and there is a children’s museum on the first floor of the house

Sillapea Castle was built in the classical style in 1842, later it has been reconstructed. The castle is nationally protected due its remarkable architectural ensemble. Today it accommodates the Rapina Local Lore and Gardening Museum; the castle is surrounded by a manor park with a beautiful garden spreading over 8.7 hectares. The park consists of three parts: an aesthetic garden with high vegetation comprising of terraces lowering towards the lake, a front garden bordered by paths and characterised by distinguishable ensembles of trees and bushes, and a forest park with a pavilion at the Vohandu River.

The Seto Farm Museum enables the visitors to learn about the farm architecture, old tools and rich collection of handicraft items dating from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The exposition comprises a half-enclosed yard, a dwelling, storehouses for clothes, grain and food, a bam with a hay shed, a workshop, other sheds, a smoke sauna, a pottery, a smithy, a barn and kiln house and a tea house. The majority of the buildings are original and originate from Nothern Setumaa. The museum also organises temporary special exhibitions. Visitors can participate in various events, such as winter holidays, Seto lace days, Folk tales’ nights and celebrations of folk calendar holidays.

Varska Water Park's jacuzzis are filled with pure mineral water.The Water Park has:mineral water constrast baths (17 °C and 34 °C), swimming pool (three 25-metre lanes, depth 1.2–1.8 m), pool for children and babies, upstream swimming, various water massage treatments, water bar, light therapy pool, Finnish saunas (90 °C and 75 °C), steam sauna, infrared sauna, gravel pathway. Also a café, chilren's playroom, beauty salon, fitness centre, sunbed, hotel and local mineral water brands for tasting.

Mooste manor which lies on the shore of Lake Mooste has been established at the time when the Nolcken family ruled in the area; it is one of the manors in Estonia that has preserved its rich building ensemble. The spectacular manor ensemble was built in the historicist style. The interior of the manor includes a large hall with a gallery reaching through two floors. An English landscape park surrounding the manor adds up to its overall impression. All the alleys lead to Lake Mooste offering a picturesque view on it. There is a school operating in the main building and a flax room and a guest house in the former woodwork house.

Rapina port is a true treat for professional and recreational fishermen and lovers of water sport! You can take a tour to the lake or enjoy the best FairTrade coffee and local beer in Harbour Cafe.

The Pokuland theme park on the borders of Voru and Polva Counties was created after a children’s book Pokumaa by Edgar Valter and after its main characters – Pokus. The prototypes of Pokus in nature are sedge tussocks.The world of Pokus begins from the visitor's centre – Pokuhall – that looks like a twin-Poku and surprises guests with its unique stairways, passages and interior design elements. In the Pokuhall visitors can see original illustrations and oil paintings by Edgar Valter, get to know his creative work and make Pokus themselves. There are many other activities and events, such as study trails to introduce local nature, village swings to take a ride as well as picnic and camping sites.