Lahemaa National Park in Estonia - nature and mansions

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Lahemaa National Park is one of Estonia's great nature experiences and a perfect day trip from Tallinn. Hiking trails and marshlands, small fishing villages, a beautiful coast and several historic manors await you here. We explored Lahemaa by camper van and also found unexpected connections to Sweden. Here are our best tips for places to see and experience in the national park.

Lahemaa National Park

Lahemaa National Park is therefore just as suitable for those who want to hike and experience nature as for those who are interested in culture and history.

Some of the most famous attractions are the Viru bog, the Palmse and Sagadi manors, and the coastal villages of Käsmu and Altja. The distances make it practical to get around by car or camper, and if you have the opportunity, we would recommend at least a full day – preferably two or more.

Jägala waterfall – on the way to Lahemaa

On our way from Tallinn to Lahemaa, we stopped at Jägala Falls, which is located 35 kilometers from the capital. This waterfall is the widest in Estonia, with a drop of 8 meters and a width of 70 meters at its widest. In spring and autumn, there is the most water here, and now in summer the falls were a little less wide. It was nice anyway!

Overnight stay at Valkla beach

We decided to check into a camping and holiday resort at Valkla beach, called Valkla Rand. This place is wonderfully located on a long sandy beach, and it is probably popular here when the weather is nice. There is a restaurant, beach bar and canoe and stand up paddleboard rentals. Motorhomes were welcome when we were here, although the focus seems to be on cottage accommodation.

Arriving at Lahemaa National Park

The next day it was time to roll to Lahemaa National Park in Estonia, or Lahemaa Rahvuspark, as the park is called in Estonian. The park is known for its beautiful nature with hiking trails on wooden footbridges, but also for its beautiful old mansions.

Viru high bog – popular hike in Lahemaa

One of the most famous natural areas in Lahemaa is Viru raised bog (Viru raba), where a hiking trail leads through the bog landscape, partly on wooden trestles. There is also an observation tower.

We had planned to hike here ourselves, but when we arrived in Lahemaa it was raining heavily and we changed our plans. Therefore, Viru Bog is still on our list for our next visit.

Kolga mõis - Kolga manor house

We saw Kolga mõis, the Kolga mansion, by chance while driving along the road. We stopped to check out the cool house, and it was a much more interesting visit than we had expected.

We stepped into the open house and were greeted by a grand, but very run-down entrance. We read some signs and it turned out that the house once belonged to a Swedish family, the Stenbock family. A woman came by, and when we asked her about the house, she asked us to follow her to the museum in the neighbouring building.

Wow, so interesting! The museum tells the story of the Swedish Stenbock family, who left the country in 1937 and were not allowed to return until the 1990s. Some of their belongings are here, although most of them have been moved to museums in Poznan, Poland. The museum also tells a lot about life in Estonia in the past. For example, sewing machines were expensive but essential items that could help a family survive during difficult times.

Our guide showed us some interesting objects in the museum. For example, do you know what the gadget in the photo below is? It's a manikin you use to take off your shoes. In the photo below, she shows the Stenbock family's shopping list.

”"Don't forget to buy some for home," it says, and underneath you can tick products like soap, bread or coal and firewood. Most visitors here probably can't read the sign, so it's fun to come here as a Swede!

Palmse mõis - Palmse manor house

We set the GPS to a more famous and well renovated mansion called Palmse. This mansion is beautifully situated, surrounded by water, gardens and gazebos.

The site has a history that dates back to 1287, and the house you can see today was built between 1782-1785. The buildings were renovated between 1975-1985, which means that today you can walk around in beautifully furnished and decorated rooms. In the basement there is a wine cellar where you can taste or buy both wine and spirits, including several local varieties.

Käsmu - Captain's village

Another place to visit in Lahemaa National Park in Estonia is Käsmu, or Captain's Village as it is also known. Here you can go on a tour in "Viking ships". We also saw many wonderfully charming guesthouses in beautiful wooden houses and a cosy little ACSI-controlled campsite in what looked like a large garden.

Fishing village of Altja in Lahemaa National Park

We also made a visit to the fishing village of Altja. This village was first mentioned in written sources in 1465 and is a typical old fishing village. On the cape of Altja you can see old-fashioned cottages built in the memory of the villagers and there is also the Altja tavern, where you can eat native dishes.

The nature around Altja is green and beautiful. In the sea outside you can see large boulders that were moved here during the ice age.

We stayed in Altja overnight, at a small ”campsite” right next to the restaurant in Altja. There were no signs, so it was a bit unclear what was going on, but after an hour or so a nice girl came and charged us for the night. It was a simple place, but we were in a good position, close to both the sea and the restaurant.

Vergi and Võsu in Lahemaa National Park

The next day we had time to see a little more of the area. We looked into Vergi and out to the beautiful cape at Vergi harbor. We also continued to Võsu, one of the larger towns in Lahemaa, with a long sandy beach, restaurants and other services.

Sagadi mõis - Sagadi manor house

Before leaving Lahemaa National Park in Estonia, we visited another mansion, Sagadi mõis. Here we were very lucky. Apart from the sun shining, we happened to come on the only day of the year when entry is free, and when people come to try on and borrow period clothes for half an hour, which was incredibly popular.

One room was full of beautiful clothes and both children and adults tried them on. Then, of course, they wanted to photograph each other in the beautiful surroundings, both indoors and outdoors. On normal days, it costs €4 to visit the mansion, and there are many beautiful rooms to see.

Our impressions of Lahemaa National Park

We were very impressed with Lahemaa and especially with the variety. Here you can combine nature and hiking with coastal villages, manor houses and exciting history. We traveled through the area by camper, which worked smoothly and made it easy to get between the different attractions.

The weather made us miss the hike at Viru bog, so we also have a good reason to come back!

More to see in the neighbourhood

If you want to continue your adventure in Estonia, there is much more to see and discover. Here you will find more tips and reports:

• Things to do in Tallinn
• Rakvere Fortress
• The cliffs of Ontika
• Things to do in Estonia

Programme "Promoting Estonia as a Tourism Destination" is supported by European Union Regional Development Fund.