Põlva County — Sandstone Cliffs & Deep Forest

The most dramatic riverbank scenery in Estonia — towering red sandstone cliffs up to 24 metres tall, carved by the Ahja River over millennia. The lower cliff face is etched with centuries of carved inscriptions from travellers and scholars who came to marvel at it. The setting is almost otherworldly: dark pines above, red rock faces dropping to clear river water below. The Suur Taevaskoda (Great Hall of the Sky) is the main viewpoint; a 3 km trail links it to Väike Taevaskoda (Small Hall) through riverside forest.

The Ahja River has carved a remarkably beautiful canyon through the Devonian sandstone of south-east Estonia — a protected landscape of meandering river bends, red cliff walls, and dense forest. The 10-kilometre riverside trail between Taevaskoja and Põlva is one of the finest hiking routes in south Estonia, passing through ancient flood-plain forest and below several small cliff faces before reaching the town.

Põlva is the quiet county seat — a small Estonian market town with a handsome Lutheran church, traditional wooden houses, and the Maasuvilad open-air resort by Lake Põlva. The lake beach is one of south Estonia's best inland swimming spots: clean sand, calm water, and a pleasant summer café. The local agricultural show held in August is one of the last traditional rural fairs in Estonia.

A prehistoric hill fort rising above Lake Kiidjärv — one of the most atmospherically sited ancient fortifications in south Estonia. The earthwork ramparts are overgrown with pine and spruce, and the view from the top across the lake and the surrounding forest is completely unspoilt. The lake itself is excellent for swimming and kayaking in summer.

A field of meteor impact craters hidden in dense south Estonian forest — the largest crater, Põrguhaud (Hell's Grave), is 80 metres wide and 12 metres deep, now filled with dark still water. The smaller Inimesehaud (Man's Grave) crater has a similarly mysterious atmosphere. An easy 1.5 km loop trail connects both craters through old-growth forest; the site receives relatively few visitors and has an eerie, primeval quality.

South-east Estonia has a landscape unlike the rest of the country — a gently rolling terrain of ancient post-glacial sand dunes now covered in mixed forest, with small rivers winding through the hollows. The Leevijõe river valley near the Russian border is barely visited and has a haunting quality: the forest is old, the roads are empty, and the villages are small and traditional.

The most dramatically ruined castle in south Estonia — a 14th-century Livonian Order fortress atop a hill above the Võhandu River, crumbled into spectacular red-brick fragments with walls and towers still standing to height. The site is freely accessible, has no entrance fee, and offers superb views across the rolling south Estonian landscape. Combine with the Ilumetsa craters for a full day in the far south-east.