Valgamaa Travel Guide

One of Europe's most unusual border towns — a single urban area divided between two countries and two languages, Estonia and Latvia, that was cut in two when the independent states were first drawn in 1920. Walking across the old border crossing in the town centre takes seconds. The joint Valga–Valka museum tells the history of a community that found itself in two countries overnight.

Estonia's winter sports capital — a compact hill resort with a dozen downhill runs and an extensive network of cross-country ski trails through birch and pine forest. In summer the same hills offer mountain biking and the surrounding lake district turns into a walking and swimming destination. The Otepää pühajärv (Sacred Lake) below the old church hill is one of the most scenic settings in south Estonia.

Estonia's most sacred lake — a beautiful stretch of water below Otepää church hill, ringed by pine forest and summer cottages. The lake has been a place of folk religious significance for centuries. In summer it is ideal for swimming, rowing, and kayaking; the reflection of the forested hills in the still morning water is one of the most photographed scenes in south Estonia.

A compact south Estonian town on the Õhne river with a restored 19th-century watermill that is still operational and open to visitors. The surrounding river valley is gentle and pastoral — hayfields, wooden farmsteads, and old orchards along the water. The local café in the mill building serves traditional food and is one of the most charming rural lunch stops in Valgamaa.

A restored 19th-century classicist manor in a park of ancient oaks and limes — one of the finest manor estates in Valgamaa. The manor complex includes a guesthouse, stables, and outbuildings arranged around a courtyard. The surrounding parkland on the edge of Otepää's lake country is exceptionally beautiful in autumn when the oaks turn gold.

The highest plateau in Estonia — a rolling upland of oak forest, ancient farmsteads, and panoramic viewpoints that stretch 100 km to the south on clear days. The plateau sits between Valgamaa and Võrumaa and is shared with Suur Munamägi, Estonia's highest point. The Haanja countryside in autumn — gold oak forest, red rowan berries, mist in the valleys — is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Baltics.