The epic landscapes of Estonia’s untouched wilderness, require an extra season to explore their wonders.
The fifth season marks the floods of Soomaa, – a word that tranlates as the ‘land of bogs’.
Lose yourself in a slow, immersive journey through there oft wild places, all of which are best explored in a traditional Dugout Boat, built and used in this magical countryside for centuries.
The unique boat is hollowed out from a single tree, usually aspen, with expanded sides and a shallow base.
The rare art of boat-makingis kept alive through a few named master practitioners who transmit their exclusive knowledge through traditional apprenticeships.
Take the time to connect with the locals and admire the craftmanship in their construction. With not a soul in sight but that of the wildlife, paddle to the beat of birdsong whilst trying to catch the wiley and illusive fish.
Visit Estonia.
It’s about time.
Uskumatu lugu – jalutas nädalapäevad tagasi ajakirjanik tänaval, Washingtoni linnas. Möödus Eesti saatkonna hoonest ja silmas seal reklaami, mis rääkis viiendast aastaajast. Loe edasi: https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/18/fifth-season-estonia/
We are very happy to announce that we was awarded with ECST certificate by EUROPARC on 5th of August 2022. Our company – Viis aastaaega OÜ – has been recognised and assessed for our sustainability practices by Nordic-Baltic Section, as a local business located in a Soomaa national park.
The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas
Expanding dugout boat with little help of fire. Photo: Toomas Tuul
On 14 December 2021, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage decided to inscribe ”Building and use of expanded dugout boats in the Soomaa region” on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Soomaa’s dugout boat culture thus became Estonia’s fifth inscription under UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the first inscription under the list in need of urgent safeguarding.
Expanded dugout boat in Soomaa is a canoe-like boat, hollowed out from a single tree (usually, aspen), with expanded sides and a shallow base. Building of a dugout boat is an integrated and complex process, beginning with the identification of a suitable tree and culminating with the boat’s launching. The central and visually most distinctive stage of dugout boatbuilding is expanding of the sides. From the interaction of heat and moisture, including fire and water, the dugout boat board is significantly expanded, thus increasing the boat’s volume, maneuverability and carrying capacity. Dugout boats have been exceptionally important for Soomaa residents as they have formed an essential part of everyday culture. Until 1960s, dugout boats were used for daily transport on rivers and fishing. Today, uses of the dugout boat have changed and it is not as indispensable. However, its recreational uses and cultural meaning have preserved – dugout boats occupy important place in the identity of Soomaa community.
According to dugout boat master and nature tourism entrepreneur (Soomaa.com) Aivar Ruukel, dugout boats have a special role in the identity and cultural heritage of the Estonian people and in particular of the Soomaa region’s community. “Dugout boats represent our roots, history and identity. In today’s cultural space it is especially remarkable that one element of Soomaa region’s distinctive heritage has made it into the UNESCO list. The UNESCO inscription is also a major recognition of today’s five dugout boat masters who carry forward the centuries-old cultural heritage of Soomaa’s past dugout boat builders.”
In practical terms, the inscription of Soomaa’s dugout boat culture in the UNESCO list in need of urgent safeguarding will mean that Soomaa’s dugout boat culture will be protected in line with a multi-year safeguarding plan that will, among else, aim to train next generation of highly skilled dugout boat masters and ensuring intergenerational continuity of this tradition. Another key objective of the safeguarding plan is to revitalise current uses of dugout boats and create novel sustainable uses that will help keep this ancient tradition alive but also evolving.
In the words of Oliver Loode (URALIC Centre), member of the UNESCO application project team led by the Estonian Dugout Boat Society, the inscription of Soomaa’s dugout boat culture in UNESCO’s ICH list may also be of interest to other Finno-Ugric peoples and indigenous peoples worldwide. “Soomaa’s dugout boat culture shares much in common with dugout boat heritage among Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia and indigenous peoples worldwide, including in the USA and Canada. We hope that the example of Soomaa’s dugout boat culture will stimulate discussions on whether these states, too, should ratify the ICH Convention so that the dugout boat heritage in these states could enjoy similar levels of protection like as of today in Estonia”.
Contact:
Aivar Ruukel
+3725061896
aivar@soomaa.com
Canoe trip on flooded meadows. 16. of October 2019
Flood is called Fifth Season by local village people of Soomaa National Park as floods occur here every year, and can overlap with all usual four seasons. This year the autumn flood arrived same times as all the trees are have turned to yellow and orange and red.
Canoe season on the fooded meadows of Halliste river has started. There are regular guided canoeing trips organized and a canoe rental service every day during the flood period. If you are interested, please write us info@soomaa.com or call +3725061896 (Aivar) / +3725147572 (Algis)
You ask: Do the guides speak some English? (Unfortunately, that’s our only language.)
We answer: Yes! We speak English and our regular guided tours are lead in English by our guides. Private tours are also available in German, French, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Finnish, Lithuanian.
Our guides speak some English.
Alustame pühapäeval 17. veebruaril kanuusõitude hooajaga Tõramaa luhal. Jõed on jääs, sõita saab ujutatud heinamaal. Kuna ujutus on suhteliselt madal siis hea mõte on jalga panna kummikud. Osalemistasu on 20 eur inimene. Kokkusaamiskoht on Tõramaa luha vaatetorn: http://bit.ly/2iO57lv Eelnevalt vaja registreerida emailil info@soomaa.com või helistades kas Algisele 5147572 või Aivarile 5061896
Kanuumatkade hooaeg algab!
Season: July-October
Duration: 3-4 hours
Price: 60€ per person if minimum 2 people*
What is included: Guiding and a light mushroom meal
Groups: Discount for groups is available on request
Meeting: 10am or other time as agreed
Location: Soomaa Holiday Village or other place as agreed
About: We are going to follow a local Soomaa tour guide to mushroom forests familiar to them in order to learn about various edible and inedible mushrooms.
At the end of the trip, we will use the mushrooms we have gathered for preparing a delicious mushroom meal. Estonians love mushrooming and gathering mushrooms for winter. We will explore different ways to preserve mushrooms, such as drying, pickling, salting and marinating.
Season for mushroom hunting starts from July with chanterelles, and ends in October when nights get chilly. Mushroom trips are also suitable for families with children.
Information and reservation on the phone Aivar +3725061896 (Whatsapp) or Algis +3725147572 or by email info@soomaa.com
*If you are a single traveller you are welcome to join some of our scheduled trips.
Season: July – October
Duration: 3-4 hours
Price: 60 EUR per person if minimum 2 people*
What is included: Guiding and a light mushroom meal
Groups: Discount for groups is available on request
Meeting: 10am or other time as agreed
Location: Soomaa Holiday Village or other place as agreed
About:
We are going to follow a local Soomaa tour guide to mushroom forests familiar to them in order to learn about various edible and inedible mushrooms.
At the end of the trip, we will use the mushrooms we have gathered for preparing a delicious mushroom meal. Estonians love mushrooming and gathering mushrooms for winter. We will explore different ways to preserve mushrooms, such as drying, pickling, salting and marinating.
Season for mushroom hunting starts from July with chanterelles, and ends in October when nights get chilly. Mushroom trips are also suitable for families with children.
Information and reservation on the phone Aivar +3725061896 (Whatsapp) or Algis +3725147572 or by email info@soomaa.com
*If you are a single traveller you are welcome to join some of our scheduled trips.
On November 14, Estonian Ministry of Culture expressed support for the proposal by the Estonian Dugout Canoe Society (MTÜ Eesti Haabjaselts) and URALIC Centre for Indigenous Peoples (MTÜ Põlisrahvaste arengu keskus) to nominate the dugout building tradition of Soomaa region into the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. As a next step, the Ministry of Culture suggested to begin preparation of the application.
This marks beginning of the next stage of the initiative “Soomaa dugout canoe to UNESCO!” to which the Estonian National Commission for UNESCO, Estonian Folk Culture Centre, additional experts and partners will be engaged.
Estonian dugout canoes on the river
As a reminder, the Estonian Dugout Canoe Society and URALIC Centre for Indigenous Peoples submitted a joint letter to Mr. Indrek Saar, Estonia’s Minister of Culture, on October 10 with a request to support the nomination of Soomaa dugout canoe building tradition into the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, due to the significance of dugout canoe building skills in the intangible cultural heritage of Soomaa and the entire Pärnu river basin.
Another reason for taking the dugout canoe tradition to UNESCO is the key role of one-log boats in the intangible cultural heritage of many Finno-Ugric peoples. Hence, the recognition of Soomaa dugout canoe building tradition by UNESCO would also help valorize and preserve the tradition of one-log boats among Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia.
Initiators expect to reach an important milestone – for example, submission of the nomination by Estonia to UNESCO – by 2010 when the 8th World Congress of Finno-Ugric peoples will be held in Tartu, Estonia. On that occasion, the first ever procession of Finno-Ugric dugout canoes will take place on the Emajõgi river.
