What is bog walking?
Bog walking in Estonia
Lonely Planet has listed bog walking as one of the best activities in Estonia.
You can go bog walking in Estonia all year round—like nature changes its colours, bogs also alter their colours in different seasons! Deciding upon the best time of year for visiting is matter of taste; some say it’s autumn because the land offers up a palette of reds, browns and yellows, and the water has not frozen over yet, as it does in winter.
Bog walking in Estonia is possible with the help of wooden boardwalks or proper bog shoes. It’s something you have to experience when visiting Estonia. You also have to be ready for meeting some annoying mosquitos when visiting bogs in the summer. Bringing an extra pair of socks would be a good idea if you don’t have waterproof clothing.
Bog walking with bog shoes is maybe a little bit more exciting and wild than using the comfortable boardwalks. Bog walking with bog shoes is like keeping balance while walking on pudding or on top of a sponge. Still, it is not very difficult, older people can handle this as well.
There are lookout towers at the end or middle of the boardwalks in most of the bogs. Views from the towers are breath-taking, especially at sunrise.
Every www.estonianwildlifetours.com tour includes at least one stop or sometimes even more in those bogs.
Rare plants, birds, and animals like wolves love to live in those areas. The bog areas are massive and uninhabited.
Bogs and mires cover one fifth of the mainland area of Estonia. We rank third in the world for the abundance of natural mires after Finland and Canada.
The process of paludification began after the Baltic ice lake receded about 10,000 years ago, and bog expansion continues to the present day.
A quarter of Estonia’s plants grow only in mires, there are many relict species from the Ice Age among them.
In the autumn, Estonians often go to bogs to pick wild cranberries, which are made into jam for the winter.
Estonian bogs have an up to 17 meters thick peat layer.
In order to disturb the nature as little as possible, go bog walking in Estonia with a friendly guide. If you need a guide or bog shoes, contact us.
