National Parks of Estonia

There are 5 national parks in Estonia.

Karula National Park is Estonian’s smallest and it was recognised as a national park in 1993.  The landscape of the Karula uplands, formed thousands of years ago by continental glacial activity, is noted for its rich diversity; marshes, swamp-forests, small lakes, streams, meadows and floret-covered knolls and hills.

Lahemaa National Park, founded in 1971, is the oldest one in Estonia. The area has high landscape diversity. The wide northeast-southwest directional forest zone splitting Estonia into two major landscape regions arrives at the sea in Lahemaa. The coastline is very curvilinear with peninsulas switching over to bays.

Matsalu National Park – The Matsalu Bay area is one of the most famous bird sites in Europe. The territory and aquatory of the national park comprises a bit less than 500 km2 that includes Matsalu Bay and the delta area of the Kasari River together with surrounding flooded meadows, coastal meadows, reed beds and forests as well as the islet-rich section of the Vainameri Sea adjoining Matsalu Bay

Soomaa National Park

Vilsandi National Park  in the northwestern part of Saaremaa Island comprises the area of the island’s western coast, more than one hundred islands and islets and the surrounding sea area. The only islet with human settlement is Vilsandi Island. The visiting centre of the national park is located in the Loona manor. Already in 1910 the small Vaika Islets were designated as a nature reserve to protect the sea birds.