Estonia is beautiful in the summer. With sunshine for a good 20 hours and short, inky blue nights, it’s no wonder that Estonians leave Tallinn for several weeks and almost every weekend to decamp to the countryside or islands. I did it a couple of times this summer: Võru, Vormsi, Hiiumaa and Muhu. This post is about my trips to the Võru area.

Võrumaa (Võru county) is located in southeast Estonia. Its gently rolling hills offer a nice contrast to the flatness of the north. I climbed up the country’s tallest “mountain” Suur Munamägi (translated it means big egg mountain) which stands at a whooping 318meters, went hunting for yellow National Georgraphic borders scattered throughout the south, visited the Piusa Sand Caves, strolled its lake shores, and traveled down the Onion trail and learned a little about Seto culture.

If 318 meters doesn’t sound too tall or imposing, it’s because it’s not. It took me all of 10 minutes to walk up the trail to the top. I quickly changed gears and decided to look for these frames. There were some that were easy to find and others that I drove down dirt roads and never spied. Still, what I did get was beautiful glimpses of the countryside. I drove past this ruin and had to stop. There was a wedding going on with that as a backdrop and people sitting on lace-topped bales of hay.

But what I enjoyed most was seeing “The Forest Library.” You may have read about it in the papers, since it made international news. Three giant megaphones in the forest that amplify the sounds of nature.

I don’t think it really amplified the sound the forest, but it was fun to sit inside and listen, relax and enjoy the sound of the rustling leaves.