Rõuge Valley of Lakes
A chain of seven lakes strung down a steep wooded valley, including the deepest lake in the country - and a nightingale valley that lives up to the name in May.
Rõuge sits in a primeval valley cut by meltwater at the end of the ice age, and seven lakes lie in a line along its floor. Rõuge Suurjärv, the largest, is 38 metres deep - the deepest in Estonia - and the valley sides rise steeply enough on both flanks to feel enclosed, which is rare here.
What you actually see
A narrow green valley with lakes below and forest above, footpaths along the water and up the slopes, and the village of Rõuge strung along the rim. Ööbikuorg, the Nightingale Valley, is the upper section - in May the nightingales sing through the night and the sound fills the whole valley.
There is a suspension bridge across the valley, a bird observation platform, and the remains of an ancient hillfort on one of the spurs.
When to go
- Mid-May to early June - the nightingales, which is what the place is actually known for.
- July and August - swimming in Suurjärv, which is clear and cold.
- Late September - the valley sides turn and the lakes reflect it.
- Winter - the lakes freeze; the paths are steep and icy.
Honest expectations
The valley is small and can be walked end to end in an hour or two. It is a place to sit rather than to cover ground.
The paths up and down the sides are steep and rooty, and there is no way round that if you want the views from the rim.
Nearby
Suur Munamägi is about fifteen minutes east. Võru and Lake Vagula are twenty minutes north, and Piusa caves are within an hour.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.