Soomaa National Park is located in south-west Estonia. Soomaa translates as "country of bogs". The park was established in 1993 to protect bogs, flowering meadows, forests and rivers. The area of Soomaa National Park is 390 square kilometres and is the second largest after Laahemaa.
Most of the park's territory is covered by bog complexes, which sometimes Pärnu River tributaries. In Soomaa there is the largest swamp in terms of territory - Kuresoo or “crane swamp”, where there are really a lot of these birds. Cranes roam freely in pairs in the marsh and often and can often let people get quite close to them. Bogs of the National Park Soomaa are known for a large number of rare species of wild orchids.
The eastern part of Soomaa has the highest dunes in Estonia. In addition, what makes the park an interesting phenomenon is the so-called "fifth season". This is spring floods, during which the water level in the park's reservoirs rises by up to 5 metres. The floods take over almost the entire park area, even some houses are affected by the large influx of "spring water". On average, the area of the overflow varies between 7 and 8 kilometres. However, this phenomenon can also be used benefits. For example, such kind of tourism and recreation as canoeing and kayaking becomes possible. Only in the Soomaa National Park have the original Estonian boats - haabab boats - been preserved. Only in Soomaa National Park are the original Estonian boats, the Haabja, used for fishing and hunting in ancient times.
In addition to canoe tours in the park, there are also many hiking trails. There are several equipped trails within the park, of varying lengths, as well as campfire sites. In the centre of the park in Kõrtsi-Tõramaa, there is a visitor centre where you can get detailed information about hiking trails and local services.
Cases of total flooding are extremely rare, so many wildlife species have found a home here. These include bears, wild boars, lynx, deer, moose, wolves and beavers. Among the rare bird species that can be found in the marshes, are the golden eagle, grouse, black grouse, black stork. In total, there are about 160 species of birds. Among the inhabitants of the rivers, the most common are pike, roach, bream, bleak, perch.
A great value of the National Park are the small ponds of a regular rounded shape, which are found among the swamps. These ponds, filled with cold and frequent water, are only not more than two metres in diameter, and in them it is possible to bathe in them.
In 1997, Soomaa Park was included in the Ramsar List. In 1998 Soomaa became nominated for inscription on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List.
