Pääsküla bog, Tallinn. No need for Susanin here!

Tell me, what comes to mind when most people hear the word “swamp”, especially if they have never seen it in their lives and know only from movies and fairy tales about this type of landscape?

I was sure it was something completely bleak. However, how could one come to Estonia and not visit the bogs? It took a long time to convince my companion that it would be interesting there, and yet we planned a trip to Pääsküla bog.

Pääsküla bog, Tallinn. No need for Susanin here!

Оглавлениение

My impressions

The choice fell on it due to its extremely convenient location – in the city limits, which means that it was possible to get there by city bus, using a bus pass.

From the bus stop to the beginning of the protected area is a short walk: 800 meters, no more. However, once you pass this insignificant distance, you immediately find yourself as if in a fairy tale! Surrounded by century-old trees, you follow narrow paths into the thicket and start to breathe fully.

The beginning of the study trail at Pääskklüla bog in Tallinn

The fact is that this territory is the largest of all the green areas existing in Tallinn. It is worth being sincere with myself and you, my beloved readers: it is not quite even a swamp. The Pääsküla territory is almost completely dried up and 90% forested^[1]. But this is only a plus for us, because wandering through the swamps is not the most interesting thing to do, but to enjoy the nature that surrounds each visitor here is an inexpressible feeling, especially for those who live in a city of ecological disaster.

In addition to the large amount of vegetation (over 300 species), it is also home to over 140 species of birds, many insects and a variety of butterflies.

Shield showing the species of butterflies that live in the area — Shields describing the species of inhabitants of the area can occasionally be spotted

It is very easy to get around regardless of your age. There is a special wooden path where the educational trail runs, and bridges over streams and remnants of wetlands. Everything is done to enjoy the surrounding nature and not to think about such trifles as soiled shoes or difficult terrain.

The road is paved with wooden planks and the walk is nothing but a pleasure!

That said, you should realize that if you’re inquisitive, you’ll go off the road and into the thicket to get a closer look at a complex root system or a cute mushroom growing off to the side.

Various mushrooms also grow in the swamp, however I am not sure if they can be harvested here. — I climbed into the mud for that mushroom. Just to look at it. What a child of the urban jungle.

By the way, picking berries and mushrooms here is allowed according to the rules, but an exception is made for places near bridges and trails so that other tourists can admire them.

One of the most interesting locations is the ten-meter ^[2] observation tower in the center of the reserve. The view from it is amazing, with only treetops around for miles in the distance!

If you get tired of walking off the beaten path, you can get off at the part where the swamp ends and walk through the forest (mostly coniferous).

Here the trees bend whimsically as if in a dance. It reminded me of the coniferous part of Khortytsa Island in Ukraine. By the way, I have not been able to find the real cause of this defect in the literature ^[3], so if anyone knows and can tell me in the comments, I will be extremely grateful. Although there is probably still no accurate data on this issue.

The trees seem to dance, so much so that sometimes it’s creepy!

But you should step to the left or right where the swampy terrain is still evident and be careful where you step. Even better – take a stick to assess the strength of the ground and do not go on such routes on your own.

Once off the trail you need to be extremely careful

The river of the same name flows here, which gave its name to the swamp and the entire neighborhood ^[4].

The river that gave names to the area and the reserve

Walking through this swamp I personally enjoyed it very much. It’s quiet, peaceful. The soul rests! And the air is so clean that it is intoxicating.

I will definitely come back here next time and now I want to bike to cover more distance and see even more.

A small bridge over a river in Pääsküla Nature Reserve — Everything is done here for the convenience of tourists

Tourist information

About Pääskylä Nature Reserve

Certain rules apply within the Pääsküla Nature Reserve, including:

It is forbidden to set up tents and build open fires;
to leave trash;
pick berries and mushrooms along trails and bridges;
Bicycles may only be ridden on paved trails and roads (including wooden roads).

If you are planning to go only on the educational, marked trail – you can take only a phone with GPS for navigation as a last resort. If you plan to go off the trail – good navigation and a compass are a must. Although the terrain is in the city, it is quite vast and some areas of it can be dangerous.

Walking along the study trail in the Pääsküla bog — This corner of nature is definitely worth a visit. At any time of the year!

Admission is free and is open 24 hours a day.

How to get there

The study trail starts at the coordinates 59.370786, 24.682662. You can get here by public and commuter transportation, buses #14, 18, 18A, 30, 119, 191, 256. Hiiu stop.

Alternatively, if you also want to visit the coniferous forest and you don’t want to follow the study trail, you can get back out from the other side (59.340637, 24.679896). From here, buses #117, 117A and 206 from Männiku jaam stop in the city.

You can also take the R21 and R22 trains to the Männiku stop.