What to do and see in Harju County, Harju County: The Best Nature & Wildlife Areas

Kostivere limestone karst area, where the Joelahtme River flows under the ground, is one of the largest in Estonia – 2.9 km in length and 0.5 km in width and very rich in different interesting karst formations. It is possible to find a lot of little karst caves here. The most frequent formations that can be found here are niches and hollowed-out parts of the riverbank, which represent transitional karst formations between the surface and underground. The most extensive of these are located in the middle part of the karst area. Karst caves also include hollows under natural bridges. There are four caves in Kostivere karst area. The largest of them is Karjakelder, which is 6 m in length, up to 4 m in width and 2.5 m in height.

Within just a 15-minute drive from the center of Tallinn there is a delightful place – the Estonian Open Air Museum that invites you to see rural architecture and get acquainted with village life. The 14 farms of the museum show the visitor the life of families of different income and occupation in the 18th-20th centuries. As in anyreal village, there is a church, an inn, a school, a number of mills, a fire station, a village shop and net sheds by the sea. Although 74 buildings have been brought over so far, the museum is far from being completed; it is constantly changing and developing. You can have good time and also learn something at the Estonian Open Air Museum in any season!

The total area of the Reserve is 54 ha, of which 26 ha is located in the special management zone and 28 ha in the limited management zone.Alema Nature Reserve is unique in Estonia and it has been established particularly for the conservation of orchids. It is known that in total 18 species of orchids grow in Alema, i.e. one-half of the species of the orchid family growing in Estonia. It is also possible to find interesting and rare forms of orchids there. Insectivorous plants represented here include: common butterwort, sundews and bladderwort.There is a hiking trail on a boardwalk in the Reserve.