Kotka hiking trail (6,7km)

Kotka hiking trail introduces the fen and the transition mire and sandy eskers. Its sights include the high wooded sandy eskers, which developed when Lake Peipus receded, and the mystic bog islands in Rüütli bog, which developed from the sediments accumulated at the end of the Ice Age.

In Alutaguse National Park, this one-way trail of 6.7 km (13 km there and back) shows the sudden change from high, forested sand ridges to open wetland. The ridges formed as Lake Peipus retreated after the Ice Age, while out in Rüütli bog lie mysterious bog islands built from late-glacial sediments, a bog pool and a spot known as the 'money pit'. A tower on the upland gives a view over the mire. Check conditions first: the Rüütli boardwalk is sometimes flooded and passable only in tall rubber boots. Two forest huts and a conical tent offer shelter.