Orienteering in Northern Korvemaa, Estonia is a once in a lifetime experience. It is a great way to experience the natural wonders of a new place while engaging in a mind and body activity. Not only is Northern Korvemaa a nature reserve but at one time it was a prohibited area during the Soviet period. If you are fascinated by wild forests, wildlife, and challenging geographical terrain, orienteering in Northern Korvemaa, Estonia is an adventure that awaits you!
What can you expect while orienteering in Northern Korvemaa, Estonia? According to Travel Tipsor, an orienteer can expect the following:
Flora and Fauna
Northern Korvemaa is filled with endangered and rare species. It houses some of the world’s rarest predators such as the Brown Bear, Eurasian Lynx, and the Gray Wolf. This region is also home to protected bird species such as the Golden Eagle, Common Crane, and Black Stork. The Northern Korvemaa nature reserve is also a habitat for the world’s most elegant flower, the orchid. There are at least nineteen species of this flower in this region alone. Rare plants such as the Sparganium angustifolium and Oxytropissordida can only be found in Estonia. Apart from lakes, some of the biggest bogs can also be found here. As you trudge along your course, imagine encountering some of these flora or fauna species?
Nature
The landscape of Northern Korvemaa took form at the end of the Ice Age, with the retreat of the glacier, 12,000 years before. As a result, Estonia has a glacial landscape. The nature reserve has characteristic glaciolacustrine plains which are covered by marshes and bogs. Forests cover nearly 40% of this region’s landscape, with only 10% manmade areas. This region is also filled with ice marginal structures. The most extraordinary form of these are eskers which can be as high as 25m. There are over thirty lakes in this area, situated in bogs in between kames. Jussi Lakes is one example and consists of 6 lakes. Apart from lakes, three of the largest bogs are also situated here, which spread out to nearly half of the area. Don’t be surprised if you have to canoe across some of these areas to cover your distance!
Recreation
The Northern Korvemaa region of Estonia is one of the most frequented areas of the country. It is located within reach of the country’s capital city Tallinn. This area has numerous hiking trails, the longest of which is 36 km called the Liiapeksi-Aegviidu Trail. Camping, mushroom and berry picking are some of the other most popular activities.
Don’t forget! To thoroughly enjoy and appreciate your orienteering experience, you need to be appropriately dressed, with a good compass, map, and sunglasses. Be sure to bring along your camera as well, for you will surely come across sites never before seen elsewhere, such as glaciers and rare species of flora. Considering how the landscape in Northern Korvemaa is naturally inclined towards orienteering, imagine what kind of adventure waits for you there!
