Page 126 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

124  EST ONIA REGION B Y REGION

farm buildings, which are
sur rounded by the tranquil
and beautiful forests of the
Võru countryside. The
museum offers plenty of
activities for visitors and special
events are regularly held
throughout the summer, which
focus on the essential aspects
of traditional rural life such as
milking cows, working with
wood and flax and baking
bread. Apart from trying their
The English Gothic Revival exterior of Sangaste Manor hands at authentic farm work,
visitors can also spin yarn, roll
u Sangaste Manor ground floor used to hold grand linen and make rope. One of
Sangaste loss balls and still retains an air of the most inter esting activities
grandeur, while the spacious is learning how Estonian
Road Map D2. Tel 767 9300. @ from dining room, which is criss- farmers used local plants
Tartu, Otepää. Open 10am–4pm daily.
& 8 call in advance. 7 0 - crossed with Tudor-style rafters, and trees to treat ailments.
∑ sangasteloss.com is particularly impressive.
Sangaste is surrounded by a
One of the most attractive 0.8-sq-km (0.3-sq-mile) forest
buildings of its kind in Estonia, park, making it a favourite place
Sangaste Manor was built in for wedding receptions.
the English Gothic Revival style
between 1879 and 1883. It i Mõniste Open-Air
was commis sioned by Count
Friedrich von Berg to prove to Museum
an English aristocrat, whose Mõniste muuseum
daughter he was wooing, that Road Map E2. Kuutsi, Mõniste village.
he was not the “savage from Tel 789 0622. @ from Tartu.
Russia” that the preju diced Open May–Sep: 10am–5pm daily,
nobleman deemed him to be. Oct–Apr: 10am–2pm Mon–Fri. & 8
Sangaste’s striking redbrick ∑ monistemuuseum.ee
façade, crenellated gables and
elegant towers lend it the Established in 1948, Mõniste
appearance of a whim sical Open-Air Museum is the oldest
castle rather than a parochial museum of its kind in the St Mary’s Church, set in lush rolling
manor house. The arched country. It is located in fields, Rõuge
vestibule Dome Hall on the 19th- and early 20th-century
o Rõuge
The Setu People Road Map E2. * 440. @ from
Võru. n Haanja mnt, 785 9312.
Living in the southeast of Estonia, Open May– Sep: 10am–6pm daily.
the Setu people form a distinct ∑ rouge.kovtp.ee
ethnographic group. Unlike the
majority of Estonians, the Setu are The small village of Rõuge
Orthodox, having lived in a region perfectly embodies the languid
that was Christianized by the Russian charm of southeast Estonia
Orthodox Church. They also have and is considered by many
their own unique lang uage, known Estonians to be the most
as Võru-Setu, which differs beautiful village in the country.
considerably from standard Estonian. Situated on the shores of Lake
Traditional Setu folk music is among Rõuge Suurjärv, the deepest in
the most beautiful in Estonia,
although its plaintive polyphonic the country at 38 m (125 ft),
form is strikingly Slavic-sounding. and with the magnificent Valley
The Setu people are also famous for of the Nightingales looming
A Setu woman wearing a traditional their tradi tional costumes and behind it, the village is an
headdress and full-skirted dress handicrafts. The best starting point exceptionally tranquil place.
to explore Setu culture is Obinitsa. There are a series of nature trails
Located at the centre of Setumaa, or “the Land of the Setu”, the through the valley which start
little village celebrates several Setu festivals. behind St Mary’s Church. The
church dates back to 1730 and
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp298–9 and pp318–19

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