Description
Route:
Pae – Hõreda – Helda – Juuru – Vankse – Härgla – Kalda – Pirgu – Järlepa crossroad – Jaluse – Mahtra – Atla – Kuimetsa (Iida)
Length of the route – km: 50 km
Suggested type of transport: car, bus, bicycle
Suggested time for visit: Spring, Summer, Autumn
Length of the route- hours: 4,5 – 10 hours (by car or bus), 6 – 11,5 hours (bicycle)
The tourism route introduces some of the natural sites of Juuru parish that have been given a special meaning by people who lived in the past. Some of them are natural sacred sites (Juuru oaks, Iida cavern), one is connected to a mythical being (Pae karst area), one is a place for healing and practicing witchcraft (Järlepa crossroad) and one is a cup-marked stone.
The tourism route is especially suitable for visitors who wish to get acquainted with the local nature and the non-material heritage of indigenous Estonians in the landscape. Respect, awareness and willingness to concentrate are the key words to be able to experience the special power of these sites.
The tourism route and its surroundings give a wonderful opportunity to visit various cup-marked stones. In the database there are 30 cupmarked stones that were mapped in the Juuru region in the course of the project “The Ancient Cult Sites for Common Identity on the Baltic Sea Coast”.
The visitor should consider weather conditions and be ready to take shorter or longer hikes in nature to get acquainted with the sites. Mahtra Peasantry Museum gives and insight into the history of the region. There are several possibilities to eat and stay for the night in the nearby town Rapla.
