I’d like to share with you the story and spirit of Uuejärve Matkapesa—my home, my passion, and the place I’ve shaped into a hikers’ paradise.

From the moment I first arrived here, regulating beaver dams to protect the local health trails from flooding, I felt an instant connection. Standing on a gentle ridge, looking out over a mosaic of pine forests, künka­dikes, and shimmering bog lakes, I knew this was the sanctuary I’d dreamed of during seven busy years in the city.

A Village Inn Turned Wilderness Haven

Uuejärve Talu was first mentioned in 1798 as “Uusjerwe,” a humble roadside tavern in Rekka village, welcoming weary travelers along the old Ambla parish routes. In the years between 1932 and 1944, it gained new life as part of Estonia’s silver-fox breeding society, caring for well over four hundred animals. By 1935, guidebooks for foot-tour enthusiasts were already pointing adventurers toward these same winding trails and the hearty hospitality of Uuejärve.

Nature in the Heart of Natura 2000

Today, my twenty-hectare estate lies fully within the North-Kõrvemaa Natura 2000 network. Ancient pine stands, rolling post-glacial ridges, and more than a dozen surrounding bogs host protected species—from black woodpeckers and hazel grouse overhead to pasqueflowers and lesser butterfly orchids beneath your feet. A six-kilometer loop of the Uuejärve Nature Trail starts right beside my front door, offering barefoot strolls in summer, cross-country skiing in winter, and endless discovery in between.

My Journey Here

Before finding Uuejärve, I spent years in marketing for a manufacturing company. Eventually, I realized my true calling lay elsewhere: I took the helm at Sportland Kõrvemaa Matka- ja Suusakeskus, developing family-friendly hiking camps and guided nature programs that sparked young hearts to love the outdoors. In recognition of these efforts, I was honoured as Estonia’s “Hiker of the Year.” Yet every summit and every campfire only made me long more for a place I could call home.

When I first stepped onto the farmstead, regulating those beaver dams, I felt I’d come full circle. Eleven years later, and after four years of working freelance to transform this land, I’ve created:

• A cosy homestay in a lovingly restored 1932 log house with four guest rooms for up to eleven people.

• A wood-fired sauna and a riverside grill terrace where evenings fill with laughter, local flavours, and shared stories.

• A dedicated tenting area for walking-tour groups, tucked beneath the whispering pines.

• A flower garden that provides the perfect backdrop for small gatherings, workshops, and celebrations of all kinds.

Traditions and Adventures

Every day here unfolds in harmony with nature’s rhythm. In summer, I lead guided hikes and wild-food foraging trips; guests cool off with a swim in a bog lake. In winter, our fields and frozen wetlands become natural skiing, snowshoe and ice skating rinks, unique cross-country skiing and kicksledg trails. Evenings bring us all together around the campfire for home self-made meals, songs, and the time-honoured sauna ritual that soothes both body and soul.

I invite you to step barefoot from the doorstep onto the soft forest floor, to follow winding trails through pines and mires, and to become part of Uuejärve’s living story. I’ve poured my heart into preserving its history and protecting its wild beauty—now it’s your turn to make memories here. I look forward to welcoming you here.