Guided Outdoor Tours Through Estonian History

Historical Adventures with a Twist – Outdoors, in the Heart of Nature

Mustjõe guided tour

In the past, Mustjõe Tavern could only be visited during the winter months when the surrounding marshes and bogs were frozen. Today, guests are welcome year-round.

During the tour, you will hear and see the story of a forest farm through different eras of governance and refresh your knowledge of Estonian history.

History you can touch with your own hands

The most fascinating part of the tour is the ancient threshing-dwelling, the heart of a traditional Estonian farmstead, where both living and utility spaces were once gathered under one roof.

Look more…

Tour duration: 2-2,5 hours

“Sammasait”, threshing-dwelling, forest brother bunker, wooden tepee dwelling…

Unexpected tricks

Price: 200€ up to 10 participants

Also available:

Package with local supper…

Package with smoke sauna…

A short tour in the heart of the estate

Discover the story of Mustjõe through the ages and explore the buildings in the yard. Learn why the smoke sauna is so characteristic to us, why there’s a wooden tepee in our yard, where rituals took place, and where turnips grow. And if you’re lucky, you might even meet the kratt!

Tour duration: 45-60 min

Smoke sauna, wooden tepee, storages, other houses…

Price: 50€ up to 10 participants

Threshing-dwelling tour

The threshing barn is a truly Estonian feature, significantly different from those of our neighbors and uniquely ours. The origins of the threshing barn date back thousands of years to the smoke room with a stone stove, which gradually evolved into the Estonian dwelling and remained the heart of Estonian farms until the early 20th century. It was here that grain was dried and threshed, livestock was kept, most of the farm’s tools were made, and life took place. This house, with its awe-inspiring size, was among the largest rural dwellings in Europe

Tour duration: 1 hour
Up to 30 people can participate:
Price: 120€ up tp 10 participants
Additionally, you can order a drink break with traditional barley bread and tea or mulled wine

You can step inside the ancient threshing-dwelling and experience life from the past firsthand. In the threshing room, you’ll learn how light was made when there was no electricity and candles were too expensive, and you’ll see just how large the threshing stove is. Since the threshing-dwelling didn’t have a chimney, it’s fascinating to see where the smoke goes.

Iron was very valuable – how were houses built and doors made to work without using any metal?

How warm were the chambers? And could a horse fit in the house?

Vaata Rehielamu filmi

Description of the Mustjõe guided tour

The guide will greet you in the farmyard and provide a brief overview of the farm’s older history. Among the buildings in the yard, you’ll find the barn for ritual walking, a storage building, and the smoke sauna.

As you stroll through the farm’s park, you’ll learn how Estonia’s centuries-old fields became overgrown with bushes during the Russian occupation. Along the way, you’ll encounter the Mustjõgi River. Part of the trail follows the ancient farm road, which was in use half a millennium before us.

Those who know how to will be able to enter the house on legs. Here, food reserves were safely stored – rodents and hungry wild animals couldn’t get to it so easily. Crossing the narrow footbridge over the river, you’ll feel proud of your strong nerves and ability to balance.

The ancient wooden tepee, located in a shady spruce grove, represents the old dwellings of Finno-Ugric peoples. As you enter the hut, you’ll be greeted by a stone threshold, beyond which you cannot step without the permission of the household. In the middle of the hut is a large hearth, and behind it, in the dim light, awaits the sacrificial stone.

On the banks of Mustjõgi, after World War II, was the bunker of a “forest brother.” His name was Juhan. He was proud that he was not a citizen of “this country” and didn’t have a Soviet passport. He was not even registered. Juhan passed away only in 1978. No one could catch him, because no one knew how to look for him.

You’ll also see horse-drawn farming tools that were once in use.