Sooma National Park in Estonia

Soomaa’s residents - all 100 of them in the 400km-2 area - say that this land has five seasons, not four. To cope with the fifth, a season of severe spring floods, Soomaa’s earliest inhabitants made long canoes of single logs. The craft of carving these canoes (haabjad) is known by but a few elderly men in Soomaa today, but workshops are held occasionally to initiate the curious. Appropriately called Land of Wetlands, Soomaa is not always traversable by the usual, drier routes and residents often use the areas many rivers as regular thoroughfares. This is also the ideal habitat for rare animals like the flying squirrel, brown bear and black stork. To arrange guided excursions and canoe trips, contact Aivar Ruukel, Saarisoo Farm, Jõesuu, Pärnumaa, tel. (+372-44) 66 405, fax (+372-44) 43 779.