📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The charm of Haanja Uplands in South Estonia lies in its lovely hilly landscape, winding roads and numerous lakes. Most of its ancient villages, peculiar dialect, handicrafts and customs have been preserved until today. The whole area, called Vorumaa, is an area of outstanding beauty. It is famous for its diverse and very well preserved nature. Untouched forests with rich wildlife, deep valleys and picturesque hills, 170 small lakes with extremely clean water, streams and fast rivers with sand caves in their steep banks - you can find everything there.
With the support of the state and local authorities the eco- and farm sustainable tourism has been developed in this area. Besides promoting the environmental tourism, this initiative supports rural development which is very important issue for Estonia. Association of Farm Tourism launched several projects and Kiidi Farm, where the camp takes place, is one of them. This is one of the oldest EstYES local partners, who had hosted more than 40 camps and group projects with EstYES in the previous years. More information on Kiidi Farm is on site www.kiidi.ee
💼 What the programme involves
Work
The voluntary working program is diverse. It includes building wooden fence, cleaning hiking, cross-country skiing and snowboarding trails from brushwood, repainting hiking route signs, making firewood (cut woods, pile firewood in ricks), preparing material for rug weaving, cleaning sheep wool for crafts and possibly making woolen carpets.There might be also some light maintaining work in the houses. Depending on weather conditions work will be indoors or outdoors. The work will be around 4-6 hours a day, the rest of the time will be spend to get acquainted with the area, its natural and historical sites as well as with local people. Local people will join the camp for work and leisure.
Type of work and its schedule may change due on weather conditions and actual needs of the hosting project.
A typical day looks like follows:
9.00 - breakfast
10.00 - work
13.00 - lunch
14.00 - work
16.00 – trips in the area, visits, meetings
19.00 - dinner
20.00 – sauna or evening trips in the area
🏠 Accommodation on site
At Kiidi Farm you will share 2-4-bedded rooms. Sleeping bag is NOT needed. WC, shower, hot water, sauna are available. Hosts will prepare meals themselves, however, participants will be asked to help out in the kitchen.
📍 About the location
Location
Kiidi Farm is situated 15 km south of Võru, capital of the County, which has a population of 17 000 people and lies about 270 km south-east of Tallinn, very close to the Latvian and Russian borders. The closest village to Kiidi Farm is Rõuge (3km) with a population of less than 1000 people. More information about Estonia www.visitestonia.com; South-Estonia www.visitvoru.ee, www.werro.ee
Study theme and cultural/ social activities
In addition to manual work there will be many learning opportunities. In this camp you will have a chance to learn about Estonian traditions, culture and handicrafts. There will be a possibility of studying some local handicrafts techniques (wood, wool,) and try to make your own. Among activities – planned and optional - there are:
• Meeting with Rõuge Youth Club http://noorteklubi.ee/
• Visiting Rõuge school http://www.rouge.edu.ee/
• Visiting local community and town of Võru http://www.voru.ee/index.php?Menu=228&Lang=rus
• Visiting local sights (Suur Munamägi – highest point of the Baltics) http://www.suurmunamagi.ee/
• Vastseliina castle ruins http://www.vastseliina.ee/linnus/index.php?lang=et
• Visiting most spectacular natural sites of the area http://www.visitestonia.com/en/hiking-trail-in-the-rouge-primeval-valley'site_preference=normal ; http://www.visitestonia.com/en/piusa-river-ancient-valley-landscape-reserve'site_preference=normal&site_preference=normal ; http://www.visitestonia.com/en/hinni-canyon'site_preference=normal&site_preference=normal
• Trip to Setomaa http://www.setomaa.ee/ru ; http://www.visitsetomaa.ee/ru
• Learning local folk danses https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BKoS9CfQPA&list=PLmy1EWSYllYn1LB8-Pwq5u2TqQKnJgJiV&index=1
• Short trip to town Aluksne http://www.aluksne.lv/rus03_01.php which is across Latvian border