Pikalombi Hiking Trails
Possible to choose from 3,8 and 9,1 km trails. It takes approximately 1 hour to pass the shorter trail depending on hiker's pace. To pass the longer trail it takes approximately 2-3 hours. The nearby buildings may partly be depreciated so you have to be careful when hiking and use proper equipment.
The hiking trails start at the parking lot of Värska Sanatorium. The trails are accessible in autumn, spring and summer on foot and by bike. However you need to come off from your bike and push it on the boardwalk of Velna bog. The boardwalk is flooded during high water seasons and passable only in rubber boots.
The trail has 11 points in total. Every point shows you which way to go and give you next point's number. There is a resting spot with benches, map and information stand by the observation tower. The observation tower offers you a great view to the bog. You can spot with your bare eye Estonian-Russian border marks and Kulje (Russia) church towers behind the forest.
On trails you can enjoy pine groves, birch groves, meadows and Velna bog that emerged during ice age. The trails give you a wonderful opportunity to explore Värska bay and lake Pskov's scenery and the surroundings of old Setomaa villages. In places you can spot sandy quarries and you will also pass two little lakes: lake Saarepää and lake Kurtjärv. Possible to encounter beaver nesting areas. In autumn the forests are full with berries and mushrooms and the bog is red with cranberries.