Intrepid traveler Cory Lee is cruising towards adventure yet again. During a Scandinavian and Russian cruise in August 2017, the wheelchair using wanderer had the opportunity to set his wheels on Estonian soil for the second time. Cory, his mom, and his friend Sylvia a scooter user were met at the port in Tallinn, Estonia by a tour company that had a minivan and a portable ramp. Tie downs in the van meant that he and Sylvia did not need to transfer from their wheels for the journey ahead.
The Viru Bog is a 45 minute drive outside of Tallinn in the Lahemaa National Park. Bogs and wetlands are the first destinations that come to mind for wheelchair accessible adventure. Wheelchair accessible since 2013, the Viru Bog has a raised accessible path of wooden walkways and platforms that is 2.2 miles long. There is one accessible restroom at the beginning of the trail. As it was the only one spotted, Cory encourages fellow trailblazers to take advantage of it.
The trail itself starts out in a forest. Their guide Maarja spied some blueberries along the walk which served as a delicious impromptu snack. As the forest gave way, the travelers arrived at the boardwalk. “I noticed the water around us. It wasn’t a lot of water like a swamp is per say, but it was marshy.”
Along the path, signs in both Estonian and English shared information about the bog and intriguing stories. An observation tower at the end of the boardwalk was accessible to the first level. “It was high enough that I could see much of the bog below.”
Cory noted how thrilled he was to discover a place so accessible in a foreign country.
“It’s rare to find something outdoors that is this fantastic in the US, where the ADA is in place… so it was extra surprising to see that they have gone to such great lengths to make this wheelchair friendly in Estonia.”
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