Ida-Virumaa is the largest industrial area in Estonia, and the smartest solutions have been found here on how to make former industrial areas serve tourists and offer its guests experiences that cannot be found anywhere else in Estonia.
Kiviõli, Kohtla-Nõmme and Aidu, the so called adventure triangle, which offers the most extreme experiences in Estonia, would not be on the tourists map the way it is, if the semicoke hill, mine and quarry were closed in the usual way. Fortunately, bright ideas were generated in the minds of the locals.
An active holiday mecca
Janek Maar and Madis Olt have spent almost 20 years transforming the old semicoke hill and the town’s old landfill into an adventure center, where top level entertainment is offered in both summer and winter. While other artificial hills have been closed, leveled and landscaped to make them safe for the environment, Kiviõli Adventure Center has become a model of reuse and a mecca for active holiday seekers.
You can go down the Kiviõli hill on skis, snowboards, mountain cars, bicycles or a tube. There you will find the longest rope descent in Estonia, but also a number of not so adrenaline-rich attractions for families with children.
“I am glad that with this pile of ashes we have managed to change the face of Ida-Virumaa,” said Janek Maar, when in 2014 he accepted the title of the best Estonian tourist attraction at “Tourest”. This has not been the last recognition for the developers of Kiviõli Adventure Center, and after a long and painstaking journey, any recognition tastes sweet.
The developers have also been helped by a “friend”, the European Union, without whom the project would probably have remained on paper. “We cannot forget where this center is built: in fact, we operate on top of two landfills – on Kiviõli municipal landfill, and on the old industrial waste landfill. This environment itself is so demanding and complicated that without the support of the European Union, an adventure center would not have been born,” admitted Madis Olt.
Home of water adventures
The closed Aidu oil shale quarry – a place exhausted by mining – is being reborn as a water sports and leisure center with the support of millions of euros. Instead of huge mining machines, leisure service providers have set themselves up.
Adrenaator Grupp, one of the oldest adventure companies in Estonia, which organizes nerve-wracking safari and water trips, and Aidu Veemaa permanently operate in Aidu. With the support of millions of euros, the latter is developing a water sports and leisure center in Aidu, which combines state-of-the-art water sports and diverse leisure opportunities.
Industrial heritage will be used in the creation of Aidu Veeseikluskeskus, and it will be turned into a unique place for water adventures. You can already navigate the canals there by canoe, raft, dragon boat, kayak or a motor boat.
“Aidu career has been a playground for manly men, explosions and big machines. Now, with its ditches, mountains and ramparts, light gray vertical limestone embankments and over 30 kilometers of mystical bluish-green clear water filled canals, it offers adventurous opportunities for hiking. The whole forest that grows on the backwaters adds both beauty and excitement”, describes Ingrid Kuligina, the head of Alutaguse hiking club, who is there as a tour guide for groups.
A mining company has been a partner in the development of Aidu quarry into a tourist attraction. Eesti Energia has contributed to the construction of the water sports center not only by constructing the draft of the rowing canal and planning the landscape, but also financially.
The Mining Museum proved to be a challenge
The first challenge in reusing old industry was the Kohtla mine, which was closed in 2001. It could have been done as it was done many times before: the miner could have stopped the pumps and filled the tunnels with water. This way people could never have stepped in there again.
Tens of thousands of tourists visit the old mining tunnels every year, thanks to the determination of the rural municipality authorities, The real attractions of the mining museum in Kohtla-Nõmme are working mining machines. You can ride on an underground mining train and listen to colorful tales from guides who are former mine employees themselves.
Next, the county awaits the completion of the textile world of Kreenholm. The old cotton warehouse complex should become a fascinating tourist attraction, opening up on textile related topics and history of the manufactory. It should give an overview of Kreenholm’s huge production through the ages. At the same time, the textile center gives another push to bring the closed Kreenholm manufactory back to life.
One reuse project is still pending in Ida-Virumaa. If an agro park can be established in the vicinity of the Auvere power plant and in the mined areas of the Narva quarry, then in ten years time we can offer tomatoes and cucumbers that are grown using carbon dioxide from electricity production, hot water from power plants and network charge free electricity.
Teet Kuusmik, the head of the Ida-Virumaa industrial areas foundation, dreams that the agro park will become a real circular economy project, where birds, algae and fish are raised in addition to plants in low-value areas left behind by the oil shale sector.
We collected the best tips for travelers interested in Eastern Estonia’s unique industrial history and good adventures:
Estonian Mining Museum
Would you like to have a real taste of mining? All you need to do is put on your wellies, grab a warm jacket and take a lamp because where else than in the subterranean world would you hear, see and feel the same things as the men who toiled away in below ground every day?
The mining museum also has an Enrichment Factory. As an educational experience, it demonstrates the journey of oil shale, tells how energy is created and showcases information on the subject of future trends in the energy sector.
Püssi ash mountain
Conquering the mountain like Eastern Estonia? Climb the ash hill in Püssi township! It is an artificial hill made of ash from incinerators transported from power plants over the years, at the top of which the adventurer will find, in addition to the Estonian flag, stunning views in all directions. The experience is especially great in clear weather, and if you want impressive pictures from the top, it is worth climbing to the top around sunrise or sunset. However, climbers should note that the path is narrow and the slope of the ash hill is moderately steep. So be careful!
Kohtla-Järve oil shale museum
The permanent exhibition at this museum in Kohtla-Järve shows how oil shale forms, how it is discovered and the history of its use. It also explains how it is produced and recycled. You can also see an exhibition of 80 works titled ‘The oil shale industry in art’.
Did you know…? *Oil shale, Estonia’s most important natural resource, formed 450 million years ago and is found in 80 countries – but there is only one oil shale museum in the world *The museum holds more than 22,000 individual items which it places at the disposal of researchers.
Aidu querry and activities
In 2012, the Aidu quarry ended its work and today it has become a great recreation area with its canals filled with water and the mountains between them. Aidu Veeseikluskeskus, which is located along the 2km long canal, focuses on water sports and rowing. In addition, individual visitors can explore the wake park or rent canoes, SUP boards or electric bicycles. Adrenaator organizes safaris in the former quarry area and boat trips on the canals. In the autumn of 2024, a new pleasant hiking trail, suitable for everyone, was opened in Aidu, which runs along the ridges between the canals and you can also ride a raft. Alutaguse Matkaklubi (Alutaguse hiking club) organizes a nature and adventure hike with a local guide in the area, and in January 2025, a unique and third Ash Mountains Marathon. Aidu can be recommended as an ideal adventure destination for groups of friends or corporate groups.
Kiviõli Adventure Centre
Skiing on Ash Hill? Success! Kiviõli Adventure Center, located next to the town of Kiviõli, offers Estonia’s longest ski slopes and the best snowboard park. And life and adventures in Kiviõli don’t only happen in winter: in summer, everyone is welcome in the family theme park, where you can try, for example, summer tubing, driving down the mountain with mountain cars and disc golf. And for those who want to see the whole adventure center from a bird’s eye view, Estonia’s longest rope descent awaits them, 600 meters of adventure at 60 km/h. The smaller adventurers in the family have their own adventure park with lower adventure trails and safe activities for children.
SIRLE SOMMER-KALDA
Journalist for “Põhjarannik” newspaper
„The story is written with the support of the EU Regional Development Fund“
