Tourists increasingly seek Estonia’s border infrastructure in Võru County

Tourism businesses operating near the border in Võru County are adapting to growing visitor interest in border infrastructure and structures built as part of the Baltic defence belt, ERR reported.

Defensive trenches and a protective embankment dug on private land near the settlement of Meremäe are increasingly becoming a tourist attraction, particularly for visitors from abroad.

“People come and ask where they could go to see these defensive trenches, whether they could go to the border and whether it is possible to see this infrastructure. They do ask, and I know that some have gone to take a look for themselves. There is no getting around it, and I believe it is an attraction today,” said Kaidi Kerdt, owner of the Kirsi farm. “When Seitsmemägi is ready, many people will also want to go there.”

Tourism operators in Setomaa, a border region where visitors are introduced to local culture, say tourists increasingly want to see the border infrastructure as well.

“This summer, I have changed my tour programme quite a bit. People’s interest in seeing this particular fence is so great. We have gone to look at the fence from a respectful distance, because I know how far one is allowed to go. We have also talked about the defensive trenches and shown the dragon’s teeth,” said Helen Alumäe, a guide and tour organiser in Setomaa.

Local residents also often reassure visitors that it is safe to live near the border because sufficient numbers of police officers and border guards work there.

“International tourists often ask whether it is really safe here near the border, how we feel and whether we are afraid of a possible war. They do ask these questions. Estonian tourists, however, are not very deterred by this,” Kerdt said.