Järvi to Aegviidu: a two-day lakes hike in Kõrvemaa, Estonia

Two days on the RMK trail through the Järvi lakes and the pine forests of Kõrvemaa, ending at Aegviidu railway station on 1–2 August 2026. This was the walk that led straight into the Aegviidu – Napu film two months later: the same station, the next section south.

The trail is RMK's Järvi-Aegviidu matkarada, 27 km (it used to be 32), marked with red paint dots on the trees and signposts at the junctions. Most of it runs through the Põhja-Kõrvemaa nature reserve: bog, eskers with pine on top, and a string of clear lakes with RMK campsites on their shores, which is what makes it an easy two- or three-day walk.

The GPS logged 28 km over three walks; about 16 km of it carries a clean track, and the rest is drawn as the published trail. There is no film from this one, only the route and the photos, pinned where the phone took them.

Getting there

The trail starts at Järvi Pikkjärve campsite and ends at the RMK visitor centre in Aegviidu, about 100 m from the railway station.

To the start: we were dropped off. By car, on the Tallinn–Narva road (E20) turn towards Kemba at km 56, after 0.9 km turn right at the sign "Järvi järved", then 4 km of gravel road; parking for 20 cars.
Without a lift: buses run along the Tallinn–Narva road. From the Kemba turn-off it is about 5 km to the start on foot, so check on peatus.ee where the bus stops and add that walk to day one.
Home from the end: the Elron train from Aegviidu to Tallinn takes under an hour (42–56 minutes depending on the train). A smooth ride, and it cost us about 4 €.

The route

RMK's stops along the trail, with its distances (section II of the Oandu–Aegviidu–Ikla trail shares this route):

Stop	Distance	What is there	What we saw
Järvi Pikkjärve campsite	start	room for 20 tents, 2 covered and 2 open fire pits	Start in the morning; the bog begins within the first kilometre.
Järvi-Pärnjärve campsite	next door	room for 20 tents, 4 open fire pits	—
Paukjärve campsite	4 km	campsite on Paukjärv	Boardwalk across bog pools, a flooded forest at the bog edge, reindeer lichen and water lilies. Then up an esker through the pines.
Jussi campsite	4 km more	room for 10 tents, two fire sites, covered tables, dry toilets, water from Väinjärv	Hammock break by Väinjärv.
Aegviidu visitor centre	18 km more	the end, by the station	Day 2: water lilies, a stream through the reeds, the Kõrvemaa ski swing, then forest road into Aegviidu.

Camp by Linajärv

We slung the hammocks by Linajärv, one of the Jussi lakes, a little south of the campsite, at a spot where someone had built a fire ring before us. Hammocks leave almost no trace, but it is not an RMK site, and in the reserve you should camp and make fire only at the marked RMK sites; if you follow us, stay at Jussi campsite. We hung the laundry, cooked dinner and watched the sun go down through the pines. At dawn there was mist on the water, and by eight we were packed and walking.

Day two to Aegviidu

The second morning was the long, quiet part: past water lilies and a stream through the reeds, a stop to repack our bags at the Kõrvemaa ski swing, then the red trail marks and the forest road into Aegviidu.

How the days went

Clock times from the phone's step counter:

	Walking	Steps	Time on the move
Day 1, 1 Aug	Walking from 10:10, with long stops; the main stretch 14:00–16:40; last leg 17:10–18:15 to the lakes	21,750	4 h
Day 2, 2 Aug	07:50–11:55 in one go, from the hammocks to Aegviidu station	25,400	4 h 25 min

A relaxed first day with long stops for the camera and the lakes, and a steady four-hour morning out. In August there is daylight to spare either way.

Keep going south

From Aegviidu the Oandu–Ikla trail carries on south through Kõrvemaa to Kakerdaja bog: that is our filmed Aegviidu – Napu hike. The whole area is in our Kõrvemaa guide, the Jussi lakes and campsite have their own Jussi guide, and the whole 370 km trail is in the Oandu–Ikla trail, section by section.

Järvi – Aegviidu

Die Route

Fotos

Wanderführer