| Project title: |
Designing the belvedere stairs and hiking trails of Valaste falls |
| MEASURE: |
Leader |
| Measure name: |
Leader measure |
| Theme: |
natural environment |
| Keywords: |
Tourism, environment |
| Start year: |
2009 |
| Local action group: |
LAG Partnership of North- East Coast |
| Name of the beneficiary: |
NGO Kirde-Eesti Puhkerajad (Recreation Trails of North-East Estonia) |
| Homepage: |
http://www.copsmax.ee/ |
| Sum of support: |
20 023 EUR |
| Backround of the project: |
Valaste falls is one of the most popular sights. People can enjoy the beautiful view for the falls mostly in winter when water becomes into ice-formations, also in spring because there is lot of water then. But the belvedere stairs of Valaste falls were closed in 2010 because they were unsafe.
The project of designing belvedere stairs and hiking trails for Valaste falls is a base for further constructions - it in turn brings more tourists in the area.
The elucidation of the project was important for better exhibition of Valaste falls and natural values of the area, to ensure the safety of visitors and to vivify small-entrepreneurship. |
| Main activities: |
Designing the belvedere stairs and hiking trails for the Valaste falls’ observation platform, including following studies:
- Describing the learning trail of Ontika-Valaste and input to compile constructional working plan;
- Lichenological expertise on planned learning trail of Ontika Landscape protection area;
- Protected and unique lichen in the area of planned Ontika learning-hiking trail;
- Lichenological expertise on Ontika Landscape protected area of the part of Valaste falls learning trail
- protected and unique lichen in the area of Ontika hikingtrail and Valaste falls |
| Output and results indicators: |
The realization of the project allows to use Ontika stairs more actively; also renovating them and making the whole area of Ontika-Valaste more attractive. They project the Valaste stairs up to the sea and educational/hiking trail of Valaste-Ontika.
Now hikers and tourism groups will spend their time in the area more than half of hour. The projected belvedere stairs and hiking trail ensures the that the trip in the area is safe and won't do any harm for natural environment and local flora.
During the project-process it appeared that the base of Valaste belvedere stairs was insufficient. Namely the flowing water had flushed away the base of the belvedere stairs and it was really dangerous to be there.
They managed to achieve an agreement between all project members about that people should be allowed in the protected area and they shouldn't scare them away.
As the result of the accomplished stairs and hiking trails the area will be more attractive to tourists, creates good presumptions for small-entrepreneurship development and facilitates positive reputation-design for the whole Ida-Viru county.
The planned hiking trail is one of the part of international European hiking trail which flows from St. Petersburg to Spain. |
| Experiences/lessons learned: |
Project is notable because of many researches about environment, and coordination management. The innovative part is projecting the stairs entry down to the sea (so far it was only the length of half of the shore), also the stairs continuation with educational/hiking trails. |
| Additional information about the project: |
Nominee in category of best environmental project in contest "Notice Leader". Article "Paper foundation for learning trail" in booklet "Notice Leader 2011" - http://www.maainfo.ee/public/files/2011_NoticeLeader_Valaste_fall.pdf |
| Contact person : |
Ardo Niido |
| County: |
Ida-Viru county |
| Project inserted into database: |
2011-08-22 |
Estonian National CAP Network 
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