Palivere Health Trails
The Palivere hills have been a favorite spot for sports enthusiasts in Läänemaa for many years. In 2011, the first stage of the Palivere Health Trails was completed. The health trails are suitable for running, walking, cycling, and in winter, for skiing and sledding. The location is favorable: the terrain, with a height difference of about 33 meters, offers health trails of varying lengths and difficulty levels. Trails of 1, 2, 3, and 5 kilometers have been marked, along with a 1.5-kilometer illuminated trail.
Palivere community development
Palivere Manor was first mentioned in 1493 as Pallevere. It is located to the right of the Haapsalu-Tallinn highway, 20 km from Haapsalu. The settlement of Palivere emerged in the 1920s at a crossroads near the railway station.
The construction of the Keila-Haapsalu railway and the opening of train services provided a significant boost to the development of the Palivere settlement in the early 20th century. The Baltic Railway Company planned to build a railway branch between Keila and Haapsalu as early as 1872. Preliminary work on the Haapsalu railway began in 1901, with the construction of embankment paths. In choosing the railway route, Palivere’s estate owner Lueder played an important role, leading to changes in the original railway course to what it is today. Construction work started in early spring 1904, and within about six months, a 78 km long railway was completed. Temporary services were opened on December 15, 1904. Permanent services on the branch line began on November 1, 1905.
On the western edge of the settlement grows an ancient sacred tree – the Palivere künnapuu (a type of flowering tree). From its once-mighty thicket, only a few thick branches remain, and approximately one-third of its gnarled trunk has survived. The Palivere künnapuu is one of the rare sacred trees, with written documents and archaeological finds attesting to its veneration. The tree is mentioned as a sacred tree in the Nigula church register in 1644. Old coins, the oldest of which dates back to 1564, have been found from the ground near the tree, indicating that offerings of coins were made to the tree over four hundred years ago.
Nature of Palivere
While walking along the nature trails in Palivere, visitors come across Palivere Hill Fort, where traces of a fortress from the 2nd century can be seen, and they can climb to the local highest point, the 51-meter-high Pikajalamägi. Walking along the trails of Pikajalamägi will also lead you to Karumägi, an artificial hill created during the development of the exercise trails.
It’s worth stopping by the Silma Spring to “ensure good eyesight and beauty”. At the site of Kivikülvi, you can see the remnants left by the retreat of the continental glacier 15,000 years ago, as well as explore soil fortifications from the Second World War. To better understand the surrounding nature, information boards introducing the forest types and plant species should be provided.
The Palivere-Risti line serves as a boundary in present-day Läänemaa, where to the north, coniferous forests dominate, and to the south, deciduous forests prevail. The climate in the Palivere area is somewhat peculiar, often referred to as Läänemaa Nuustaku, where the snow cover lasts longer and is significantly thicker than elsewhere in Läänemaa. This explains the area’s popularity among skiing enthusiasts, as there are no better slopes and hillier terrain in Läänemaa and its immediate surroundings.
In the first half of the 20th century, the Palivere hills and Pikajalamägi were covered by a century-old mixed forest of pines and spruces. After the Second World War, when Soviet troops concentrated their units and military equipment on Pikajalamägi, all the forest in the area was cut down for the needs of the camp, with additional timber being sourced from further away. Today, the Palivere hills are covered with a young (approximately 50-year-old) pine forest, under which hazels, oaks, and junipers can be seen growing. However, the sandy dunes are home to a species-poor heath pine forest, where shrub layer is practically absent, and the underbrush is stunted.
In 2006, the Marimetsa-Õmma protected area was established, primarily encompassing marsh landscapes, but it also extends to Pikajalamägi. Fourteen species of protected plants have been found in the area.
Birdlife of the Palivere Nature Trails
The Black Woodpecker is the largest of the woodpeckers in Estonia, weighing up to 300 grams. It inhabits large coniferous forests, clear-cuts, and burned areas. Its diet consists of insects and their larvae, making it an important pest controller. The Black Woodpecker is protected by law.
The Carrion Crow is a member of the corvid family and is a common resident bird that can be found year-round in various forests. It has a pinkish-grayish-brown plumage, with a very distinctive blue-black-and-white patch on its wing. Both adult birds build the nest together, typically in a spruce tree, up to 10 meters high in a hard-to-detect location.
The Nuthatch is a rare resident bird in Estonia, belonging to the corvid family and characterized by its large beak. Its body is chocolate brown with white spots, which occasionally form stripes. The Nuthatch vocalizes in several ways: its most common call is a “krrääk,” which is clearer, higher, and more monotonous than that of the Carrion Crow. Its warning call is a purring or vibrating “kurrr.”
Palivere Hills
During the last Ice Age, a glacier up to 1.5 kilometers thick covered parts of Estonia. For unknown reasons, the ice began to melt rapidly and retreated from the Estonian territory within a few thousand years. However, the retreat of the ice was not uniform, and several temporary advances of the continental glacier have been identified. The new advance of the glacier around 11,700 years ago is marked by the Palivere-Risti marginal formation in Läänemaa. The local part of this landform is colloquially known as the Palivere hills. Pikajalamägi, at 51 meters, is the highest point in Läänemaa. The Palivere-Risti-Ellamaa ridge, primarily situated towards Tallinn from the railway, has formed as a marginal formation of the Valdai glacier. The ridge is 30 km long, 0.2-1 km wide, and 2-10 meters high. In some areas, the height of the ridge reaches up to 15 meters. It is also home to a dune system that marks the shoreline of the Litorina Sea. The ridge is covered by a heath pine forest, and lush floodplain forests can be found at the base.
Heading from Palivere towards Risti, there is a southern view of the Marimetsa Nature Reserve, which was established to protect Marimetsa bog and Kullamaa dune.
After the glacier retreated and the ice lakes disappeared, a wavy, hilly landscape was left behind. The ground that had been freed from the weight of the ice rose by nearly 100 meters. Twice, during the Baltic Ice Lake period (10,200 years ago) and the Antsülus Lake period (9,300-8,000 years ago), the sea reached the Palivere hills, depositing coastal mounds and sand dunes close to the hills. The Palivere hills consist of layered gravel, with some areas having coarser gravel and others finer gravel. There are also sandy spots present.
Karumägi is an artificially created hill, 54 meters above sea level, built from stumps and stones generated during the construction of a ski trail in 2010. The hill got its name from bear tracks that an early skier noticed one winter morning in 2014. The tracks were on the ski trail and crossed over the top of the artificial hill. Bear tracks were found elsewhere on the trail, and in the freshly fallen snow, the tracks were so clear and well-defined that they attracted many curious onlookers. It is believed that the path of the young bear was determined by the movement of wild boars, which led the bear to Pikajalamägi.
It is known that numerous oaks grow on the ridges and slopes of Pikajalamägi, which wild boars go to feast on acorns. In some places, wild boars also thoroughly turn up the forest floor, much like a potato field, leaving the ski trails undisturbed.
Taebla River and Silma Spring
The 32-kilometer-long Taebla River, which flows through Palivere carrying the same name, originates from the Marimetsa bog and flows into the Saunja Bay. The river features beautiful meanders and bends that can be traced on maps. In the past, it was known as a good river for crayfish and fish, so rich in water that three watermills were built along its banks. However, after the construction of the new land drainage canal that feeds into the Martna River, the water disappeared, along with the crayfish.
One of the larger glacial erratics in the area, Allikivi, has partially sunk into the river. Contributing to the flow of the Taebla River is Silma Spring, which was enhanced a few years ago with beautiful structures. Unfortunately, the nearby Kaopalu quarry has negatively impacted the environment to the extent that the spring tends to dry up.
Springs have often served as sacred sites for our ancestors. According to local beliefs, Silma Spring, located at the foot of Pikajalamägi, is thought to have healing properties for the eyes. Washing one’s eyes with the spring water is believed to make them shine and ensure eternal beauty and youth. Folklore also suggests that if you visit the spring in springtime and offer a coin, you will never run out of money. The belief in the healing powers of spring water remained quite strong until a few generations ago. People have visited the spring for healing and offerings in times of illness and misfortune, as well as to celebrate the birth of a child. Springs have always been significant sources of water. In the minds and language of the people, the word “spring” often conjures thoughts of pure, crisp water. The purity of the water, its good taste, and its invigorating and healing properties are highly valued.
Kivikülv
During the last Ice Age, known as the Quaternary period, which lasted about one and a half million years, most of the European continent was covered by a glacial ice sheet. A few kilometers thick, this ice sheet descended from the Scandinavian mountains, taking soil along with it. The ice sheet that moved over Estonian territory began to melt approximately 15,000 years ago, revealing crystalline rocks that surface in northern Estonia as glacial erratics. Among our erratic boulders, about 80% are of Finnish origin, comprising granites and other glacial rocks. They are followed in much smaller quantities by metamorphic rocks: gneisses and amphibolites make up 13%, while basic rocks like gabbros and others account for 3.5%. Estonia is unique in all of Northern Europe for its abundance of large erratic boulders.
A Bit of History – Palivere Fortress
The ancient Estonians built a fortress on Pikajalamägi during the Viking Age (5th to 9th centuries). It is believed that only the escarpment side of the fortress was completed. The fortress has not been archaeologically studied, but for some reason, its construction was left unfinished. Approximately 11,000 years ago, the shoreline ran along the slope of the hill. Additionally, part of the fortress rampart was destroyed by the Russian military. After the end of World War II, the Russian army, which had fought in Läänemaa, began to consolidate its forces. In 1945-1946, a large camp was established on Pikajalamägi in Palivere. There may have been several thousand people here, along with 200-300 German prisoners of war.
For the soldiers, earthworks were constructed (the depressions can still be seen today), and between Pikajalamägi and Lähtru Road, 32 small houses were built for the officers. Along with the personnel, military equipment was also present, including Katyusha rocket launchers, cannons, trucks, etc. In addition, there were officers’ casinos, clubs, a soldiers’ cafeteria, a kitchen, and a medical point. The military remained stationed here for 6-7 years. The active camp operated from 1948 to 1950, after which the equipment began to be transferred to new military bases in Pullapää, Piirsalu, and elsewhere. Residential buildings were relocated to Ungru, while larger structures were demolished and moved to rocket bases.