Soomaa is Important Bird Area since 1989 and a Ramsar site of protected wetlands since 1997 and a Natura 2000 area since 2004.
Soomaa national park, situated in South West Estonia, has been created to protect large raised bogs, flood plain grasslands, purified forests and meandering rivers.
In 2007, the European Commission launched the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) competition. The Soomaa National Park – 2009 winner in category “EDEN. Estonia’s hidden treasures. Tourism and protected areas”.
Soomaa National Park was established in 1993.
Soomaa National Park is the most valuable part of the remaining extensive wilderness area in South-West Estonia. Kuresoo Bog is one of the two best surviving large bogs in Estonia with species diversity amongst the highest.
