Lavassaare: Peat, Narrow-Gauge Railway and a Rich Local History

Lavassaare brings together the peat industry, narrow-gauge railways and a multifaceted local history. The present-day settlement emerged in 1919 with the founding of the Lavassaare Peat Industry, also known as the Jõõpre Peat Industry. Those who choose a holiday apartment in Lavassaare can therefore experience the town not only as a place to stay, but also as a starting point for a journey into Estonian industrial and railway history.

Railway History to See and Experience

The Eesti Muuseumraudtee plays a central role. The collection comprises more than 80 vehicles and other items of rolling stock, including five steam locomotives. Among the early pieces is the VP-1-899 steam locomotive, which became the collection’s first exhibit. The indoor exhibition is housed in a former residence belonging to the peat industry and displays more than 500 historical photographs, objects and documents relating to Estonia’s narrow-gauge railway.

Its focus extends beyond public passenger transport. The Eesti Muuseumraudtee also documents the history of industrial and military railways in Estonia. The peat industry site in Lavassaare was selected as the location for building the collection. This makes it clear why peat extraction, working life and rail transport are closely connected with the development of Lavassaare.

The outdoor exhibition includes a 2 km-long museum railway. The journey starts in front of the museum and lasts 25 minutes. From the beginning of June to the end of September, a museum train also runs between the museum in Müramaa and Lavassaare on Saturdays and Sundays. When planning your trip, check which of these options fits your stay and take the stated periods and days of the week into account.

Traces of the Peat Industry and Earlier Local History

The historical development extends beyond the museum collection. The Lavassaare–Pärnu (Pootsi)–Sindi railway line was completed in 1924 for transporting peat. A former residence, known as “raba kontor”, was brought from Aruküla to Lavassaare in 1923. It was dismantled there, the beams were numbered, and the building was reconstructed in Lavassaare’s old settlement.

Vana-Lavassaare lies two kilometres northwest of the new settlement. From 1941 to 1947, the Lavassaare prisoner-of-war camp operated there. A carved erratic boulder at Ülejõe 6 marks the site of the camp’s demolished barracks. These places offer a serious historical perspective on Lavassaare and complement the study of the technological history of peat and railways.

Cemetery in the Peat Extraction Area

Lavassaare’s cemetery is also connected with this history. Around 60 prisoners of war from Camp 286 are buried on the approximately 650-square-metre grounds. The cemetery is located in a peat extraction area with a high groundwater level and vegetation typical of this terrain.

From the car park, the cemetery can only be reached on foot via a path approximately 250 metres long. The path is partly surfaced and secured with wooden planks. You should take this specific route into account when planning your day. It makes the visit a separate activity that needs to be planned deliberately and distinguishes it from viewing the museum collection.

Which Type of Accommodation Suits Your Stay

Lavassaare is particularly suitable for travellers who want to discover cultural history not just in a single building, but through its various traces. If the museum railway and historical collections are the main focus, you can use the stated running times and seasonal information as the starting point for your planning. Those more interested in the development of the peat industry, the old settlement or the memorial sites should allow additional time for these.

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Lavassaare, it is therefore worth deciding first what you want to focus on: the technical collection, a ride on the museum railway, local history or the distinctive landscape of the peat extraction area. This will help you choose accommodation suited to the type of stay you want to experience in Lavassaare.

For the overarching travel overview: Lavassaare.