Located less than an hour’s drive from Tallinn in the direction of Viljandi, Maidla Nature Resort is a unique destination for all those who appreciate nature and luxury. The villas built in the surroundings of the historic Maidla manor are wonderful examples of design and architecture.
Each villa is unique and offers a complete private accommodation experience in the middle of wild nature. The villas have been built completely under the conditions of the surrounding nature, piece by piece, so that not a single tree has been cut down from the manor’s land. The villas blend into the environment seamlessly, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. The visitor can enjoy exclusive design in the middle of unique nature.
The house fairy welcomes visitors in the yellow house with an aperitive
It is easy and quick to drive to Maidla Nature Resort from Tallinn with your own car. A true luxury experience awaits only about 45 minutes’ drive away. There are no signs, but the GPS tells you to drive to the side onto a narrow gravel road, at the end of which you will find the enormously large and impressive Maidla manor, beautifully patinated by time, and a slightly smaller sympathetic yellow stone house, which used to be the servants’ quarters. On a sunny October day, the grounds look wonderful with the trees blooming in autumn colors lining the historical environment.
The reception, bar and restaurant hall of Maidla Nature Resort are located in the yellow house. In the cheerfully colored house, there is also a “house fairy” dedicated to each villa guest, who takes good care of the visitors. The house fairy serves glasses of rhubarb sparkling wine, asks about our breakfast wishes and advises the route to our villa, located approx. 500 meters away. The holiday mood is already comfortably in place when we start walking along the natural path towards the estate’s hinterland.
Maidla Nature Resort brings together layers of history, modern design and wild nature.
Maidla Nature Resort began in 2019 when Ragnar Sass, an Estonian start-up entrepreneur and founding member of the hugely successful Pipedrive, ended up buying the Maidla estate area. The entrepreneur, who has traveled the world in wonderful destinations, understood that Estonia’s manor culture and beautiful rugged nature form a unique experience together. The concept of utilizing the manor area was formed slowly, but from the beginning it was clear that its multi-phased history would not be renovated to hide, but the layers of different eras would be allowed to remain visible.
The grounds of the Maidla manor extend to the Keilajoki River, and once upon a time a handsome forest rose behind the main building. However, the riverbed attracted a very hardworking community of beavers. Soon the river was full of dams, with which the land was flooded and the dense forest turned into marshy land. At the beginning of the project, the dams were supposed to be dismantled and the swampland, which had been christened “beaver land”, returned to forest. The idea pivoted and instead of driving away the beavers, it was decided to surrender to the mercy of nature and create a place where you can follow the constant change of wild nature while enjoying the comforts of high-quality accommodation.
The first Nature Villa KASEKE was build on the estate’s land in August 2020
Maidla Nature Resort currently has three villas. Each of them is built as environmentally friendly as possible and without disturbing the surrounding nature. In addition to being natural, the villas are real masterpieces of architecture and design, offering five-star luxury accommodation. Each villa is also completely unique.
Nature Villa KASEKE was the first to be built. As the name in estonian suggests, the villa has been inspired by birch. KASEKE is the work of b210 architects and has won several architecture and design awards. In KASEKE, you can admire the surrounding swamp landscape in a premium-level bed in the glow of a fireplace. KASEKE’s roof terrace is the perfect place for birds watching.
Check out KASEKE HERE!
Next, the villa KÄBI was born, whose exterior and interior design has borrowed elements from conifers and especially pines. KÄBI was also designed by b210 architects. In KÄBI, you can also enjoy the surrounding nature and privacy in the heated outdoor jacuzzi. KÄBI, built in February 2022, also has an atmospheric fireplace.
Check out KÄBI HERE!
The newest villa POKU is like straight out of a fairy tale! In addition to the surrounding nature, its appearance was inspired by the book Pokuraamat by the Estonian children’s writer Edgar Valter. POKU was designed by architects KTA – Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid. POKU consists of seven bell-shaped sections, whose vaulted ceilings reach to the heights. As in other villas, POKU also has wonderful views of the surrounding nature. In POKU, you can enjoy the glow of the fire outside by the fireplace, and in the sauna you can take a gentle bath while watching the evening fall on the marsh.
Check out POKU HERE!
Closeness to nature, beautiful design and seamless service make the surrounding world disappear
After a short walk, we see the POKU gate in the direction pointed by our house fairy. We go to the door along the pine trees sticking out between the trees. The door opens easily with a code. We can’t help but gasp with delight when we enter this fairytale villa.
POKU, which looks like a endearing hobbit’s house from the outside, is spacious inside, and its soft curved shapes and modern interior elevate the already high holiday atmosphere to new spheres.
The surrounding world disappears and you feel like you are in a homely nest far away from everyday worries. The warm autumn sun filters through the windows that open in different directions, making the landscape look like a work of art.
The beautiful villa has all the comforts you would expect from high-class accommodation. There are drinks and snacks in the minibar. The bathroom has linen bathrobes, a sauna scent from essential oil and a lovely body scrub in addition to shampoos, soap and conditioner. You can prepare tea or coffee in the mini kitchen and you can choose a suitable drink from the wine rack. A plush bed and cozy seating invites you to enjoy yourself.
Dinner served in the villa or a unique gastronomic experience in the yellow house
Food plays an important role in all high-quality accommodation services in the world, and Maidla Nature Resort is no exception. For dinner, you can choose a five-course dinner in the yellow house or a three-course dinner served in the villa. Restaurant SOO and Head Chef Daanius Aas are responsible for Maidla Nature Resort’s gastronomy.
From October, you can enjoy SOO’s unique dinner experiences on Fridays and Saturdays even without staying in the villa. Following the concept, the restaurant’s operation is also guided by naturalness, pure flavors and the effort to create a unique experience.
For dinner, we chose the three-course menu served at the villa. Our house fairy arrived at our door with a basket of food at the agreed time and set a table full of delicacies inspired by Estonian nature, of course. Fresh from the sauna and completely relaxed, we wrapped ourselves in a blanket and enjoyed the delicious flavors. With a full stomach and a calm mind, it was nice to curl up in a comfortable bed to admire the landscape bathing in moonlight.
Complete relaxation and activities close to nature
At Maidla Nature Resort, it is possible to book various activities in advance, such as canoeing, swamp hiking or a guided introduction to the nature of the surrounding area. Yoga guidance and breathing exercises that promote relaxation are also available. Every day at 11 a.m. a free tour of the historic manor building is organized. A walk to the shore of Keilajoki offers a nice oxygen jump in the middle of nature.
So you can choose either complete relaxation or a more active activity. We recommend getting to know the history of the manor on a free tour. The manor’s history stretches back to 1452, so it contains many stories and layers of history. One of the rooms in the mansion has a well-preserved wonderful ceiling pattern. The same pattern is repeated in the Maidla Nature Resort logo.
Maidla Nature Resort is a unique experience where new and old meet, layers of history are visible and nature and modern design shake hands. The experience is crowned by warm house fairies who take care of guests like family members. We warmly recommend Maidla Nature Resort to everyone who appreciates high-quality accommodation, nature and privacy.
Contact information for Maidla Nature Resort
Address: Maidla mõis/1, Maidla village, 79408, Rapla County
Please note that there are several mansions called Maidla in Estonia, so you should be careful to choose the correct location as the destination of the map service.
On Maidla Nature Resort’s website you can make a reservation for the villa of your choice, you will find more information about the villas, the manor and the restaurant SOO. Also check out Maidla Nature Resort’s Instagram account!
*This article was made in commercial cooperation. *Main image of the article: Maidla Nature Resort, Tõnu Tunnel
