Mentioned in the Estonian creation epic Kalevipoeg, the modest 318m-high Suur Munamägi ('Great Egg Hill') is the highest peak in the Baltics (although the tree-covered ‘summit’ is easy to miss if you’re not looking sharp). Crack the Great Egg with an ascent of its 29m observation tower, built in 1939 – on a clear day you can see Tartu’s TV towers, the onion domes of the Russian town of Pihkva (Pskov) and lush forests stretching out in every direction.
There’s a pleasant indoor-outdoor cafe on the ground floor, and another selling burgers and fudge back on the main road. Stairs lead up the hill from the Võru–Ruusmäe road, about 1km south of the otherwise uninspiring village of Haanja (which in turn is 13km south of Võru).
