Discover Lavassaare: Narrow-Gauge Railway and Local History

Visitors choosing Lavassaare as a destination can explore its distinctive local history: the peat industry and Estonian narrow-gauge railway sit alongside the story of prisoners of war. These themes are reflected in different details—the origins of the settlement, a relocated residential building, the museum collection and the cemetery.

Peat Industry and Local History

The present-day settlement of Lavassaare was established in 1919 with the founding of the Lavassaare Peat Industry, also known as the Jõõpre Peat Industry. A former residential building, known as “raba kontor,” was brought to Lavassaare from Aruküla in 1923. In Aruküla, it was dismantled and its beams were numbered; the building was then reconstructed in Lavassaare’s old settlement. The building’s history can thus be traced through its dismantling, transport and reconstruction.

The Lavassaare–Pärnu (Pootsi)–Sindi railway line is also part of the area’s industrial history: it was completed in 1924 to transport peat. The historic line served peat transport; the museum railway offers a distinct way to explore railway history.

The Eesti Muuseumraudtee

The peat industry site in Lavassaare was chosen as the location for building the collection. Eesti Muuseumraudtee has more than 80 vehicles and other items of rolling stock, including five steam locomotives. The collection offers a tangible look at historic railway vehicles and their different types.

The indoor exhibition is housed in a former residential building belonging to the peat industry. It displays more than 500 historic photographs, objects and documents about Estonia’s narrow-gauge railway. The VP-1-899 steam locomotive became the collection’s first exhibit. Together, the vehicles and exhibition materials offer different perspectives: locomotives and other rolling stock are presented alongside the documented history of the railway.

The scope extends beyond public narrow-gauge railways. The museum also documents the history of industrial and military railways in Estonia. This makes it possible to understand the collection not only through individual vehicles but also through the different uses of narrow-gauge railways.

Museum Train and Seasonal Rides

The 2 km museum railway is part of the outdoor exhibition. The ride starts in front of the museum and lasts 25 minutes. The museum train runs between the museum (Müramaa) and Lavassaare on Saturdays and Sundays from early June to the end of September. When planning your trip, both the limited ride duration and the seasonal operating days are relevant. As timetables may change, check the information before you travel.

Lavassaare Cemetery

Another focus of local history is Lavassaare Cemetery. Around 60 prisoners of war from camp 286 are buried on the approximately 650-square-metre site. The cemetery lies in a peat extraction area with a high groundwater level and vegetation typical of this terrain. The memorial site is therefore set within a landscape shaped by peat extraction.

From the car park, the cemetery can only be reached on foot, via a path about 250 metres long. The path is partly paved and secured with wooden planks. Plan to walk the final section. The museum train ride and this access route provide two different practical details for finding your way around Lavassaare: a 25-minute ride and a walk of about 250 metres.

For the general travel overview: Lavassaare.