Kääriku: Lake, Trails and Sport

A stay in Kääriku can be planned around several themes: athletics, hiking and exercise routes, water and views. You can choose between sports facilities, activities on trails, water and viewpoints.

Sport and Trails in Kääriku

The Kääriku athletics stadium has a competition-standard 400-metre track with six lanes, and eight lanes on the straights. Thus, the number of lanes on the straights differs from the rest of the track. For a sports-focused trip, this facility is a specific factor to consider when choosing your destination.

The Kekkonen Hiking Trail starts at the Kääriku stadium and can be used year-round. In summer, it is used for hiking, jogging and cycling; in winter, for cross-country skiing. The seasonal change shapes the trail: summer activities on foot or by bike give way to cross-country skiing in winter. The starting point at the stadium stays the same, but the activities vary with the season.

The Kääriku trail network includes three hiking trails measuring 5 kilometres, 2.3 kilometres and 4.6 kilometres. The shortest is 2.3 kilometres long, the longest 5 kilometres; the third, at 4.6 kilometres, is close to the longest route. The difference between the shortest and longest trails is 2.7 kilometres. These three figures give you a concrete comparison of the route distances.

The MoBo route in Kääriku has a different focus: it combines moderate physical exertion with the development of orienteering skills. The route can be completed alone or with friends. Alongside exercise, orienteering and the choice between going alone or in a group are therefore explicitly mentioned aspects.

Lake and Swimming Areas

Kääriku Lake covers 19 hectares and is up to 5.9 metres deep; it is also known as Käärike Lake. Kääriku also has an outdoor pool with a diving tower, as well as swimming areas beside the Kekkoneni sauna and the Greeni sauna. If water is one of your travel interests, you can consider the lake, pool and named swimming areas as distinct places.

Views Around Kääriku

The nearby Harimäe Observation Tower is 27.5 metres high and has four viewing platforms. From there, you can see the Otepää Upland, the Valga Lowland and the Karula Upland. These comprise two upland areas and one lowland, offering different landscape features to look out over. The observation tower was renovated in 2025.

The Pühajärve-Kääriku exercise route also has a clearly described section: after leaving the forest, it runs alongside the Otepää-Kääriku road all the way to Kääriku.

Discover more destinations: Taagepera, Sangaste, Valga, Tõrva, Meegaste.

Go to the main travel overview: Valga.