Avinurme rural municipality is situated in the area of intersection of three counties (Jõgeva, Lääne-Viru and Ida-Viru County), being a district where tourist routes coincide.
We develop and introduce as regional cultural heritage the following:
1. Local way of life – historically maintained and constantly developing carpentry and handicraft skills, upheld in local villages, indicating long-term barter system in this community;
2. Local music traditions kept and carried on by local musical collectives;
4. Untouched nature that has preserved largely owing to the distance from main roads, soil preventing extensive deforestation and hunting the game living in the woods;
5. The Avijõgi River with its fish resources and picturesque banks;
6. Annual barrel fair, which around St John’s Day (jaanipäev) brings more than 10,000 tourists to Avinurme, to partake in the big event based on local cultural heritage to buy, sell, and enjoy the entertainment offered and made up on the spot;
7. Local villages with camping sites, village parties and handicraftsmen;
Avinurme is distinct from its neighbouring areas in its historical development. As an area of wild forests in the extreme north of Tartu County, isolated from the main roads, Avinurme has preserved its natural environment and carpentry traditions as a living as well as a way of life. Handicraft, living on what the woods offer and what carpentry skills return, the region has retained its cultural heritage (carpentry, handicraft and music), which in turn has played a great role in preserving natural resources and environment as pure and untouched.
Even today, the main businesses providing for local people are specialised in timber processing, including carpentry, and handicraft. Moreover, there is a fair share of carpenters that work as self-employed persons. The place, where wooden objects have historically been made and traded with, has by today developed into a centralised area with strong infrastructure.
To carry on carpentry traditions and wood craft for the development of cultural heritage, to sell these products, and to promote tourism, the old parsonage is turned into the Cultural Heritage Centre, which brings together local handicraftsmen and companies interested in selling their products, local village and cultural societies, coordinating tourist information and routes in the area, introducing local cultural history and organising various events. The most known regional company producing and marketing wooden handicraft, AS Strauss, is launching a development project directed at the company’s tourist services.
In addition to carpentry traditions, the region has a considerable potential for developing nature tourism and recreation economy on the basis of local nature, woods, the Avijõgi River and small hamlets. The largest of these is the development plan of Kiissa Village as a tourist complex in the midst of the wilds. In addition to Kiissa complex, a development plan concerning hiking and cycling routes through local villages has also been worked out.
Theme park of tree species, which have been used for making various utility articles throughout the times, is also under development, as well as a museum-train theme park.
Furthermore, a health and sports complex, stadium, swimming and bathing facilities by the Avijõgi River are under renovation. Moreover, Avinurme has a modern swimming pool.
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