People and Culture

The past of this part of Estonia is as colourful as its varied nature. Throughout the centuries the old parish has been divided in various ways, the authorities have changed, people’s habits and customs have altered, the number of population has decreased during wars and increased at peaceful times.

Karula National Park is situated more or less in the boundaries of the historical Karula parish, in its eastern corner. Despite the changes in administrative boundaries the parish has remained whole, its inhabitants are united by Võru dialect, everyday habits and customs from old times, centuries-old kinship ties, and a common lifestyle arising from local nature. Some farm buildings and fields here are centuries old, people still tell ancient folk tales, know the sites of ancient barrows, and maintain the graves of their forebears in old cemeteries of Lüllemäe and Kaikamäe.

The people of Karula have a sedentary lifestyle and they honour traditions. A newcomer has to prove him or herself to locals for quite some time before he or she is truly accepted as one of them. A local dialect also has to be studied. Although the locals view their lives and surroundings as ordinary, a visitor will notice their singularity, their strong ties to the land and nature.