Off the boardwalk

Bog shoeing

Bog shoes are wide frames strapped to your boots, a little like snowshoes. They spread your weight so you can walk across the moss instead of along the boards.

Go with a guide

Leaving the boardwalk on your own is not a good idea: pools hide under the moss and a wrong step can mean a cold swim. Local guides in Soomaa and elsewhere run bog shoe walks from spring to autumn and bring the shoes with them.

What to wear

Rubber boots or old trainers you do not mind getting wet, trousers that dry quickly, and a spare pair of socks in the car. Expect to sink up to your ankles now and then; that is part of the fun.

Leave no trace

Moss grows about a millimetre a year. Follow your guide’s line, do not pick plants in reserves, and take everything back out with you.