INCEPTION

In the summer of 2029, Metsa 7 will open its doors in Põlva – a hotel for people for whom a holiday means experiences and movement, and who seek a connection with nature. It will be a place for those who want to head out in the morning to run, ski, hike or cycle – or to listen to birdsong – and to end the day with culinary delights, a sauna and a deep night’s sleep. It is also a sports and community centre for locals, who drop by to eat a bowl of soup, buy books or celebrate the important moments of their lives.

Southeast Estonia already holds something for building a hotel that cannot be built or bought. Here, living villages lie close together, alternating with beautiful and distinctive primeval landscapes. There is room here for people and culture as well as for the untouched nature dictated by the hills. Southeast Estonia does not need a new identity, but a place from which to discover it all.

Metsa 7 is taking shape right in the centre of Põlva, yet nature essentially begins at the hotel’s door. The Intsikurmu forest park, with its hiking, running and ski trails, is just a few minutes’ walk away. Tennis courts are next door, a stadium across the street, and a couple of blocks away a beach and a wake park. The surroundings invite you to explore the Taevaskoja sandstone outcrops, the primeval valley of the Ahja River, the Meenikunno bog and hundreds of kilometres of cycling trails.

Metsa 7 will be a centre where an active lifestyle, good food and a community spirit are woven into a single whole. It is not simply a hotel, but a living base camp for active people – both for those for whom activity means a long bike ride, and for those who set new goals for their company in seminar rooms that look out over the horizon.

The hotel is aimed at the lean luxury segment. Among its 90 rooms you will find premium-class rooms with a forest view and balcony, luxury rooms with their own sauna and direct access to the forest, and rooms for especially sporty guests with a view towards the stadium. The building will feature dedicated ski and bike maintenance areas, facilities for washing and storing equipment, and partners who can help with everything from tuning your bike, waxing your skis and organising hikes to printing orienteering maps. Every floor of the hotel has a space for caring for sports clothing – conveniently close to the rooms. Depending on the season, the hotel team will help you find the best running loops, hiking and ski trails, fishing spots or orienteering grounds.

One of Metsa 7’s most distinctive features lies underground – a shooting range with a total of sixteen 50-metre lanes and, crosswise, forty 10-metre lanes. The shooting range has been the heart of Metsa 7 ever since the present building was constructed, and the new plan envisages expanding the range both in its dimensions and in its uses. The range will be able to serve athletes and amateurs alike – rifle shooters, archers and biathletes. The space can also be used to host larger events and special occasions – in the evenings, the shooting range is reborn as a dance hall.

For guests and locals alike, the building offers several distinctive places to eat and meet: a restaurant with a greenhouse, a bakery, a café with a terrace, a small wine cellar and a soup kiosk in the rooftop park. The top floor is home to a restaurant with a magnificent view over the forest and the primeval valley. Together with the year-round greenhouse – and the seminar rooms for setting big goals – the restaurant floor is the pride of the building. All of this can also be turned into one large space for celebrating life – from weddings to grand anniversaries.

The conference hall on the lower floor seats up to 250 guests, and the shooting range on the ground floor up to 300 – should you wish to host a gala there in the evening, for example. In addition, the hotel has a community area with a sauna village, treatment rooms, a bookshop and a creativity corner for children.

With all of this, Metsa 7 is also well suited to those who do not wish to do sport. Here you can switch off completely and move at a slower pace, savour good food and discover local flavours. Beyond nature and sport, Põlva is one of the Estonian small towns with the richest cultural life. Just 500 metres from the hotel stands the Põlva Culture Centre, which hosts concerts with international performers, art exhibitions, theatre performances and community events all year round. This gives guests the chance to combine an active day in nature with local cultural life in the evening hours.

When summer arrives, the focal point of Põlva’s cultural life shifts to Intsikurmu, located in the immediate vicinity of Metsa 7. This historic forest park is not only a favourite spot for runners, hikers and skiers, but also one of Estonia’s most distinctive open-air stages. Intsikurmu hosts concerts and festivals that bring together both local residents and visitors from around the world.

It is precisely this diversity that makes Southeast Estonia an extraordinary place. Here you do not have to choose between nature, active leisure and culture – all three are naturally intertwined. One day a guest might paddle a canoe along the primeval valley of the Ahja River, the next visit a local art exhibition or enjoy a summer concert at Intsikurmu, and end the day with a dinner made from local seasonal produce.

The architecture of the entire complex has been created by MARIHUNT architects – Mari Hunt, Arvi Anderson and Grete Daut – with the engineering led by the firm Norte and Margus Klementsov.

Our goal is not simply to build a new hotel. We want to create a destination from which to spend time actively and discover the best of Southeast Estonia – its forests, trails, flavours, people and culture. We are building a place where an active lifestyle meets the local community and authentic experiences. Statistics from recent years show that this is the fastest-growing tourism segment in the world. If all goes to plan, Metsa 7 will open its doors in the summer of 2029. Until that chapter, we will keep you up to date with what we are doing through our newsletter – from the design to the foundation pit and the topping-out party. Stay with us, and come and visit us soon!