Tourism and handicraft in Lõuna-Viljandimaa

Lõuna- Viljandimaa captivates senses with its beautiful landscapes. Lõuna- Viljandimaa as we know it today stays in the heart of the historic Mulgimaa.

Mulgimaa is the home of mountains, deep valleys and lakes, its natural axis is the beautiful old valley of Halliste.

Southern Viljandimaa has been the homeplace of mulgi inhabitants who spoke their own dialect called mulgi language. The speakers of mulgi language can still be found in Southern Viljandimaa and in the past years people have started to pay more attention to learning and developing the dialect. The mulgi inhabitants have always been characterised by strong connection to their old-established traditions and customs. At the same time, the way of life of the local people is characterised by strong families, marriage, children and respect and love for fellow men.

The local cultural heritage offers as much variety as the nature. Many rare work and mythological motives are retained in folk songs.

The flax-growing that spread rapidly in the beginning of the 19th century was the basis of the prosperous Mulgi family farms in Southern Viljandimaa. 19. The second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century constituted the golden age for many local families. The mulgi inhabitants were actually the first farmers in Estonia who bought the farms for their families after being released from the servitude. The farming was developed rapidly thanks to flax-growing. The wealthiest farmers gained even so much money that for the first time in history Estonian farmers became owners of mansions. The wealthy mulk were the first of Estonian farmers to build manses, until then the farmers all over Estonia lived in farmhouses that included a barn so that people and animals lived under one roof. The old farmhouses and mansions can still be seen in many places in Southern Viljandimaa. As a result of the hard work and the tenacity of the local inhabitants, Mulgimaa developed into an area known as prosperous and rich by its cultural heritage.

The masters working in the villages played an important role in the development. The local foods such as sauerkraut stew, curd cake and „kama“ (a meal made with sour milk and a mixture of ground grains) are popular even nowadays.

There is even a song that says: "It is good to live in Mulgimaa / The nature is beautiful and the land is fructuous/ There are glorious groves and large wealthy Estonian farms".

As for now, the large-scale industry has become more and more dominating in agriculture. After thorough reforms in Estonian economy the people living in villages and small towns are searching for new possibilities for self-realisation and one of the outputs is tourism. This can also be seen in Southern Viljandimaa as there are continuously more establishments providing accommodation, caterers and organisers of active holidays. Many tourism maps have been put beside the road as well as many hiking trails have been built and marked.

We welcome you to explore Southern Viljandimaa!