Emajõgi Waterway

The river Great Emajõgi, being 101 km long, 145 m wide and up to 11 m deep, unites two big water bodies – Lake Peipsi and Lake Võrtsjärv. Historically the river has been an important waterway, a trading route and the only navigable river in Estonia. The Emajõgi played a significant role in the development of the County of Tartu and the town of Tartu which became a member of the Hanseatic League and today it is an important contemporary centre.

The territory which the Emajõgi crosses is extremely varied, there are different areas – of extensive virgin stretches of nature – the Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve and the Emajõe Suursoo protected area, historical settlements in Mäksa and Luunja municipalities, different historical-cultural sights: the manors of Kaagvere, Kastre and Mäksa, ancient inns and taverns at Kantsi, Jänese and the ruins of the Kärkna monastery.

Some facts about the Waterway:

• In 1843 the regular shipping lines Service by steamships between Tartu and Narva, Tartu and Pskov were opened. It took 12-14 hours in those days to reach Pskov.
• In 1964 the speed ships, the river taxis (65 km/h), the hydrofoil motor launches „Volga”, began to cruise on the river taking 5-6 people on board from Tartu to Kawest on the northern shore of Lake Peipsi.
• The Emajõgi is a connecting waterway uniting Lake Võrtsjärv with Lake Peipsi and further taking people and cargo to Pskov, Storozhinets and in the future to Narva, until the beginning of the 1990s.
• When the regular passenger traffic starting from Tartu was finished, the regular connections between Piirissaare (border island), Pskov, Narva, Vasknarva and Slantsõ survived. Tourist and holiday trips took people to Värska, the northern shores of Lake Peipsi, to Võrtsjärv.
• From Tartu to Piirissaare it is 65 km or about 1 hour 20 minutes of sailing, to Pskov 176 km or about 3,5 hours.