Viimsi and Merivälja – from a Poor Fishing Village to a Model Community!
To quote a piece of classic Estonian literature, "Sometimes Vestmann is on the bottom and Piibeleht on top, and sometimes it's the other way around." The same could be said for Viimsi and Merivälja. In pre-war Estonia, Viimsi was a poorer area that people moved away from, while Merivälja was a budding garden suburb. Viimsi's triumph began during the Soviet era. This is when the former poor fishing village became a model collective farm, where everyone dreamed of working but only the best were accepted. One could even argue that while the rest of the Soviet Union was dreaming of communism, it was already achieved in Viimsi. On this tour we'll explore what was behind this rare Soviet miracle. We will also look at Viimsi's military history, visit Viimsi Manor, and talk about the mysterious system of tunnels that the Soviet army, with the help of St. Petersburg subway builders, built under Viimsi. And, of course, we cannot avoid talking about the famous Merivälja UFO!
Public tours
15+ available
Language: Estonian
Tour guide: Mihkel Reile
Clients speak
"Thank you very much for organizing such a pleasant hike! The feedback was extremely positive, and the new knowledge was later shared with colleagues as well."
Kätlin Keinast
29.04.2026
"I’m one of those who has always dreamed of a truly remarkable birthday. Not the usual sit-around-the-table kind, but one that offers genuinely memorable experiences. Ideally something unexpected and exciting, so that even years later everyone would fondly remember, “Wow, that was amazing!” I soon realized that Matkafy Laternamatkad ticks every box on my wish list. Even though there are 55 different tours on the adventure list, I never hesitated to take my friends to the abandoned Murru prison, exploring the buildings and area where the saying truly fits: “If these walls could talk…” How often in life do you get the chance to walk among apocalyptic walls and experience the real stories hidden inside? When this long-awaited day finally arrived, I couldn’t hide my excitement and thrill. Everything was perfectly planned. Our guide Mihkel Reile received nothing but praise from the guests: “So humorous!”, “So knowledgeable!”, “Easily captures everyone’s attention”, “Where did they find such a charming guy?”, “Wow, how clearly and engagingly he tells stories!” In addition, for this tour that exceeded all expectations, a romantic birthday table was set up in a quiet wooded corner, tailored exactly to my wishes. This was the best birthday of my life! Honestly. A unique and adventurous tour, perfectly suited for any celebration and season."
Liis Lusmägi
15.07.2024
"I would like to give a big shout-out to Mihkel for yesterday’s tour at Fahle City! ❤️ I think the biggest compliment I can give is that it went exactly the way I had imagined and hoped it would 😊 It was truly great — pleasantly humorous, informative, well-paced and perfectly on schedule. We have also received very positive initial feedback from our people. On top of that, quite a few people said they would love to organize a Matkafy Lantern Hike for their own team event and that they are even going to take a look at what other exciting tours you offer. 😉So, I am extremely happy and would like to thank Mihkel once again for the excellent cooperation!"
Eva-Grete Aljas
26.08.2026
Book as private tour
You can book this tour only for your group if you wish
The price of a private tour designed specifically for your group of 1–30 people is €600 + VAT.
For groups of 31–60 people, the price is €20 + VAT per person.
For groups of 61–240 people, we will prepare a personalized offer.
