Keila-Joa Park circular walk: waterfall, manor house and chapel

Park in the car park on Vesiveski tee, not far from Keila-Joa Manor.

(S/E) From the car park, continue along Vesiveski tee and head down towards the River Keila, past the old small hydroelectric power station on the left, to reach the foot of the Keila Juga Waterfall.

(1) Head back up and walk round the hydroelectric power station to enjoy a^second viewpoint. Return to Vesiveski tee and head towards the stone-built canal on the right, then cross its small arched bridge and the suspension footbridge a little further on.

(2) After the footbridge, climb the steps and turn right. Follow the wooded riverbank, high above the river. A viewing platform soon offers a view of the waterfall and the old mill, now converted into a hydroelectric power station. Continue along the path. At the junction, turn right onto the steps leading off to the left (not shown on maps). Carry on straight ahead at the next junction.

(3) After the ruins of Meremõisa Manor, turn right at the three-way junction, then left at the next one (not shown on maps). Then take the small path branching off to the left and continue to the large junction.

(4) Turn right to head up towards the chapel.

(5) From the chapel and the Benckendorff cemetery, retrace your steps back to the crossroads.

(4) Carry on straight ahead and keep going in the same direction.

(3) After the ruins, at the steps, turn right. Continue through the park until you reach a group of benches and the steps overlooking the suspension footbridge.

(2) Go back down the stairs, then cross the park again, crossing the footbridges over the River Keila one last time, and return to the car park (S/E).

Keila-Joa is situated about twenty kilometres west of Tallinn and can be reached by car or by the buses running between the capital and the village. Parking at the park is free.

The park is open all year round and admission is free. The waterfall is at its most impressive in spring, when the snow melts. The steps and the riverbank can be slippery in wet or icy conditions.

There is a café and a restaurant near the waterfall. Keila-Joa Manor houses a museum, which is open according to seasonal opening hours – please check these before your visit. Dry toilets are available in the car park.

(S/E) Keila-Joa Manor, known by its German name Schloss Fall, is a neo-Gothic castle built in the 1830s for Count Alexander von Benckendorff, a close associate of Tsar Nicholas^I. It now houses a museum and hosts concerts and exhibitions.

(1) Keila Waterfall is also one of Estonia’s widest and most powerful waterfalls, standing approximately 6 metres high. Below it, the old mill – now converted into a small hydroelectric power station – is reflected in the river.

(3) The ruins of Meremõisa Manor (Meremõisa mõis) stand with their stone walls rising up in the middle of the park.

(5) The Benckendorff family’s neoclassical mausoleum chapel, recognisable by its pediment and round oculus, stands in a pine forest on Kabelimägi Hill, surrounded by the family’s graves.