Parking place and start of the Ehijärve road trail (Antsla Parish)

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The trail starts near the largest lake in Karula National Park. Lake Ähijärv (total area 176 ha) and Ähijärve village are situated right in the heart of the national park. Biologists refer to the lake as a typical eutrophic lake, while fishermen speak of it as a good spot to catch zander, bream, pike, perch, eel and smaller species.
Ähijärve village is located on the transition of two types of landscape—the expanse of natural landscape and semi-natural landscape. Peräjärve–Labassaare forests cover the southern shore of the lake. The southern peaks of Karula upland—Lossi and Kõrgemägi hills—are seen from the lakeshore, in the west the Plaagi hill rises against the horizon. Ähijärve village and freehold farms were established in the mid-nineteenth century, whereas human settlement in the area dates back to the 13th century—Sarik-Siimani farm, for example, was built on a burial ground from this period. Ähijärve village is surrounded by a dense network of roads, the layout of which has changed. The Ähijärve roads and paths trail brings these once often treaded paths back to life and runs along the pasture road, the shore path of Lake Ähijärv, footpath, forest paths, winter roads, horse roads and gravel road.