Mihkel Rand’s arboretum
The founder of the arboretum, Mihkel Rand, was born in 1871, right here in the Village of Neemi, in the nearby Otsa Farm, as the second son of the family.
The first species – hazel and birch – were planted by Mihkel near the dwelling house at the beginning of the 20th century. The very first tree Mihkel planted in the garden was a hazel, which is still in the garden today. The larger scale construction of the garden began in 1925, when an alley of thujas was planted in the middle of the garden, which became popularly called the alley of the girls, because if a girl and a young man were to walk along the alley hand in hand and someone happens to see it, they will remain faithful to each other, like Mihkel to his Tiiu.
Mihkel first brought trees from other parks and gardens on Saaremaa. He later purchased them from nurseries located on the mainland. However, he received a lot of planting material from sailors for whom he performed work as a blacksmith.
Mihkel’s favourites were conifers. He planted deciduous trees in the garden to show the beauty of coniferous trees.
Mihkel himself suggested visiting his garden early in the morning, when dewdrops sparkle and trees glow in the morning light, to watch their needles shine in various shades of green. ‘Everything is buzzing, everything is striving upwards, you forget your daily worries for a moment and you are free, like a bird on a branch.’
Parking
Parking for 5 cars or 1
tour bus
Amenities
Arboretum. Information
point opened from 15 May to 15 Sept.
Additional Information
Tour guide available at advance booking.
Before going on a nature walk please read the Environmental code of conduct, rules of conduct and waste-sorting policy
Restrictions
The arboretum is protected under nature conservation legislation.Further information can be obtained from the Environmental Board +372 662 5999, info@keskkonnaamet.ee
Long-Lat WGS 84
Latitude: 58.481496
Longitude: 23.109358
L-EST 97x: 448072
L-EST 97y: 6482669