This waterfall is one of the main natural attractions of Estonia. It is one of the largest in the country. It was in this place in the XIII century that the country's first water mill was installed. He is called, like the river, Jagal.
Waterfalls in Estonia
In addition to Jagala, in Estonia there are about 30 waterfalls of various sizes. The highest of them is Valaste (30.5 meters). It is located in the northern part of the country and is its symbol. According to historical information, this waterfall was created by people in order to drain fertile lands.
Yagala waterfall has long been popularly called Yoarungas.
Location
This natural miracle is located 25 kilometers from the city of Tallinn (eastward), not far from the Tallin-Narva highway. Located in Harju County, Jõelähtme Parish. Only 4 kilometers separate it from the Gulf of Finland, where the river flows.
How to get to Jagala Falls? It’s more convenient to get to it by car. And going to the waterfall by bus, you should get off at the Jõelähtme stop, and then go for about 3.5 kilometers in a northeast direction.
Description
The height of the Jagala waterfall is 8 meters, the width of the vertical stream during the flood period ranges from 50-70 meters.
The river of the same name flows along the northern clay of Estonia, which is part of the Baltic clay. The latter extends from Lake Ladoga to Sweden’s Oland Island. The waterfall itself was formed where the surface of the clay ends, and the stream of water can only fall down.
In summer, the river becomes smaller, therefore the waterfall slightly narrows in size. It is best for tourists to come here in spring when the river is filled with rainwater and thawed snow. At this time, Jagala Falls becomes more abundant and twice as wide. In winter, on the contrary, almost all water freezes and forms huge drooping icicles.
The depth of the river above the waterfall is not very large (ankle-deep), so tourists can easily ford during the summer. Previously, this place was used as a crossing, which was popularly called the "horse trail." You can go down the wooden stairs.
Since 1959, the waterfall has become a protected object in Estonia.
Neighborhood
A short distance from the Estonian Jagal Falls is a hydroelectric power station, where the famous film "Stalker" was shot (directed by A. A. Tarkovsky).
At some distance from Jagala, downstream of the river, there are rapids, after which on the right bank of the river you can see the ancient Estonian settlement - Jõesuu. It covers an area of about 3.5 hectares and is one of the largest in Estonia.
Feature
The waters flowing downward are swift. They actively erode under themselves a clay formed from limestone rocks. The destruction of the edge of the cliff occurs at a speed of about 3 centimeters per year. In this regard, the riverbed along the arc is gradually shifting towards the source, creating a wonderful picturesque valley with a length of about 300 meters. At the same time, the width of the Jagala waterfall is almost unchanged and remains at the same mark - 50 meters.
It should be noted that the marshes located upstream give a brownish tint to the water. But this does not mean that the water in the pond is bad.
Interesting fact
Under the hard layers of clay, composed of limestone, is sandstone, which is softer. It collapses much faster than the top layer. Thus, a cave is formed, hiding under the jets of water. You can walk along it all the way to the end of the waterfall and exit from the other side, but this should be done carefully, since you have to go along very slippery stones.
As noted above, the upper one is more durable, the clay layer also collapses under the powerful pressure of the water, so every year the waterfall recedes 20 cm upstream of the river.