Jõekääre maailmas on palju-

This quiet swinging suspension bridge over the Pefferlaw River will soon be filled with screaming, jumping children in July as Jõekääru Children's Camp starts up again. For many of us, it was one of the fondest memories of summer camp.

Upon arrival we would run to the barracks to claim the best bunk with a friend (away from the counsellor), park the suitcases (including pop and candy, not allowed) near a wall with the most hooks, then finally charge onto the bridge. We would always look for the swans to come floating by; sometimes we could spot clams and frogs in the water. Usually we would jump in unison to see if the bridge would come crashing down. Surprisingly, it has held up for over 50 years with some repairs/rebuilds in between.

Another suspension bridge in Estonia also has an interesting story. It was commissioned by the von Mensenkampf family in 1879 to provide a scenic route across the Tarvastu River to the family chapel in the manor park (postcard info here).The Tarvastu estate is located near the Tarvastu river, halfway between Viljandi and Võrtsjärv, and was owned by this family from 1820s until 1919.



The iron portals and rails were built built in Riga, Latvia, by Felser & Company and were given as a gift by the family to the city of Viljandi in 1929. However, the bridge was not installed until 1931, as it had to be disassembled first and brought by truck from Tarvastu to Viljandi, which was very expensive and time consuming, as described in this article by Postimees from October 21, 1930.

The familiar red and white posts of the Viljandi suspension bridge are now a landmark, along with the castle ruins and historic city centre. Visitors use it to cross the 13 metre deep valley below from the castle to the park.

Viljandi is host to the folk music Pärimusmuusika Festival from July 22 to 25; JK Jazz Festival takes place at Jõekääru summer camp on August 28 and 29 - both bridges will be teeming with visitors this and every summer!