Kurro Nature Spa - A Forest Retreat On The Northern Shore Of Lake Peipus

Kurro Nature Spa opened on August 17, 2026, in northeastern Estonia, and it already has some unusual numbers. There are 96 rooms and one 200 m² (2,153 sq ft) suite that takes up the entire top floor, with its own private sauna and steam area. The spa covers about 1,500 m² (16,146 sq ft) and has seven saunas, including an onion sauna, an ice bath at 8°C (46°F) and an outdoor pool.

Greenery grows on the roofs, the breakfast buffet includes onion pies, and about 70 percent of the team was recruited locally. On weekends there is a two-night minimum stay, which the hotel says is meant to stop you from rushing through the spa.

Northeastern Estonia

Kurro is in the village of Uusküla, in Alutaguse Municipality, Ida-Viru County. It sits between the Alutaguse forests and the shore of Lake Peipus, in an area of forests and bogs. Lake Peipus covers 3,555 km² (1,373 sq mi) and is the fifth-largest lake in Europe. The hotel is a short walk from the water, and Peipsi Lounge can be reached straight from the beach.

Tallinn Airport is about two hours away by car and Tartu Airport about one hour. Airport transfers can be arranged. A bus stop named Kurro Spa connects the hotel with Jõhvi. If you drive, there is outdoor parking next to the hotel with electric vehicle charging points, and a limited number of spaces in a heated garage beneath the building.

How It Started

The project began with Jako Kapp, a private owner who grew up in the region. He saw young people leaving and traditional industries such as fishing and forestry declining, and he built the spa as a way to contribute to the area’s development and share the place where he spent his childhood.

The name also refers to local history. Uusküla means “new village,” and before it carried that name the village was known as Väike-Kurro, or “small Kurro.” Reviving the older name was a deliberate nod to earlier generations.

The concept is built around slowing down. Nature is meant to be present in the views, materials and light, and the spa was designed with space between experiences, including places to read, drink herbal tea and sit. Sales and marketing manager Kulla Kroon grew up in the region and returned after living in Tallinn. She says residents, guides, farmers and foragers have welcomed the project and are keen to introduce you to the landscape.

Dining: Lake Fish, Game And Forest Ingredients

The kitchen is led by Angelica Udeküll. Kurro Resto builds its menu around what nearby farmers, fishermen, hunters and foragers supply: fish from Lake Peipus, game, mushrooms, berries, herbs and wild plants. Instead of a long à la carte menu, the kitchen follows the seasons and preserves part of each harvest by fermenting, pickling and curing, methods rooted in Estonian food culture. Dishes are meant for sharing, and the kitchen is open.

Peipsi Lounge is the casual option. It serves lunch and lighter dishes in the evening, along with drinks, coffee and tea, and you can walk in straight from the beach.

Breakfast is a buffet of regional food. It includes onion pies, kohmakas and eggs from a small farm in Iisaku. There is also smoked fish salad, herring, local sausages, buckwheat muesli, and kama, a traditional Estonian dessert.

In your room, the Kurro taste bar replaces the minibar with hot and cold drinks and small snacks inspired by local flavors.

96 Rooms And A Top-Floor Suite

The rooms are spread across an accommodation building and a tower building. All of them have floor-to-ceiling windows and a private balcony or terrace. Views are mostly of pine forest. Partial lake views are possible from some Echo and Nest rooms on the fifth floor and some Whisper rooms on the sixth floor, but they are not guaranteed, so ask when booking.

Every room has a three-layer continental bed with natural feather duvets and pillows, full-cotton linen, an entrance area with a separate wardrobe, and a relaxation corner with an armchair and small table.

You also get a digital media centre with a large screen and sound system, individually adjustable cooling, strong sound insulation, bathrobes, a spa bag with towels and a yoga mat. The bathroom has a separate WC and shower room, and some rooms also have a bathtub.

The Room Types

Pulse is the standard room, about 30 m² (323 sq ft), for up to two people, on the 1st and 2nd floors of the accommodation building. Pets are allowed only in designated Pulse rooms, with advance confirmation from the hotel.

Tenderness is about 39 m² (420 sq ft), for up to two adults and a baby, on the 1st floor. It has a large terrace, a playground nearby, space for a stroller and a baby cot for toddlers. Potties and step stools are available in the pantry on the guest floor.

Nest is about 33 m² (355 sq ft), for up to two adults and three children up to 16 years old. A separate sleeping nook has bunk beds. It is on the 3rd to 5th floors of the tower building.

Echo is about 52 m² (560 sq ft), for up to two adults and two children. Its through layout creates two sleeping areas. One has a large bed and a balcony toward the lake, and the other has separate beds and a forest view. It is on the 3rd to 6th floors of the tower building.

Whisper is about 30 m² (323 sq ft), for up to two people, on the 2nd floor of the accommodation building and the 6th floor of the tower building. It has a Kurro taste and cocktail bar.

The Kurro Suite is about 200 m² (2,153 sq ft) and takes up the whole top floor. It has two bedrooms with private bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen with a wine cooler, a living area for up to 10 people, a balcony spanning the floor and a separate wardrobe room. The private spa area has a Finnish sauna at 90°C (194°F), a steam and foam sauna and a relaxation bath. Special booking conditions apply, and reservations are made by contacting the hotel.

The Breath Room: A Larger Standard Room Suited To Longer Stays

Breath is about 39 m² (420 sq ft), roughly 9 m² (97 sq ft) larger than Pulse. It sits on the 1st and 2nd floors of the accommodation building and is for one or two people.

The main difference from Pulse is a separate area with a spacious wardrobe, in addition to the entrance wardrobe every room has.

The standard features apply: a king-size bed or two single beds, floor-to-ceiling windows, a private balcony or terrace, a relaxation corner by the window, a yoga mat, the Kurro taste bar and individually adjustable cooling.

The Spa: Pools, Treatments And Saunas

The spa covers about 1,500 m² (16,146 sq ft). Your room rate includes the Flow water and relaxation area, the gym, the yoga room, the library and the children’s playrooms. If you are not staying at the hotel, you can visit the spa by prior arrangement, subject to availability, because the hotel limits capacity.

Pools: Flow is open to all ages. It has these pools:

• Swimming pool: 25 m (82 ft) long, 28°C (82°F), 1.4 m (4.6 ft) deep
• Relaxation pool: 32°C (90°F), 1.2 m (3.9 ft) deep
• Children’s pool: 34°C (93°F), 0.3 m (1 ft) deep
• Baby jacuzzi: 34°C (93°F), 0.2 m (8 in) deep

The areas for ages 16 and older have more water. Glow has a jacuzzi at 32°C (90°F), 0.9 m (3 ft) deep, and a sun terrace. Ash has an outdoor pool at 30°C (86°F), 1.2 m (3.9 ft) deep, and an ice bath at 8°C (46°F), 1.1 m (3.6 ft) deep.

Treatments: An entire floor is given to treatments, with 12 treatment rooms, a lounge with herbal tea and water, a sun terrace and a wellness shop. The products come from the Italian brand Comfort Zone. They are natural in origin, clinically tested and made in a carbon-neutral facility in Parma, and the spa says they contain no animal derivatives, parabens or silicones.

The Seven Saunas

Saunas: There are seven in total, spread over three areas.

Flow has a warm room at 50–60°C (122–140°F) with 40–55% humidity.

Glow is for ages 16 and older and has three saunas:

• Steam sauna: 40–45°C (104–113°F), 96–98% humidity
• Wood sauna: 45–60°C (113–140°F), 40–55% humidity
• A hot sauna known as the hot tub: 80–100°C (176–212°F), 5–15% humidity

Ash is also for ages 16 and older and has three saunas:

• Hot sauna: 80–100°C (176–212°F), 5–15% humidity
• Salt sauna: 45–60°C (113–140°F), 40–55% humidity
• Onion sauna: 60–70°C (140–158°F), 5–15% humidity

Glow and Ash are meant to work as a pair, alternating heat and cold. Access is available for an additional fee and covers your whole stay.

The Surroundings: Forest Trails, Lake Peipus And Old Believer Villages

The grounds have nearly 3 km (1.9 mi) of forest trails. Tennis and padel courts are on site, and yoga and meditation are offered. Guided activities include forest walks, foraging, birdwatching and fishing with local fishermen. The season shapes what you find: blueberries and lingonberries in summer, mushrooms in autumn. Children can join guided outings, such as learning to read animal tracks.

Beyond the property, the hotel is at the northern end of Lake Peipus, which makes it a base for travel south along the Estonian shore. Alatskivi Castle is in that direction.

The area also has villages along the Onion Route, which are tied to the Old Believers, a community that separated from the Russian Orthodox Church almost 400 years ago. Life there centers on farms with textile workshops and onion fields. Onions also appear in the spa’s onion sauna and on the breakfast buffet.