A new gem in South Estonia: Watermill Resort in Valga county
Our exploration of holiday homes in Estonia this year has had a particularly pleasant start in Valgamaa, in the village of Leebiku, where the newly completed Watermill Resort has opened its doors right on the banks of the Õhne River. And "resort" is truly the right word, as "holiday home" doesn't do enough justice to this private nature spa.
Watermill Resort is a place where luxury meets rustic charm, modernity meets history. It is a place best enjoyed as a couple, but if desired, you can bring the kids along – everything you need is provided in the house, making it perfect for a family vacation as well!
And it's not a new building at all; it has been completely restored and renovated under the new diligent owners, transforming the former granary/old junk shed of the Leebiku Manor watermill.
By the way, the first documents of the Leebiku watermill date back to 1894, when the current building was marked on the plans.
Old documents reveal that the granary walls were made of logs, with the floor and ceiling made of planks. This is why part of the current living room wall is made of logs, preserving a piece of the building's history. Additionally, historical wooden beams are used in the interior design.
During the restoration of the building, it was also discovered that there were many bomb fragments in the logs, indicating that the building withstood World War II bombings and remained standing.
During the kolkhoz era, the granary associated with the mill operated as a woodworking shop.They made simple wooden products there, such as window frames, wooden doors, etc. The woodworking shop last operated in the 1990s and later stood empty until 2021, when it was put up for sale and found a new owner who wanted to give the old building a new, dignified life. The renovated building became a cozy accommodation named Watermill River House.
In the spacious kitchen-living room, calming tones and simple natural textures dominate, and everything you need for a comfortable stay is provided: the kitchen is equipped with an oven, induction stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, toaster, coffee machine – even a minibar!
In the corner furnished with a sofa, a speaker awaits to play your favorite playlist and enjoy the morning sun shining directly into the room over the river! There is also a television, but the beautiful view full of greenery is certainly better ;)
A door leads to a spacious bathroom with a rain shower that seamlessly blends with the rest of the interior design, and where everything you need is available, such as towels, a hairdryer, and an iron with an ironing board.
The bedroom decor has something that brings immediate peace and the desire to curl up (probably thanks to our favorite blackout curtains :) ) and a bed topped with bathrobes and slippers, inviting you to shed the everyday stress and feel especially pampered on vacation.
Next to the bed is a very nice selection of books - just the kind that suits a relaxing holiday. The bedroom is characterized by a striking wall picture made from birch bark - crafted right here in Estonia.
Put on the bathrobe, slip into the slippers, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and move to this beautiful terrace where the sun shines all day - perfect for summer lounging!
The terrace features a dining table, perfect for summer meals, and a heated hot tub - especially delightful when the air starts to cool in the evening accompanied by birdsong.
And right next to the terrace is probably the star of every summer -an outdoor kitchen with a Kamado ceramic grill - and charcoal is provided on-site!
Not only that, the outdoor kitchen also includes a smoke oven! This is definitely a first among our holiday home visits - fishermen, this is your chance. There's a river in front of the house where you can catch fish (Watermill Resort also offers fishing equipment) and then smoke it right away.
To the right of the terrace is the iconic ÖÖD mirror sauna, offering a view of the Õhne River. You can also play your music via Bluetooth while in the sauna.
You can see how Watermill Resort is like a true natural spa - you can move from the hot tub to the sauna, refresh yourself in the river, and then run back to the sauna, brrr! :D
A convenient stone staircase has been built by the river, allowing easy access for a dip. Nearby, there is also a boat, which I recommend taking for a cruise on the river early in the morning or late in the evening- it's a magical experience at those times.
And what's unique about Watermill Resort -you can order pizza to your holiday home - for those times when the fish aren't biting! :) Watermill Resort has an arrangement with a pizza restaurant in Tõrva to deliver your order to the holiday home for just 5€. We tried it and highly recommend it - the pizzas (and potato waffles) were perfect! No picture of them, as we were too eager to eat :)
But the Watermill Resort hosts have also thought about breakfast in a very cool and inspiring way!
What else to do?
Southern Estonia has always been loved for its beautiful lush nature, so there is plenty to explore everywhere. However, we have to admit that we felt so comfortable at the Watermill Resort that we didn’t want to wander much this time, so we limited ourselves to visiting the ruins and caves of Helme Castle.
We were incredibly lucky with the beautiful weather, and since we hadn't visited the Helme caves in a while, it was a real joy to recharge in the local nature and see how beautiful and well-maintained the surrounding hiking trail is. On the way, we encountered so many smiling families, clearly showing how well such a nature walk benefited everyone! Our sincere recommendation is to also take this little trip!
It's incredibly nice and inspiring to visit such 'new' places filled with soul, where something old has been taken and given a new life in such a beautiful way, allowing others to enjoy and appreciate it. Our endless respect and praise! :) Would love to be so diligent one day myself!
When it comes to Watermill Resort, it's one of the few holiday homes where we didn't want to leave at all. We're actually big homebodies and love our home very much, so usually we start missing home after two days. But here, it was time to leave and we both thought, maybe we should book one more day. If we didn't have furballs waiting at home, we would definitely have done that.
Returning home, we realized that our spirits are truly rested and there's a lightness in our hearts, with a very beautiful and invigorating weekend behind us. And Estonia is so beautiful! We'll definitely come back this summer!
By the way, Watermill Resort currently has a special offer - 5 days for a total of 990 euros, and it doesn't matter if you're a couple or with kids.
You'll also find a very good gift idea here - a Watermill River House gift card, which you can purchase in various denominations starting from 50 euros.
Book your visit to Watermill Resort HERE
You can see more pictures and stories from our vacations on our Instagram and TikTok!
Safe travels!
Liis and Ben