Saatse muuseum

About the museum

The Saatse muuseum (Saatse Museum) was founded in 1974 by Viktor Veeber, a long-time teacher and headmaster of Saatse School. It is the oldest museum of Setomaa on present-day Estonian territory and also the house of the Setomaa Museums (Setomaa Muuseumid) that lies closest to the border.

On 13 May 2022 a border-themed permanent exhibition, “Õgal as´al omma piiri” (Everyone Has Their Own Border), opened in the museum. The exhibition deals with the border not only as a line running across a map, but also as a concept linked to identity and culture. In addition to objects and stories, visitors can explore interactive European and Setomaa culture maps and an animated film made for this exhibition in the exhibition room. The team producing the exhibition cooperated with OÜ Blueray, which has experience in the museum field; the visual design of the exhibition areas was shaped with the interior architecture studio Ruumimeister.

In the museum yard there is a landscape game, “Väigokõnõ Setomaa”, which works as a mobile app. On an area of about two hectares a kind of mini-Setomaa with twelve nulks (traditional Seto districts) has been created, and through tasks visitors learn about the different meanings of the border as well as about the division of Setomaa into nulks. Since 2024 the museum has also hosted the personal exhibition “Kuku tuba” in memory of the actor Arvo Kukumäe (1958–2017); he grew up near Saatse in the village of Litvina and began his schooling at Saatse School. A hiking trail starts from the museum, and in two yard areas it is possible to spend the night in small summer cottages. The museum is part of the Setomaa Museums.

Highlights

• Border-themed permanent exhibition “Õgal as´al omma piiri” (Everyone Has Their Own Border)
• Interactive European and Setomaa culture maps and an animated film
• Personal exhibition “Kuku tuba” in memory of the actor Arvo Kukumäe
• Landscape game “Väigokõnõ Setomaa” in the museum yard
• Hiking trail from the museum and overnight stays in summer cottages

Permanent exhibitions

• Õgal as´al omma piiri – The border-themed permanent exhibition deals with the concept of the border through Seto identity and culture; interactive culture maps and an animated film are used.
• Kuku tuba – The personal exhibition is dedicated to the actor Arvo Kukumäe (1958–2017), who grew up near Saatse.

Founded

1974

Operated by

Setomaa Muuseumid

Admission & discounts

Prices from 1 September to 31 May: full ticket €8, reduced ticket €6, family ticket €20; for groups (over 16 people) full ticket €6 and reduced ticket €4. Prices from 1 June to 31 August: full ticket €10, reduced ticket €7, family ticket €24, full ticket for groups €8 and reduced ticket €5. Joint tickets for several houses (Värska Farm Museum, Värska Visitor Centre, and the Saatse and Obinitsa museums): a full ticket for two houses €12 (€16 in summer), for three houses €17 (€25 in summer), for four houses €26 (€34 in summer). Free admission for pupils of Setomaa schools, visitors in Seto folk costume at events, and children up to and including 7 years of age. On presentation of the relevant document, free admission also applies to the tour group leader, guide and bus driver, holders of an ICOM card, museum employees and members of museum associations, journalists on assignment, repressed persons, conscripts and the companions of pupil groups. Prices and discounts do not apply to special events that have a separate price. Holders of the family card receive a 20% discount on the full ticket, the pupil ticket and the family ticket.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Wheelchair users have access to the yard areas and the ground floors of the museums. The options of each museum should be checked more closely before a visit.

Kids & families

In the museum yard you can play the landscape game “Väigokõnõ Setomaa”, a mobile app which introduces the concept of the border and the division of Setomaa into nulks through tasks.

Getting there & parking

The only petrol station in Setomaa Rural Municipality is in Värska; the nearest other filling stations are in Räpina, Vastseliina, Võru and Põlva. For hikers, the Metsa hiking trail, which is part of the European long-distance trail E11, is suitable.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit