The ice on Tamula järv, on the outskirts of town, has been planed as smooth as possible. It offers an alternative to the nearby sledding hills of Võru County, now that the snow is melting.

Not only that, but "Vastlaliug" (Shrove Tuesday sledding) is a tradition in any case. This holds true even when it comes as late in the year as March.

The smoothed ice track is about two kilometers long. Vellu Ratt, overseeing the surface, said the idea originally came from his children.

"They needed a place to skate. There was no point in making just a small rink — if we were going to do it, we might as well make it so that the whole community can skate too," he said.

This is the fifth year the Tamula ice has been used for this purpose.

When "Aktuaalne kaamera" visited on the Monday, the skaters were indeed out in force. This was despite the windy conditions.

One, Vennu Vincent, said the weather was: "Cooler than on other days because the wind pushes you along," he said.

Another, Piret, said: "It's pretty good, but the wind is really strong today. The wind pushes you when you go into a turn. But otherwise, it's great to skate — the surface is nice, and it feels good. Considering that it's been a long time since I last had skates on, it's been really enjoyable."

"Actually, it's pretty good. It's a bit windy today. Going with the wind is faster. Against the wind is a little slower. But otherwise, it's a lot of fun. The ice on Tamula is nice and smooth," a third skater, Janne Lisete, added.

Merike Õun, executive director of the Võru County sports association (Võrumaa spordiliit), said: "Skating is therapeutic. It really adds a lot to people's well-being — to glide, it's beautiful, and everything just feels right. Right now, the Baltic weather here on the shores of Tamula isn't exactly drawing huge crowds of skaters. But when the sun shines, it's both a beach day and a skating day."

The ice will be open to the public for as long as it is safe to skate on.

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