Pop-up Café Days - Seto Kostipäiv 2023

On Seto Pop-up Café Days, you have the opportunity to visit cozy cafes at homes, farmsteads and some surprising venues as well. On that day, you will hear the sounds of musical instruments and traditional Seto singing called Seto leelo, see the beauty of Seto traditional clothes and have the dishes made using grandmothers’ recipes caress your tastebuds. Enjoy traditional Seto dishes as well as new delicacies made of local produce. Let the hospitality of Setos entertain you! In case you missed our event this year - you are welcome next year - on August 10-11, 2024.

We are very grateful to our photographers, who took pictures in cafes in 2023 - Martin Ivask, Andres Treial ja Helen Tulp. The event is over, but we can still get back to the emotions through photos. Click on the name of the photographer and you will see, where the pictures were taken.

You are welcome to enjoy our Pop-up Café Days
ON SATURDAY, 12 AUGUST 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. NB! ObiNizza Üülokaal (Night Club) is open until midnight on Saturday!
ON SUNDAY (Leftover day) 13 AUGUST 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. On Sunday, the cooks look into the kitchen and serve what they still have left from the previous day.

Every café has a marking whether it’s open only on Saturday (Sat) or on both days (Sa, Su). In 2023, there are 20 cafes located along the 100-kilometer route of the Seto Village Belt. You can already take a peek into the introductions of our cafes. Information about extra activities of the cafes will be added over time. Or have a look at our Facebook page Seto Küük ja Seto Kostipäiv.

1  LINNUSÕBRA PESÄ, Toomasmäe (Sa)
2  INARA VANAVALGÕ KOHVITARÕ, Mikitamäe (Sa)
3  VÄIKESAARE, Usinitsa (Sa, Su)
4  KALAMAITSETE MAJAKAS, Rõsna (Sa, Su)
5  SAMMÕLSUU SÖÖGITARÕ, Velna (Sa)
6  KORRAKS GARAAŽI ALLA, Värska (Sa)
8  MAAGÕKÕSÕ MAITSÕ', Saabolda (Sa)
9  KRIISA TALO KOSTIKOTUS, Litvina (Sa, Su)
10  VANA TARE TAGA, Kolossova (Sa)
11  NÄPOTÜÜ KOTUS, Matsuri (Sa, Su)
12  MÕTSAVEERE JUTUSS, Hilana (Sa)
13  OBINIZZA ÜÜLOKAAL, Obinitsa (Sa until midnight!, Su)
14  ILMAVEERE MAKUSS ELO, Obinitsa (Sa, Su)
15  HARRÕORO HÄMMÄTÜS, Masluva (Sa, Su)
16  RIKKA IVVANI MAN, Küllätüvä (Sa)
17  UMASTÕ TSÄIMAJA, Tsergondõ (Sa)
18  PIUSA VEEREH, Jõksi (Sa, Su)
19  TÄPSU KUTS KOSTILÕ, Vinski (Sa, Su)
20  PIIRI VEEREH, Vinski (Sa, Su)
21  ILOLINÕ KIRSI TALO, Meremäe (Sa)

Note to groups. On Seto Café Days, the participating cafes act as pop-up cafes and they don’t serve food on daily basis. Therefore, smaller groups are preferred. If there are over 15 people in your group, we ask you to inform the cafes about your arrival beforehand. Thank you for taking our request into consideration! This way, we can offer the most pleasant experience for all the guests.

Accessibility. In the future, we intend to pay more attention to accessibility. Most of the cafes are located outdoors, so there is wheelchair accessibility. As a next step, this time the possibility of disabled WC is available in Värska Kultuurimaja and Obinitsa square of flags.

You can find the cafes with the help of your smartphone or by following the markings along the roads. You can prepare your personal route beforehand. Click on the name of a café and then you can see which actions you can take with your smartphone. Maps of Setomaa can be purchased from Tourism Information Points. If you come by bike, take a train to get closer to the area (Ilumetsa, Orava or Piusa train stops).

NB! Saatse “boot”. Along the Värska-Saabolda road, you will enter a section of a road (called Saatse “boot”) that passes through the territory of Russian Federation. You can drive on that road sections, but stopping is prohibited. Just follow the road and keep going, ignoring the Google Maps’ suggestion to turn onto small forest roads. You can get acquainted with the area by looking at the video.

Our star – blackcurrant! Every year, there is special ingredient or topic that is central to every café. As Setomaa has become known as a hub of organic berry and vegetable cultivation and organic blackcurrant is widely cultivated here, we have chosen this powerful berry to be the star of cafes this year. Every café provides some dish that has been made of blackcurrants. In addition, different blackcurrant products, such as juice, jams, lemonade, powder etc., will be provided for sale at the cafes.

Café days will be started differently. At some cafes, the hosts hoist the Seto flag, sing the Seto national anthem or Seto leelo, the traditional polyphonic singing. At Rikas Ivvan Café, the hosts will tell the story of their farm. Make sure to read to the cafes’ introductions before going on the tour! Some activities are listed in the booklet of Seto Café Days. You can get the booklet from the first café you are visiting, or a couple of days beforehand from Tartu Visitor Center, from ABZ Reisid (Tours) in Võru and from Hotel Pesa in Põlva.

2023 – Be Active Year. Before and after a meal, it’s healthy to get some movement. The cafes provide different possibilities to get active. The Kriisa Farm Café, for instance, calls the guests to take part in an orienteering game in their village. At Väikesaare and Näpotüü Kotus cafes, guests will be asked to join on tours to see the local Orthodox chapels. You can also go rafting on a pont (at Harrõoro Hämmätüs Café), or go swimming at different places. Many cafes provide dancing, either taking part in Seto dances workshop or attending a garage disco (at Café Korraks Garaaži Alla). Exact itineraries are presented in the bios of cafes, and you also ought to have some luck. Seto Café Day is a process, a slow passing through time.

Enjoy sauna! 2023 is declared to be Sauna Year as well. So, there are also saunas available at Seto Café Days. Grab your swimming suit and a towel, to feel comfortable. Saunas are provided at following cafes: Linnusõbra Pesä, Piiri Veereh and Ilolinõ Kirsi Talo. Read more about every café for more detailed information.

Different ways to spend Saturday evening. You are welcome at ObiNizza Üülokaal (Night Club), where you have a new artist performing at every full hour. Program is tight, full of poetry and songs, Seto traditional songs and instrumental music. For more information, take a closer look at the café’s page. Café Näpotüü Kotus plans to lit a fire on Saturday night, and there might be more things happening that night.

Summer in Setomaa is filled with different events. Parallel to Seto Café Days, there is Treski music and inspiration festival. You can go and dance off all the calories you have consumed during the day. For more information, look TreskiFest website.

PRACTICAL TIPS.
Cold storage box. You can only that much, and it is not healthy to eat very much. Therefore, it’s a good idea to bring a cold storage box with you. This way, you can buy snacks and food souvenirs for those at home, and to remind you of that special day when you’re back at home or the hotel. It’s also recommended to have some cash on you.
Cash. It’s a bonus when you can pay with card at some of the cafes, but most of the cafes are located on traditional farmsteads with no modern payment possibilities. Cash can be withdrawn from the Swedbank ATM in Värska Cultural Center and from COOP stores (at Mikitamäe, Värska and Obinitsa).
Fill your car! When you are all full, take care of your vehicle as well. The only fuel station of Setomaa is located in Värska (Olerex station). There are fuel stations also in Räpina and Vastseliina, both very near to Setomaa.

The Seto Café Day cycle is part of the European Cultural Capital Tartu 2024 main program and is supported by the South-Estonian Community Program.