Lottemaa is located in Tahkuranna Pärnu county
Photo by Tairo Lutter / Postimees

Strolling around in Lottemaa one spots fans of all ages of the puppy- girl Lotte.  If I were a four-year-old, I'd be hanging on to my Mommy's skirt demanding to see Lotte - just like the hundreds of kids waiting in line to enter the Lotte Village on opening day - eager to find out if it's actually like the movie or the book.

Annabel (almost 7) shyly nods. The little fair-haired girl is sitting next to Lotte's Dad Oskar - Gadgetville's very best inventor - and is busy assembling a nice model car. "Just took 'em a few seconds," comments Annabel's mom Ethel with a smile, while snapping a few pictures.

Ethel, from Tallinn, thinks Lotte Village is actually better than Moomin World  in Finland. "It's better since you can get inside everything and the kids can touch everything", she explains.  Ethel says that although the place is mainly for children to explore,  it's also nice for grownups to walk around.

There were lots of Latvians around on opening day.  Marketing manager Jorgen Sumin says they will obviously need to find some Latvian-speaking guides.

There is Ineta Malinovska with her daughter Meldra all the way from Iecava in central Latvia. By midday, they still haven't tried everything, but claim it "super"!  The girl liked mostly the House of Bruno (a friend of Lotte's) where she could try out all kinds of musical instruments. The Latvians have already been to similar sites like the Astrid Lindgren Museum in Stockholm - a bit different from Lottemaa, but also worth the trip.

For those who find themselves hungry after all the tales and explorations, pancakes are on offer at House of Mamma or Lotte Cafe. An ice cream will set you back some two eruos on the average.  An exclusive in-Lottemaa-only Latvian Kārums kohuke is  €0.70.  And then there are the soups, salads, and  all kinds of other dishes.

Triin Ärm,
Postimees

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