Karula National Park is located in Valga and Võru Counties and was formed to preserve the nature characteristic to Estonia and to reinvigorate the sustainable way of living and the Southern Estonian rural culture. Karula Uplands is a belt of hills of the width of 5-8 km. Around the settlement of Koobassaare and on the northern shore of Lake Ähijärv, hollows left by melting of ice banks can be seen. There is an abundance of lakes decorating the landscape of Karula, with 60 of them in the uplands. Those shallow, mud-bottomed lakes provide a favourable habitat for many plant species. The scenic dome landscape of Kaika can also be found in the Karula National Park.