A dominant element in Elva is the train station which today is a visitors' information center and which used to be an important trade route in the past centuries.

The Elva river, with old water mill sites and rapid banks, is popular for canoeing.

In winter skiers can participate in the Tartu Marathon, belonging to the Worldloppet series.

Its 60 km track from Otepää to Elva can be cycled through on mountain bikes in summer.

In August 1944 surroundings of Elva became a bloody battlefield between Hyazinth von Strachwitz's Panzer brigade and the Red Army.