Pärnu County

Miles and miles of untouched nature in Matsalu and Soomaa National Park, long coastline with sandy beaches and small villages and harbours, various museums and the living museum of Kihnu Island offer something for the whole family in Pärnu County.

Heading south from Pärnu, the quiet seaside villages of Kabli,Treimani and Häädemeeste are fun to explore. Stunning sandy beaches run all the way down the coast from Pärnu to Latvia. And on a sunny day, Tolkuse Watchtower offers stunning views over the Gulf of Riga.

The RMK Rannametsa-Tolkuse Nature and Study Trail has always been popular among hikers. The circular trail, which runs partly on a boardwalk takes you through pine forests on the dunes and the Tolkuse bog.

Birdwatchers will be thrilled with the over 250 species recorded at Matsalu National Park, one of Europe’s best birdwatching destinations. Soomaa National Park straddles Pärnu and Viljandi Counties and is best known for its great flood or “fifth season”, when the water from melted snow and heavy rains floods the forest, swamps, rivers, and surrounding fields.

A mysterious cave on the steep riverbank known as Tori Hell Cave can no longer be explored, but this beautiful natural formation of the 32-metre deep “passage to hell” can be admired from the outside. The tiny village of Tori is also home to an interesting museum / horse breeding farm and the Tori Church, which serves as a memorial to all victims of World War II. And while you’re in Tori parish, you could visit the Alpaca Farm in Are where in addition to the soft wool coated alpacas, you can also see pygmy goats, miniature sheep, angora rabbits, and chickens.

Kihnu, Estonia’s seventh largest island, was included on UNESCO’s list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003. Take a 1-hour ferry ride from Munalaiu harbour (1-hour bus ride from Pärnu) to explore this tiny island’s rich cultural heritage.

DiveintothefascinatinglifeandworkofCarlRobert Jakobsonatthe FarmMuseumofC.R.Jakobson at Kurgja. Car fanatics will love the Car Museum in Loomse Village, located 25 kilometres north from Pärnu towards Tallinn. Railway enthusiasts will enjoy Estonian Museum Railway. The narrow gauge railway museum displays a whole host of locomotives from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as wellasequipmentandothertrain-relatedartefacts.