The Pärnu Mole, which was built at the time to enliven trade, is one of the city’s most popular attractions. The mole is approximately 1.5 kilometres long. There is also a legend accompanying the mole – according to the ancient story, young lovers must walk to the end of the mole and seal their love with a kiss there. Doing so would bring the lovers eternal love.
Järvamaa
Open fields, wild wetlands, rich cultural heritage, peace of mind
Why visit Järvamaa
Järva county in the heart of Estonia is a peaceful and safe rural destination. Its open fields, wild wetlands, quaint small towns and quiet villages allow for peace of mind to balance today’s hectic urban lifestyle. Perfect for slow travel, Järva county warmly welcomes guests keen on culture and heritage as well as hikers, cyclists and gardening enthusiasts.
Järva county is rich in bogs and springs. Apart from natural sights, visitor attractions range from historical manors to unique theme museums. All of the above would not be possible without locals – stubborn and self reliant, yet warm and friendly people.
Destination’s sustainability performance
Discover what Pärnu has to offer. What to do in Pärnu and what to see in Pärnu.
The ultimate summer holiday destination in Estonia, Pärnu attracts holiday makers with its large sandy beach, numerous restaurants, cocktail bars, spas and a relaxed, laid back vibe.
Culture & Local Life
Järva county invites to enjoy culture with local touch. Attractions include a number of historical manor houses, remarkable churches and unique theme museums that each invite the guest into a world of their own. To name but a few examples, one can visit the birthplace of Estonia’s most iconic writer and explore an impressive collection of vintage bicycles. The old town of Paide, a heritage site in its own right, will feature a museum depicting small town life in 19th century. Järva county also hosts several nationwide annual events such as the Flower Fair in Türi and Opinion Festival in Paide.
Sustainability
Järva county is a rural destination made up of small local communities, where sustainability and self-sufficiency have long been an integral part of the DNA of local people. Modern day sustainability practices and the latest approach in environmentally friendly practices across all walks of life, from water management to event organizing, are being implemented step-by-step.
Getting there
Järva county is located in the heart of Estonia, thus easy to reach from all directions. The main train station is Türi, train trip to/from Tallinn takes 1h30min. On the Tallinn-Tartu train track, the closest station for Järva county is Tamsalu. To reach Järva county by long distance bus, look for Mäo stop on the Tallinn-Tartu bus route. From Mäo there is frequent local bus connection to the main town Paide.
Getting around
Locally there is frequent bus connection between two main towns, Paide and Türi. Public bus service is also available elsewhere, but timetables are not always convenient for visitors. Therefore, to explore the rest of the county, we recommend to travel by bike or by car. Distances between various points of interest are quite short and there are many designated biking trails.
GOOD BUSINESSES
Discover accommodations, restaurants, shops and attractions that are commited to responsible development
Historic and cultural heritage
In addition to the beaches, take the opportunity to visit the Casa de Taipa Museum and the Church of São Miguel do Arcanjo.
PROMO CODE:
Historic and cultural heritage
In addition to the beaches, take the opportunity to visit the Casa de Taipa Museum and the Church of São Miguel do Arcanjo.
PROMO CODE:
Historic and cultural heritage
In addition to the beaches, take the opportunity to visit the Casa de Taipa Museum and the Church of São Miguel do Arcanjo.
PROMO CODE:
Historic and cultural heritage
In addition to the beaches, take the opportunity to visit the Casa de Taipa Museum and the Church of São Miguel do Arcanjo.
PROMO CODE:
Nature & Wildlife
Natural sights are the top reason to visit Järva county – altogether there are 14 nature reserves and 10 limited conservation areas, some spanning across the county borders. Järva county is rich in bogs and springs which are the source of some of Estonia’s longest rivers. Many designated hiking trails make wetlands easily accessible to travelers and are worth exploring in any season. The untouched forests and bogs offer refuge to different species. In sparsely populated areas even large mammals such as bear, wolf, lynx and elk feel comfortable and can be spotted with the help of local nature guides.
GOOD PRACTICE STORIES
Get inspired with stories from places and people that are acting for a fair and responsible tourism
KIRNA MANOR PARK
The proposal of the Pedagogical Tourism project is to promote environmental awareness among students through pedagogical practices in tourism, providing a direct interaction with the theme of tourism in schools, as well as working on Environmental Education in a continuous and permanent manner, as stipulated by the PNEA – National Policy for Environmental Education (law 9795/1999). Additionally, it aims to stimulate Environmental Education as a cross-cutting theme through a comprehensive set of actions, as it cannot be addressed in isolation. Sensitization provides the locals with knowledge and a sense of belonging to the tourist attractions in the area.
KNOW THEIR STORY THEIR SCORE CARDGOOD PLACES IN SAAREMAA
These places are also committed to responsible tourism, checked and certified by EHE – Authentic Estonia.
We recommend these accommodations because they are committed to responsible tourism, checked and certified by independent auditors and ecolabel programs including Green Key.
Where to stay
Accommodation on the island includes friendly guest-houses, peaceful holiday homes, holiday apartments and small hotels.
Choose the suitable ones from this website: Hiiumaa accomodation.
Good Practice Story
Biodiversity on the island is rich and suitable for many endangered species. For years American mink threatened the small remaining populations of European mink in Europe. Due to a well organised long-term project, Estonia has reintroduced a wild population of European mink at Hiiumaa.
Fundamental to the project’s success was the involvement of local stakeholders, as well as local publicity.
Read more
Travel tips from our editors
Photo © Innervisionteam
Kihnu Island
Kihnu is home to the unique traditional Kihnu culture, which has been living on the islands along Pärnu’s coast for more than 600 years. The Kihnu Cultural Space, which was added to the UNESCO Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity List in 2003, is of interest to all visitors who are interested in cultural heritage, unique nature and friendly people.
Photo © Nele Sõber
Matsalu National Park
Matsalu National Park is one of Europe’s richest areas for bird species with more than 270 different species. If you happen to go there during the spring or fall bird migration period, you will experience the unforgettable sight of large flocks.
Photo © Priit Loog
Pärnu beach and promenade
In 2018, Lonely Planet selected Pärnu as one of the Top 10 lesser-known beach cities worth visiting in the world. Pärnu Beach is the reason that the city is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each summer. It is the biggest and most beautiful beach in Estonia. Everyone has a good time here.
The warm and shallow water makes the beach particularly well-suited for families with children. Deeper water is reached after a long walk, where one can swim and the water is cooler. These conditions are also good for people who are just learning to surf. This is why Pärnu Beach is considered one of the best places in Scandinavia when it comes to learning to surf.
The beach has a beautiful promenade, which can be visited regardless of the season.
Photo © Markus Kiili
Mole
Photo © Julia Kivelä
Sooma National Park
Soomaa, with its unique landscape, bogs, flood-meadows, and dunes, is new and unexpected in every season. Soomaa’s most distinctive feature is what the inhabitants of the local villages refer to as the ‘fifth season’: in addition to spring, summer, autumn, and winter, they have the high water season.
Photo © Elena Liik
Discover Pärnu by bike
There are over 70 kilometers of light traffic roads in Pärnu. Therefore, the bicycle can be considered one of the best ways of transport to discover Pärnu. In a few hours you can make a big tour in the city, seeing areas that the average visitor often does not get to. So a few hours of cycling in Pärnu is a must do.
Sustainability Recognitions & Certifications
RECOGNITION
Järvamaa was selected in the 2022
Sustainable Destinations Top 100
CERTIFICATION
Järvamaa county, ESTONIA achieved
Green Destinations Award – Silver in 2021
Pärnu has been evaluated on the Green Destinations Core Criteria. Check out their scorecard to see their performance on each criterion.
Kristel Rääk | Chief Urban Development Specialist of Pärnu
“The city of Pärnu becomes a better place when young people will stay in their hometown, which would contribute to the development of our living environment. I wish Pärnu to be an environmentally friendly and sustainable habitat in the future. To ensure a sustainable environment, natural resources must be used wisely. An environmentally friendly society starts with each of us and everyone can contribute today!”
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