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.
Pärnu
Why visit Pärnu
Pärnu is truly green – parks, tree-lined alleys, flowerbeds and bushes in the front and back gardens of private homes make up one-fifth of its total area. Enjoying a walk in and around the city and combining it with curative treatments in the spas which has proved successful through centuries is an idea of a perfect green holiday in Pärnu.
Get acquainted with functionalist resort architecture masterpieces, admire romantic wooden villas, choose from nine excellent spas and wellness centres, enjoy high-class golf courses, surf centres and a racetrack, visit two National Parks and a truly unique Kihnu island.
Pärnu’s attractions are plentiful and varied, catering to every taste.
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
Rakvere has long history with ancient buildings, for example the Rakvere Castle from 13th century. The Pikk (long) street was most important street in 19th and 20th century – now the street is renovated to a beautiful promenade.
In the beginning of June city celebrates the birthday (founded 1302- over 719 years) with City Festival. Every year there is a fair throughout the Pikk street. Rakvere has been named the smallest city in Europe with a full-scale professional repertoire theater. Rakvere Theater is located in old manor and has beautiful old park with ponds.
Photo © Kristina Litvjak
Photo © Juhani Särglep
Getting there
Pärnu is located between Riga, Helsinki and Stockholm and the easiest to get here is by flying to Tallinn, Estonia or Riga, Latvia. Pärnu is almost half-way between the two, on the international Via Baltica or E67 road, only a couple of hours by car from each.
The largest port of Estonia is in Tallinn where ferries from Helsinki arrive at almost every hour. Pärnu has a yachting marina for sailors.
Photo © Eimantas Raulinaitis
Getting around
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 go to. So a few hours of cycling in Pärnu is a must do.
In addition to international routes, we have mapped out some routes that should make your cycling much more comfortable. This means that you do not have to drive on the big highway when coming to or from Riga. When you go to Soomaa, you can enjoy pleasant and peaceful nature. A good quiet road leads to Kihnu.
The bus traffic is good and offers connections throughout the county.
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
Did you know that, of Estonia’s five national parks, two are partially located in Pärnu county (Matsalu and Soomaa)? None of the other Estonian counties match Pärnu in offering such versatile opportunities for recreation and vacationing in nature.
On your green holiday in Pärnu you will find natural beaches, endless quiet bogs and ancient forests. Many hiking trails and bird watching towers await you. In addition to hiking, river canoeing and kayaking trips are a great way to spend time in nature. Soomaa’s fifth season offers fascinating opportunities for this.
Another unique experience is bog walking with snowshoes. Snowshoes are special footwear designed to hike on thick snow, but can be modified for swampy ground. For these hikes we recommend our excellent guides. Every summer, city cows dwell on Pärnu’s coastal grasslands and they have become a popular sight among the visitors to our town.
Photo © Priidu Saart
Photo © Mati Kose
Sustainability
In 2020, Pärnu was voted the most sustainable destination of the Baltic Sea countries. The city is special because of its sea, rivers, beaches and promenades and its many parks, avenues and forest groves. Pärnu’s diversity and amenities have made it a resort with a 180 year history, which is why protecting and valuing its nature is a priority when it comes to the development of the city. The strengths of the unique city of Pärnu include a friendly, functional and attractive environment with a lively and compact historical city centre.
Health and Safety
The government has established requirements on which the Health Board’s guidelines for various companies providing tourism services are based. The most important among these is a requirement for people to keep safe distance (2 + 2) to each other when and where possible. Reception and cashier desks are often equipped with physical protection screens.
An obligation to wear a mask or to cover one’s nose and mouth is introduced in public indoor spaces, including public transport and service points. Restaurants, museums, spas and attractions are open and welcoming visitors, with precaution methods and processes in place – to ensure, that people are and feel safe. With the HOIA mobile app, you can quickly find out about possible close contact with a COVID-19 infected person, allowing you to take steps to protect your own health and the health of others.
Photo © Priidu Saart
Good Practice Story
Pärnu’s success story is about a protected coastal meadow being opened to the public and maintained by cows. The coastal meadows under Natura2000 protection are located next to Pärnu beach, which is the city’s main attraction. Many were initially unhappy as the protected area restricts the expansion of the beach. However, the city managed to figure out how to introduce people to the protected area, make them appreciate the natural value of it and offer them an alternative to sunbathing on the beach. The protected beach now includes an educational nature trail as well as observation towers and is maintained by the city cows.
Read more
GOOD 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 © Siim Verner
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
In 2020, Pärnu was voted the most sustainable destination of the Baltic Sea countries. The city is special because of its sea, rivers, beaches and promenades and its many parks, avenues and forest groves. Pärnu’s diversity and amenities have made it a resort with a 180 year history, which is why protecting and valuing its nature is a priority when it comes to the development of the city. The strengths of the unique city of Pärnu include a friendly, functional and attractive environment with a lively and compact historical city centre.
Pärnu is also one of the 2021 Sustainable Top 100 destinations. The competition for international sustainable travel destination success stories is organised by Green Destinations to recognise places that put effort into making the experience of visitors more sustainable and value-based. Pärnu’s success story is about a protected coastal meadow being opened to the public and maintained by cows. The coastal meadows under Natura2000 protection are located next to Pärnu beach, which is the city’s main attraction. Many were initially unhappy as the protected area restricts the expansion of the beach. However, the city managed to figure out how to introduce people to the protected area, make them appreciate the natural value of it and offer them an alternative to sunbathing on the beach. The protected beach now includes an educational nature trail as well as observation towers and is maintained by the city cows.
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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