Pärnu County: stories, campsites, saunas and trails

Ghost story 14 all over Estonia →

• The restless murderer of Lihula manor
• The spirits of Allikukivi cave
• The black book of Tuudi manor
• The white goat of Vana-Pärnu cemetery
• The red foal of the Virtsu castle cellars
• The weeping sea maiden of Pootsi
• The green-haired maiden on the Jäärja stone
• The hellhound and the ghost coiners of Lihula castle
• The Devil's night fishing at Kokakivi, Manija
• Kuradimännik, the pine where the Devil hanged himself
• The whooping spirit of Silmoja swamp and the vanishing stone
• The bluish-green lights of Võlla bog
• 'Shall I hop or shall I jump?': the money spirit of Surju
• The duelling spooks of Pärnu's two trading houses

Legend 14 all over Estonia →

• The banquet in Tori Hell
• The devil's bridge-stone at Ridase
• The red ox in the treasure cellar of Paadrema
• Something living under the Liiva-aa boulder
• Kalevipoeg's pocket stone in the Pärnu river
• The giant who chained the Virtsu strait
• The Devil's sledge under the Kasari river
• Salevere Salumägi and the Devil's horns
• The Devil's stone heap at Lõpe tavern
• The Devil's house on Kiireste hill
• The crusaders' stones on Orajõe beach
• The stones of Kikepera bog
• Jäärja's lost Kadrina church
• The burning treasure of Hallipäidsu

Mystery or the unexplained 3 all over Estonia →

• A hole punched in the clouds at Virtsu
• An egg-sized stone from the sky at Kalli
• An ancient burial ground under the stones at Kadjaste

True crime 6 all over Estonia →

• Jaan Umb, the Kihnu sailor who struck back
• A June night of shooting near Lihula
• The Pärnu rebels who never crossed the river
• The wolf couple and the bear woman of Pärnu
• Honour and blood in sixteenth-century Pärnu
• Shots over a buried spirit cache at Sauga

Smugglers, spies & escapes 4 all over Estonia →

• Hirmus Ants, the Forest Brother of Soontaga
• The battle of the Ertsma bunker
• Richard Saaliste, the spy who came back by boat
• Leaving Pärnu by the river bridge, 1944

Shipwreck or sea mystery 5 all over Estonia →

• Meyersledge, bombed at anchor off Kihnu
• Everiga, sunk to block Pärnu harbour
• The schooner Planet sinks in the Pärnu river
• A baker and four pilots row out into the storm at Pärnu
• The Russian gunboat Sivuch found off Kihnu

Battle or uprising 3 all over Estonia →

• Battle of Lihula
• Battle of Moon Sound
• The fight at Timmkanal

Fire, flood or disaster 14 all over Estonia →

• Independence Manifesto read in Pärnu
• Kilingi-Nõmme school fire
• Storm flood of 1967
• Pärnu methanol poisoning
• Storm Gudrun flood
• Charles XII lands at Pärnu
• Siege and plague of Pärnu
• Pärnu's record cloudburst
• When Pärnu's powder tower blew up
• A forest fire takes Tõstamaa parsonage
• Hundreds of fishermen adrift on Pärnu Bay
• The squall that flattened Pärnu's bathing huts
• Kihnu seal hunters adrift on the ice
• Storm floods Pärnu beach and shakes the Nahksild bridge

Famous life 7 all over Estonia →

• The sexton's house where Koidula was born
• C. R. Jakobson's model farm at Kurgja
• Palusalu's memorial stone in Varbla
• Keblaste, birthplace of Jakob von Uexküll
• Konik and the moment of independence in Pärnu
• Kihnu Jõnn comes home
• Russian monarchists exiled to Kihnu

First or record 2 all over Estonia →

• Perno Postimees: Terre, armas Eesti rahvas!
• Tori, Estonia's first parish museum

Film or book location 6 all over Estonia →

• A film monastery at Kukerand
• Ferry at Noon catches fire in Virtsu harbour
• Professor Martens boards the train in Pärnu
• Poll's manor on stilts at Matsiranna
• Purge by the Kloostri bridge
• Autumn at Tori: Kiir's cattle show and tavern

Lost building or monument 6 all over Estonia →

• St Nicholas' Church of Pärnu
• Endla Theatre, the house with the balcony
• Pärnu's narrow-gauge station on the rampart
• Raeküla station, torn down for a petrol station
• Lenin Square, Pärnu
• Pööravere Manor, Middendorff's ruined home

Remembered by people who were there 5 all over Estonia →

• Endel Lukas remembers the summer war of 1941 in Kirbla
• Juhan Pohlaste remembers the 1905 revolution in Vändra
• Lembit remembers the night at the Are parish house, 25 March 1949
• Heino remembers deportation day in Vändra parish, March 1949
• Leida remembers her Kihnu childhood and the boat to Sweden in 1944

Castle or fort 5 all over Estonia →

• Lihula Castle
• Pärnu Castle
• Virtsu Castle
• Karuse hill fort
• Red Tower

Ancient hillfort 3 all over Estonia →

• Soontagana hill fort
• Lõimemägi
• Mädara linnamägi

Manor 28 all over Estonia →

• Massu Manor
• Tammiste Manor
• Illuste Manor
• Kloostri Manor
• Matsalu Manor
• Tõstamaa Manor
• Vatla Manor
• Keblaste Manor
• Lihula Manor
• Võidula Manor
• Kilingi Manor
• Koonga Manor
• Kõima Manor
• Nehatu Manor
• Pivarootsi Manor
• Pootsi Manor
• Pärnu parsonage manor
• Pööravere Manor
• Sindi Manor
• Sõõrike Manor
• Taali Manor
• Tahkuranna Manor
• Tuudi Manor
• Uue-Varbla Manor
• Vanamõisa Manor
• Veltsa Manor
• Virtsu Manor
• Voltveti Manor

Folk song 25 all over Estonia →

• Folk song from Tori: “Kokku, koorekene!”
• Folk song from Tõstamaa: “Kadrilaul”
• Folk song from Tori: “Linad liulaskjale!”
• Folk song from Kihnu: “Linad liulaskjale!”
• Folk song from Kihnu: “Uni, tule silma peale!”
• Folk song from Tori: “Onnimanni”
• Folk song from Tõstamaa: “Millal saame sinna maale? - Ajage siia! - Siidised tulevad”
• Folk song from Tõstamaa: “Sööge, langud!”
• Folk song from Tõstamaa: “Laula!”
• Folk song from Tori: “Arg kosilane”
• Folk song from Tõstamaa: “Öised orjad”
• Folk song from Tõstamaa: “Loomine”
• Folk song from Kihnu: “Harja otsimine”
• Folk song from Tori: “Kullimäng”
• Folk song from Tori: “Kuningamäng”
• Folk tune from Tori: “Lepapasun”
• Folk tune from Kirbla: “Parmupill: “Ranna labajalg””
• Folk tune from Tori: “Viiuli duett: “Harju löss” (labajalg)”
• Folk tune from Tori: “Viiuli duett: “Polka””
• Folk song from Rannametsa: “Folkloorialaseid materjale. 04”
• Folk song from Tori: “RAHVALOOMINGU VARASALVEST. Rahvaluule kogumistööst Tori ümbruses”
• Folk song from Kihnu: “Saarerahvas muheleb. Jutuajamisi Kihnu taatide ja eitedega”
• Folk song from Kihnu: “Kihnu folkloor”
• Folk song from Kihnu: “RAHVALOOMINGU VARASALVEST. Kihnu pulmakombed”
• Folk song from Tõhela: “KOOLIRAADIO KIRJANDUSTUND. Tõhela rahvalaulikud. Venda Sõelsepp”

Ancient site 6

• Äiassilma Spring
• Pulli settlement
• Kaseküla asulakoht
• Kivivõllaste mets
• Vatla asulakoht
• Kaseküla kivikirstkalme

Historic town 1

• Pärnu

Memorial or cemetery 19

• Vana-Vändra manor cemetery
• Alevi Cemetery
• August Jakobsoni monument
• Lydia Koidula Monument
• Kurgja farm cemetery
• Kaansoo cemetery
• Monument to the War of Independence in Pärnu
• Monument to Konstantin Päts
• Vana-Pärnu cemetery
• Monument to the War of Independence in Pärnu-Jaagupi
• Varbla II maailmasõjas hukkunute ühishaud
• Vändra old cemetery
• Vanapargi monument
• Pärnu kitsarööpmelise raudtee mälestusmärk
• Monument to the War of Independence in Emmu
• Monument to the War of Independence in Tori
• Vabadussõja Punapargi lahingu mälestusmärk
• Monument to the War of Independence in Audru
• Kilingi-Nõmme War of Independence memorial

Historic recording 5

• Home-place stories: Vändra, 1969
• Home-place stories: Pärnu, 1970
• Mihkli cemetery remembers Mihkel Havi's forest brothers, 2024
• Herring fishing from Munalaiu harbour, 2025
• A fisherman's life at Treimani, 1998

Landscape 2

• Allikukivi park
• Tori paljand ja koopad

Sacred stone, spring or grove 2

• Kurikivi offering stone, Põhja-Pärnumaa
• Hiieringapealne sacred grove, Poanse

Church or chapel 16

• St. Catherine's Church
• Tõstamaa Church
• Tori Church
• Lihula Church
• Kirbla Church
• Varbla Church
• Häädemeeste Orthodox Church
• Lihula Monastery
• Pootsi-Kõpu Orthodox Church
• Sindi Orthodox Church
• Kihnu orthodox church
• Kergu orthodox church
• Paadrema Orthodox Church
• St. Elizabeth's Church
• Jõõpre orthodox church
• Karuse Church

Lighthouse 3

• Virtsu Lighthouse
• Manilaid lighthouse
• Sorgu lighthouse

Erratic boulder 9

• Rehekivi
• Tellissaare viie valla piirikivi
• Tutikivi, the Devil's sauna stone at Kokuta
• Rebasekivi, the dropped bridge stone of Rõuste
• The devil's wife's bed stone at Kaseküla
• The stone on the road to Äila bog
• Suurengi kivi, aimed at St Olaf's in Tallinn
• The Devil's stone at Vihtra
• The stone that fell from the sky at Mereküla

Archive documentary 7

• Building and opening the Pärnu Great Bridge, 1937–1938
• Opening the Rumba bridge, 1937
• Tori state stud farm, 1939
• Unveiling a memorial at Päts's birthplace in Tahkuranna, 1939
• Cutting reed on the ice of Matsalu bay, 1940
• Raftsmen show their skills on the Reiu river, 1936
• C. R. Jakobson's farm at Kurgja, 1939

Campsites 5 all over Estonia →

• Krapi campsite
• Lake Rae campsite
• Lemme campsite
• Matsiranna campsite
• Soontagana campsite

Free forest huts 5 all over Estonia →

• Kaubaru forest hut
• Laiksaare forest hut
• Meiekose oak forest hut
• Soontagana forest hut
• Suitsu forest hut

Forest houses to rent 1 all over Estonia →

• Kilingi-Nõmme rental hut

Saunas 3 all over Estonia →

• Wiire smoke sauna
• Soomaa Holiday Village saunas
• Jõe holiday farm tower sauna and teepee sauna

Hiking trails 8 all over Estonia →

• Kilingi-Nõmme forest trail (shorter circle 3 km, longer circle 5 km)
• Lake Rae hiking trail (2.6 km or 4 km)
• Penijõe hiking trail (3.2–7 km)
• Salevere hiking trail (1.5 km)
• Sandra hiking trail (400 m)
• Suitsu hiking trail (1,3km)
• Tammiste forest trail (2.8 km)
• Tuhu hiking trail (1 km)

Nature study trails 7 all over Estonia →

• Kabli nature study trail (1.8 km)
• Kolga nature study trail (1.5 and 3.5 km)
• Laiksaare nature study trail (1,5 km)
• Meiekose study trail (5.6 km)
• Nigula bog study trail (6 km)
• Rannametsa–Tolkuse nature study trail (2.2 km)
• Riisa study trail (4.8 km)

Observation towers 10 all over Estonia →

• Keemu observation tower
• Kloostri observation tower
• Nigula bog study trail’s observation tower (ca 700 m from the parking)
• Penijõe observation tower
• Pikla coast observation platform
• Pikla ponds bird observation tower
• Rannametsa observation tower (ca 540 m from the parking)
• Soontagana campsite’s observation tower (1.5 km from the parking)
• Suitsu observation tower
• Tuhu hiking trail’s observation tower (50 m from the parking)

Viewpoints 1

• Memorial of Prof. Eerik Kumari

Campfire sites 13 all over Estonia →

• Katku campfire site
• Kellissaare campfire site
• Kilingi-Nõmme campfire site
• Kopra campfire site
• Meiekose Saarte campfire site
• Muinasküla campfire site
• Nedrema wooded meadow campfire site
• Penijõe campfire site
• Pertlimetsa campfire site
• Priivitsa campfire site
• Rumba campfire site
• Tõotusemäe campfire site
• Tõramaa wooded meadow campfire site

Rest stops 4

• Karusselja rest stop
• Keemu rest stop
• Suitsu rest stop
• Valgeranna rest stop

Landing stages 1

• Meiekose boater’s campfire site

Visitor centres 2

• Kabli Visitor Center
• Matsalu National Park Visitor Center

• Soomaa
• Kihnu island
• Nigula bog
• Tolkuse bog
• Tori Põrgu
• Pärnu pier
• Kasari bridge
• Laelatu wooded meadow