Parnu County
Pärnu County is the biggest county in Estonia (area 4806 sq km, population ca 100,000). For an Estonian the County of Pärnu has always been associated with the Summer Capital Pärnu and beautiful sandy beach of several kilometers in length. The first bathing institution was erected in Pärnu before 1838. The tourist who wants to learn about the County of Pärnu in detail must reserve a few days to see and experience everything. About half of the territory of the county is covered with forests; the common forester dwellers here are bears, wolves and lynxes. Many rare bird species also live in the County of Pärnu. The 10,000 year old Stone Age settlement found in the Village of Pulli in Pärnu County is the oldest known sign of human activity in Estonia. People of the Islands of Manilaiu and Kihnu, in the County of Pärnu, have, despite hard times, managed to preserve peculiar cultural traditions. Even nowadays women in Kihnu wear national skirts in bright colours as their everyday clothing and men have been loyal to the traditional source of living - fishing. The famous Estonian writer Lydia Koidula and the leader of the National Movement Carl Robert Jakobson originated from the County of Pärnu. There are plenty of things to see and discover in the Pärnu County!Soomaa Nature Park comprises 7092 hectares of bogs, marshes, primeval forests and rivers in the Parishes of Tori, Vändra and Paikuse. In addition to camping you can make close contact with wild and untouched nature by canoeing. The region is unique in the Northern Europe for its regular springtime floods.
Nigula Nature Reserve covers 2771 hectares of untouched marshes in the Parishes of Tali and Häädemeeste. You can learn the origin of the marshes, flora and fauna in the Reserve; you can also see the unique meat-eating plants! For those, who like exploring, special planked hiking trails have been built.
Nätsi-Võlla Bog with its many bog-pools rich in different plant species offers an unforgettable natural experience. In the old times of manors the "right of the first night" (droite de seigneur) was in force here. Legend tells that maidens, who did not like the landlords, choose a bog lake to be their bridegroom, where they turned into water lilies.
Lavassaare Narrow-Gauge Railway Museum with more than 30 exhibits, steam locomotives - rail cars, is the biggest of its kind in the Baltic States and one of the biggest in Europe. The first narrow-gauge railway in Estonia was opened on 5 October 1896 between the towns of Pärnu and Valga.
Kihnu Island is the seventh biggest island in Estonia. The first signs of human settlement on the Island of Kihnu date back some 3000 years. The island is first mentioned in written documents in 1386. The population of Kihnu was formed from the Estonians who came here from the Counties of Saare and Lääne and the Island of Muhu. Also the Livonians and the Swedes have lived on the island. In Kihnu the ancient life-style, national dress and traditions have been preserved to the present day.
