Pärnu, Estonia — a sweet little beach town…
Lying approximately half way between the two Baltic capitals of Riga and Tallinn, you’ll find the Estonian beach town of Pärnu. Renowned as the “Summer Capital of Estonia”, it’s a pretty and quaint town that is definitely worth an overnight stay… It’s certainly not a “Summer Capital of Europe”, but if you’re on a Baltic trip: stop by! Why not?
Old Town…
I arrived into Pärnu by taking a LuxExpress bus from Tallinn. Upon heading into the old town, I couldn’t help but think to myself: this town seems very ‘British’. It was reminiscent of a typical town you would find along the coast of Cornwall or Yorkshire. Quiet and cute streets with charming little cafes and restaurants — however, mixed in with a couple of Russian Orthodox churches along the way. To get a flavour of the old town, I highly recommend you check out the YouTube video I made here!
I started my day in Pärnu with just a brief walk through the old town and then some food at a restaurant named Kolhethi. I definitely recommend you try Georgian food if you are in the Baltic states — you’ll find Georgian restaurants in all three countries. But to be honest, this meal wasn’t the best I had — especially compared with Georgian food I had in Lithuania. But it was decent enough. Estonia doesn’t really have ‘its own’ cuisine, so other nationalities’ cuisines from the former Soviet Union are going to be your best bet for “traditional” food.
Beach…
Now, of course, I had no choice but to head down to Pärnu’s prized asset after my meal: its beach. It was a hot August day, so the beach was busy. Pärnu was one of the major Soviet holiday resorts back in the day, and remains a popular summer destination for Baltic holidaymakers. I heard barely any English-speaking accents, other than notably (and surprisingly!) a British mother calling upon her young child to help pack up their beach equipment… It isn’t really a holiday town well-known to westerners. Though, don’t get it twisted, English-speaking levels are high throughout Estonia — virtually everyone you will encounter speaks excellent English.
However, as to why so few westerners come to Pärnu, my answer is a frank one: it just isn’t as “good” as Europe’s most famous beach destinations. And it isn’t really a “bang for your buck” destination. Prices in the Baltic states have increased drastically in the past few years. Although you can find some reasonably priced accommodation if you book early enough (my private room in Pärnu was £45 for the night), you’ll find that eating out and drinking is at parity with prices you’ll pay in France, Germany and Britain.
Evening…
I finished my day at the beach bar. The bar was packed with people enjoying themselves, having drinks and watching the live bands on the stage… And bear in mind I was there on a Thursday, so you can expect a busy vibe even outside of the weekends! As I alluded to above, drinks weren’t the cheapest. If my memory serves me correctly, my Pina Colada was around 14 euros… But it was extremely good, I must say!
I genuinely cannot remember if I had just the one or two drinks, but I didn’t have many too many since I was definitely back home early. But I certainly recommend you go to the beach bar, sit back and relax…
Pärnu is definitely a summer town — there is no point coming here in Winter. It’s only worth visiting during peak season (July/August). However, for a tourist coming from Western Europe, or outside of Europe, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend you to go out of your way to make a vacation to Pärnu; but if you’re planning a summer Baltic itinerary, include Pärnu and stay for a night or two!
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