Pärnu is blessed with natural beaches, ancient forests and silent, sprawling bogs. You can make the most of numerous hiking trails and bird-watching towers. There are almost 20 hiking and study trails in Pärnu that offer a wide range of opportunities for relaxing in the great outdoors. The trails are designed to provide a way of enjoying nature while also preserving it. The hiking trails are safe and easy, and most will bring you back to your starting point. On the forest trails you may encounter forest dwellers of various shapes and sizes going about their everyday business. Pärnu County’s hiking trails pass through national parks (Matsalu and Soomaa), bogs, villages and coastal meadows. Many of them have observation towers that overlook the beautiful landscape and that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

The more popular study trails in Pärnu are the Kabli nature study trail and the Riisa study trail. Both are special for their wide boardwalks and good pram and wheelchair access. 

The Riisa study trail is located in Soomaa National Park. There are eight rest areas and an observation tower along the trail. The road, car park and dry toilet are right by the trail gate. The majority of the trail crosses a beautiful bog, but it occasionally turns aside into the forest. In such places you can see the transition from forest to bog and vice versa – dry ground becoming wet, or bog vegetation being replaced by spruce forests. As the trail continues, it winds its way through bog pools. This is an ideal location for family picnics. The Riisa study trail is pram- and wheelchair-accessible up to the first bog pool (i.e. for a total of 1.2 km). By the beautiful shoreline at Kabli is the 1.8-km Kabli nature study trail, which showcases diverse landscapes and important habitats. The trail starts at the Kabli visitor centre, where you will find the Priivitsa campfire site, which is the perfect spot for some relaxation. It takes 1-2 hours to complete the trail along its wooden boardwalk. A circular trail measuring 1.8 km in length, it passes through a range of landscapes and some very important habitats. The trail is marked with wooden signs and information boards outlining the sights along the trail. During the summer period the path is pram- and wheelchair-accessible, but during other seasons it may be wet or covered in snow.

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Photo: Riisa Study Trail (author: Priidu Saart)