Lighthouse
Island views.
Vaido Otsar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ilme Parik — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rein Urm — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ilme Parik — CC BY-SA 4.0
Kihnu is an Estonian island in the Baltic Sea, the largest in the Gulf of Riga and the seventh largest in Estonia, about 41 km southwest of Pärnu in a straight line. It covers 16.4 square kilometres, is 7 km long, and its highest point is just 8.9 metres above sea level. The island belongs to Pärnu County and, with neighbouring islets, forms one of the country's smallest municipalities, with four villages. In 2003 UNESCO proclaimed Kihnu's cultural space and traditions a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, as islanders still keep their costumes, songs and crafts, including the famous striped skirts. The flat green island stretches between meadows, small pine woods and rocky shores, dotted with wooden houses and old farms, with a lighthouse that looks out over the whole island and the surrounding sea. Visitors arrive by ferry from Manilaid or by plane from Pärnu, get around by bicycle, visit the local museum and see women in traditional dress. The island is quiet, and summer is the best time to visit.
Island views.
Striped skirts.
Quiet roads.
Kihnu Island, Pärnu County, Estonia
By ferry or by plane from Pärnu.
Summer.