Toila-Oru Park
Toila-Oru park
A grand landscaped park set on the Baltic coast where a lavish palace once served as the summer residence of Estonia's presidents. Winding paths, terraces, a coastal cliff and the Pühajõe river valley make it a scenic seaside promenade.
Things to do
- Stroll the Oru Park terraces — Wander the restored formal terraces and flowerbeds where the Oru Palace once stood overlooking the sea.
- Walk the coastal cliff promenade — Follow the clifftop path for sweeping views over the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic shoreline.
- Explore the Pühajõe river valley — Cross footbridges and follow winding trails along the small river that carves through the park to the sea.
- Descend to Toila beach — Take the stairways down from the park to the sandy-pebbled beach at the river mouth.
- Visit the palace foundations and memorial — See the surviving stonework and information boards marking the presidential summer residence destroyed in WWII.
- Relax at Toila Spa — Unwind with saunas, pools and treatments at the nearby seaside spa hotel bordering the park.
Food to try
- Kama dessert — Try the traditional Estonian roasted grain flour blend served whipped with kefir or buttermilk.
- Baltic sprats (kilu) — Sample the salted, smoked little herring that are an Ida-Viru coastal staple, often on rye bread.
- Mulgipuder — Enjoy the hearty potato-and-barley mash served with fried pork and onions at local eateries.
- Black rye bread — Taste dense, dark sourdough rye that accompanies nearly every Estonian meal.
- Smoked fish from the coast — Look for locally smoked flounder or herring sold near Toila harbour.
Local customs & good to know
- Park is free and open year-round — There is no entrance fee, though spring and summer show the gardens at their best.
- Respect the memorial history — The palace was a gift to President Konstantin Päts, so treat the ruins and grounds as a place of national memory.
- Dress for coastal weather — Sea winds off the Gulf of Finland can be brisk even in summer, so bring a layer.
Nearby
- Ontika Klint — 5 km
- Sillamäe — 14 km
- Kohtla Mining Park-Museum — 19 km
- Kuremäe Convent — 26 km