Toila-Oru Park

Toila-Oru Park is a landscaped clifftop park set above the North Estonian Klint — the limestone escarpment that runs along the coast of northeastern Estonia. The park was developed around a grand manor house that no longer exists, but the terraced gardens, ornamental ponds, and winding paths through the cliff-edge trees have been carefully maintained and make for an excellent walk.

The views from the cliff edge look directly out over the Gulf of Finland toward Finland on a clear day. Below the cliff face, a rocky beach stretches in both directions, accessible by a steep path. The park is most impressive in late May when the lilacs and ornamental plantings are in bloom, but it's worth visiting in any season — the bare trees in winter reveal the cliff structure more clearly than summer foliage allows.

things to do sight
A story
The manor house at the centre of this park was purchased in 1935 by Estonia's head of state, Konstantin Päts, as a summer residence. Soviet forces destroyed it in 1941 to prevent the retreating Germans from using it. The terraced gardens and clifftop paths Päts walked were later restored by Estonian preservationists, but the house remains a conspicuous absence at the park's heart.