Short and Long Walks Around Kuusalu

Three marked trails, a pier walk and a few informal strolls make up the walking in Kuusalu parish, which lies on the Gulf of Finland in Harju County, 40 to 55 km east of Tallinn. Below, each route has a short fact card, then a note on getting there. No regular guided walking tours run in the villages, so plan to go on your own, except for bog-shoe hikes.

Viru bog nature trail

  • Distance: 3.5 km one way, about 5.5 km as a loop (other sources say 5.7 or 6 km)
  • Surface: 3 km of boardwalk
  • Highlight: an observation tower 1.3 km from the car park
  • Marks: white and green on the trees
  • Cost: free
  • Rules: boardwalk only, no bikes on it, tower closed to climbers in thunderstorms, top floor limited to 25 people
  • Access: only the first tower platform suits a wheelchair, and the path to the tower needs an assistant
  • Contact: info.oandu@rmk.ee or +372 676 7010

The car park lies on the Loksa tee road. Official details are on the RMK trail page .

Majakivi-Pikanõmme trail

  • Distance: about 7 km
  • Season: open all year
  • Highlight: the Majakivi boulder, 7 m high, third-largest erratic in Estonia, with a ladder
  • Where: by Hara village, on the Juminda peninsula

Read the route description on Visit Estonia before setting out.

Tsitre tree trail

  • Distance: 0.5 km
  • Setting: the grounds of a former seaside summer estate on Kolga Bay
  • Extras: a beach and a bay-view tower

The westernmost RMK campsite on the bay is here, and RMK’s Lahemaa campsites are normally free.

Hara base walk

This is a paid walk on a pier and among ruins at a derelict Soviet-era site. Entry is EUR 10 for adults, EUR 7 for students and seniors, and EUR 22 for a family. Visitors enter at their own risk because rocks can fall. Climbing and swimming are banned, vehicles and bikes stay off the pier, and dogs need a leash. Off-season visits are booked through info@harasadam.ee , and the official page lists opening times.

Village and shore strolls

Viinistu has a harbour with the art museum and hotel on it. Pärispea village has the Mähu boulders, which people climb using a rope. From Viinistu it is about 4 km to Pähknemännik, the northern tip of mainland Estonia, which has a sandy beach.

Leaving the boardwalk

Only guided groups wearing bog shoes walk beyond the boardwalk. Trips begin at the northern Viru car park, and the lowest listed price is about EUR 47 per person. Compare offers on Viator .

Reaching the trailheads

Take the E20 bus to Loksa tee and walk 1.3 km through forest to the Viru trailhead; peatus.ee has times. The remaining routes work best by car.

Read more: Attraction tours in Kuusalu and Tallinn .