The Estonian resort town of Pärnu is planning a new 100-berth marina next to its Old Harbour quarter, with capacity for yachts up to 120 metres long.
Pärnu, Estonia’s best-known summer resort, is preparing to add a little Mediterranean polish to its Baltic Sea waterfront. The city council has approved the water area of the Old Harbour, paving the way for a new marina beside a developing residential quarter – one that could accommodate some of the world’s largest private yachts.
The future marina is to be operated by Kihnu Veeteed, an Estonian ferry company best known for running vital connections between the mainland and the country’s small islands, including Kihnu, Manilaid, Vormsi and Piirissaar. Founded in 2002, the company has until now been associated mainly with public ferry routes rather than high-end marina management.
According to Kaspar Kokk, chairman of Kihnu Veeteed’s supervisory board, the new marina would give Pärnu a far more ambitious maritime role. “Our goal is to create an international maritime gateway for Pärnu, capable of accommodating larger vessels than before,” Kokk told Maaleht, an Estonian media outlet.
The planned marina would be able to service yachts of up to 120 metres in length and with a draught of up to six metres. That is a striking upgrade for Pärnu: the current Pärnu Yacht Club marina can host vessels of up to 24 metres long and with a draught of up to three metres.
The marina forms part of the broader Old Harbour quarter development, which aims to turn Pärnu’s historic port area into a modern residential and business district.
Berths will be offered first to people buying apartments in the Old Harbour quarter, although space is also expected to be available for local boat owners and visitors to Pärnu. According to Kenneth Karpov, a representative of Vanasadama Arenduse OÜ, the company developing apartment buildings next to the planned marina, many buyers have been drawn by the prospect of keeping a boat almost at their doorstep.
The project underlines Pärnu’s ambition to move beyond its traditional role as a seasonal seaside resort and position itself as a more international destination for maritime tourism and waterfront living.
