Pärnu - one river, two towns, three bridges!
Apparently everyone knows Pärnu as the summer capital with its beautiful beaches! This time, however, we will leave the seaside stories aside and head instead into medieval Pärnu, where Hanseatic trade flourished and tavern life buzzed - yet crime was also present, and even Christian morals began to waver! Did you know that medieval Pärnu was a border town much like Narva today? On one side of the river ruled the Teutonic Order, on the other the Bishop’s state, creating the twin towns of New Pärnu and Old Pärnu! But what made this place so special that Estonia’s oldest traces of human settlement are found along the banks of the Pärnu River, and later both military force and political cunning were used to claim it?!? And we do not wish to speak only about distant times during this tour. Naturally, we will also explore some of the more exciting landmarks from later eras along the way: we will search for the site where the famous Manifesto of Independence was first read aloud, discuss Soviet-era plans for the district centre, admire magnificent urban villas, and listen to city gossip from different periods of history! P.S. If you have not yet set foot on Pärnu’s brand-new bridge, we will correct that mistake as well!
Public tours
15+ available
Language: Estonian
Tour guide: Sonja
Clients speak
"Our organizing team and all participants thank you for an amazing outing! Everyone really enjoyed it!"
Pirjo Luik / SEB Pank
17.05.2025
"I’m one of those who has always dreamed of a truly remarkable birthday. Not the usual sit-around-the-table kind, but one that offers genuinely memorable experiences. Ideally something unexpected and exciting, so that even years later everyone would fondly remember, “Wow, that was amazing!” I soon realized that Matkafy Laternamatkad ticks every box on my wish list. Even though there are 55 different tours on the adventure list, I never hesitated to take my friends to the abandoned Murru prison, exploring the buildings and area where the saying truly fits: “If these walls could talk…” How often in life do you get the chance to walk among apocalyptic walls and experience the real stories hidden inside? When this long-awaited day finally arrived, I couldn’t hide my excitement and thrill. Everything was perfectly planned. Our guide Mihkel Reile received nothing but praise from the guests: “So humorous!”, “So knowledgeable!”, “Easily captures everyone’s attention”, “Where did they find such a charming guy?”, “Wow, how clearly and engagingly he tells stories!” In addition, for this tour that exceeded all expectations, a romantic birthday table was set up in a quiet wooded corner, tailored exactly to my wishes. This was the best birthday of my life! Honestly. A unique and adventurous tour, perfectly suited for any celebration and season."
Liis Lusmägi
15.07.2024
"I would like to give a big shout-out to Mihkel for yesterday’s tour at Fahle City! ❤️ I think the biggest compliment I can give is that it went exactly the way I had imagined and hoped it would 😊 It was truly great — pleasantly humorous, informative, well-paced and perfectly on schedule. We have also received very positive initial feedback from our people. On top of that, quite a few people said they would love to organize a Matkafy Lantern Hike for their own team event and that they are even going to take a look at what other exciting tours you offer. 😉So, I am extremely happy and would like to thank Mihkel once again for the excellent cooperation!"
Eva-Grete Aljas
26.08.2026
Book as private tour
You can book this tour only for your group if you wish
The price of a private tour designed specifically for your group of 1–30 people is €600 + VAT.
For groups of 31–60 people, the price is €20 + VAT per person.
For groups of 61–240 people, we will prepare a personalized offer.
