Pikakari is a small sandy beach on the very end of Paljassaare peninsula. It’s pretty popular among the locals but at the same time unknown to the general public. The thing is that one part of the Paljassaare peninsula itself is an industrial zone with water treatment facilities, processing plants etc., while another is a nature conservation area, a closed habitat for wild birds. It’s a really strange place to look for any points of interest here, but that is the point!

Why does it make sense to visit? Here you can find an old pier (Katariina kai) with a sunken ship, a nice view to city center, the beach itself, and last but not least, a circular hiking route around Paljassare nature conservation area. If you are lucky enough, not only can you watch the birds, but even find some wild animals like boars or foxes. The area itself is uninhabited but it’s easy to find some ruined military facilities (parts of old Russian fortification line – Peter the Great’s Naval Fortress).

The route starts near the bus stop and is really easy to find. Some time ago the only options to get there were to walk by foot or take a car; now there’s a convenient connection with Balti jaam (central railroad station), just take bus nr. 59 and proceed to the last stop.