Lavassaare Railway Museum

Estonia had an extensive 750 millimetre narrow-gauge network, most of it lifted by the 1970s, and the museum at Lavassaare preserves what could be saved: locomotives, steam and diesel, passenger carriages, wagons, draisines and track equipment, gathered on the site of a peat railway depot that remained in use longer than most. A demonstration line runs from the depot, and on operating days trains carry visitors along it. The collection includes vehicles from the Estonian, Latvian and Russian networks. The setting is flat bog country north of Parnu, and the peat workings the line served are still visible. Opening is seasonal and operating days are limited.

What you actually see

• The locomotive collection - steam and diesel narrow-gauge engines.
• The demonstration line - the working track running from the depot.
• Carriages and wagons - the rolling stock of the old network.
• The peat landscape - the bog country the railway served.

When to go

June to August, when the museum is open and trains run on scheduled days; check the operating calendar before travelling, since rides do not run every day. Winter opening is by arrangement only.

Honest expectations

Trains only run on advertised operating days and the museum is otherwise a static collection. Opening is seasonal and limited. Much of the stock is stored outdoors and in varying condition. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Parnu lies south; Lavassaare bog is adjacent.