Lottemaa Theme Park

Lotte is a dog who invents things, from a series of Estonian and Latvian animated films that most children in the country have grown up with. The park opened in 2014 near Pärnu and recreates her village - a cluster of small wooden houses, each belonging to a character, each with something to do inside.

What you actually see

• Themed houses - around thirty workshops through pine woodland, among them an inventor's workshop, a music house, a bakery and a fire station.
• Hands-on activity - the park works on doing things rather than on rides.
• The beach and water area - a shore on the site, plus playgrounds.
• Daily performances - costumed characters on a modest and deliberately homemade scale that fits the films.

When to go

Mid-June to late August is the park's entire season; it is closed the rest of the year. Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends in July. Warm days matter, because much of the appeal is outdoors and the water area is part of it.

Honest expectations

The target age is roughly three to ten. Older children get bored, and adults without children in tow have no real reason to come.

Almost everything is in Estonian, with some Latvian and English. The performances in particular lose a lot without the language.

Nearby

Pärnu beach and the town are twenty minutes north. The Rannametsa dunes and Soomaa National Park are both within an hour.