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

Around thirty themed houses and workshops spread through pine woodland: an inventor's workshop, a music house, a bakery, a fire station. Rather than rides, most of the park is hands-on activity, plus a beach on the site, playgrounds, a small water area and daily performances with costumed characters.

The scale is modest and the design is deliberately homemade rather than glossy, which fits the films.

When to go

• Mid-June to late August - the park's entire season. It is closed the rest of the year.
• Weekdays - noticeably quieter than weekends in July.
• Warm days - much of the appeal is outdoors and the water area matters.

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.