🔊 Listen The peninsula, with a lot of military facilities and a diverse landscape, was closed to the public for decades. It is special thanks to its valuable nature and a unique bird zone. Today, Paljassaare is a peninsula with a coastline of 6.8 km. Just a century ago, however, there were two small islands instead of the Paljassaare peninsula.

In 2005, the Paljassaare Special Conservation Area was established, which is important in all of Europe. 223 bird species, including 85 that are under protection, have been registered here. The area is so rich in bird species because the mosaic landscape (reed-bed, meadows, bushes, low sea) provide excellent resting and eating conditions. Additionally, the area is located on the so-called West-Tallinn bird migration route. The migration of Passeriformes, Charadriiformes, and birds of prey starts here. The diverse landscape also provides good habitats for foxes and brown hares. Additionally, there are a lot of suitable habitats for Odonata – there are 16 species of them in Paljassaare. There are also a lot of butterflies (33 species). Paljassaare is also home to the large copper, which is a protected species.

There are several footpaths in the special conservation area and there are two observation towers in Paljassaare. Katariina quay, which is 300 m long, offers the most romantic views of Tallinn city centre. The nearby Pikakari beach has been awarded the Blue Flag eco-label.