The Sillamäe Beach Promenade was completed at the end of 2020. This diverse tourism attraction enriches the urban environment, offering an authentic, essential, and appealing Sillamäe experience for both visitors and residents.
The Beach Promenade serves as the primary connection to the historic city center. It also links the city center to the future passenger and yacht port.
Along the promenade, you'll find entertainment and exciting activities for the whole family, making it an attractive venue for sports and cultural events. The Sillamäe Beach Promenade is also perfect for those who enjoy beach holidays.
Various features and structures have been built along the promenade, including:
- A multi-level, seven-meter-high observation tower
- Wooden terrace platforms
- Ball courts
- Children's playgrounds
- Campfire sites
- A café
The promenade also boasts seven fountains equipped with LED lighting and steam generators, along with an adventure trail that includes the Robinson Bridge crossing the Sõtke River.
In 2017, the City of Sillamäe reconstructed one of its "pearls" and most dignified streets: Mere Puiestee (Mere Boulevard).
Thanks to this project, the residents and visitors of Sillamäe gained a completely renovated Mere Puiestee, featuring a wide avenue, historical elements, new attractions, and convenient access to the sea. The central elements of the boulevard are the historic gazebo and a beautiful architectural ensemble by the sea.
Mere Puiestee boasts a symmetrical design characteristic of the 1950s. The central part of the boulevard is flanked on both sides by buildings with facades decorated in the Stalinist neoclassical style. In the lower section of the boulevard, the Sõtke River runs parallel to the sea, flowing into it after a few hundred meters.
The City Government building is an integral part of the Town Square ensemble and was constructed in the Stalinist neoclassical style.
The construction project was designed in 1950 by A. Popov. Interestingly, in the early 1950s, many new administrative centers were built in Estonian towns, but these administrative buildings were often based on reusable standard designs (e.g., in Otepää, Orissaare, Vastselüna, Põlva, Räpina, Jõhvi, etc.). While Sillamäe's administrative building was indeed built as a representative seat of power, typical of that era, at first glance, it appears to be a church. However, this building has never served as a church; it was originally designed as an administrative building – initially for the Sillamäe Executive Committee, and today housing the Sillamäe City Council and City Government. It is believed that according to the conviction of Soviet architectural politicians, every Baltic town should have had a town hall and a church – therefore, the Sillamäe Executive Committee building was designed to visually fulfill the role of both a town hall and a church.
According to the initial vision, the building's tower looked different from its current appearance. However, this original design was said to have reminded the authorities of a concentration camp tower, which could not be displayed during Stalin's time, and thus the tower was redesigned.
The City Government building once featured rich exterior decor, from which Soviet symbols have been removed over time, as can be observed in older photographs. The building is the tallest in Sillamäe's old town, and its tower offers a captivating view over the city and the sea. Today, the Sillamäe City Council and City Government operate within this building.
The Town Square is situated in a naturally picturesque location, high on a clifftop by the sea. The square is located at the intersection of the city center's most important streets. Both the Town Square and its surrounding buildings were developed according to a plan and perspective from 1948, also in the Stalinist neoclassical style.
The square was designed as a ceremonial ensemble, characteristic of its era. Along the square are the Cultural Centre building, the City Government building with its tower (formerly the Executive Committee), and residential buildings. From the square, a wide staircase descends towards the sea, followed by a grand and spacious boulevard. Next to the staircase stands an honor board, where portraits of leading workers were displayed. From 1953 to 1962, the square featured a statue of Stalin, which was removed after the end of his personality cult. For the 70th anniversary of the Great October Revolution in 1987, the monument "Glory to Labor" was installed in the square. The landscaping of the green areas follows the symmetrical design typical of the 1950s urban areas (multi-colored flower beds, flower vases, benches, rows of trees).
As an architectural monument, the Cultural Centre building is under heritage protection, its palace-like grandeur reflecting the Stalinist era's understanding of the sublimity of art. A couple of hundred meters west of the Town Square lies another architectural monument, the former cinema building, which is also a magnificent structure. The Town Square is surrounded by typical 1950s Stalinist neoclassical architecture, developed according to the symmetrical planning characteristic of the era.
Built in 1949, the Sillamäe Cultural Centre building has been recognized as an architectural monument, preserving its 1940s and 1950s Stalinist architectural style both inside and out. In the basement of the building, within a former bomb shelter, there's a permanent exhibition dedicated to the town's Soviet-era period.
The Cultural Centre is home to eight amateur art groups, many of which have gained recognition both in Estonia and abroad. Today, over 200 people participate in these collectives.
By the end of the 1970s, the Cultural Centre was awarded the First Category. Life thrived during those years, thanks to dedicated specialists like V. Zilber (head of the "Suveniir" dance ensemble), L. Viljanskaya (director of the People's Theatre), V. Zatyamin (head of the brass band), J. Shule (choir conductor), and N. Lokatoš (artistic director). It was during this period that the wonderful idea of holding themed evenings emerged, with reviews taking place twice a year. Every factory workshop, as well as the construction and assembly management department, schools, preschool institutions, and the communal department, engaged in amateur activities and also contributed to the artistic collectives of the Cultural Centre.
In addition to its beautiful architecture, the Cultural Centre serves as a venue for various concerts and events. It also offers individual rooms and the entire building for rent.
For the 70th anniversary of the Great October Revolution in 1987, the monument "Peaceful Atom" was installed in the square.
The sculpture's author is graphic artist and sculptor Renaldo Veeber. Previously, a memorial to Joseph Stalin stood in this spot, but it was dismantled in 1963.
Sillamäe City Park is located in the town center, in close proximity to the historic old town and the beach. It's a popular area for walks and recreation.
In 2020, new modern children's play attractions were installed in the city park.
In 2019, the Kajaka Street staircase in Sillamäe's Old Town, originally built in the 1950s within the town's neoclassical building area, underwent renovation.
These stairs, also constructed in a neoclassical style, were designed to provide convenient movement along the natural slope. They allow access from the sidewalks of Kesk Street to those of Kalda Street, as well as providing access to the shops located in the buildings along Kesk Street.
The Langevoja cascade is located in the southwestern part of Sillamäe.
The Langevoja cuts into the limestone plateau bordering the Sõtke clint valley, forming a canyon that's 10 meters wide and 2 meters deep. The cascade itself has two steps: one at 1.5 meters and another at 4 meters. Below the cascade, the canyon widens and deepens further. After three hundred meters, the stream flows into the Sõtke River. The stream is fed by springs and therefore dries up in summer (information from the 2004 publication "Pankrannik ja joad Ida-Virumaal" by the NGO Toila Parish Education and Culture Society).
The Ukuoru waterfall is located in the northwestern part of Sillamäe, on the Päite cliff.
The waterfall flows in a new riverbed before descending from the cliff, as the original riverbed of the Ukuoru stream is now occupied by the abandoned Sillamäe landfill. The waterfall reaches the cliff via a two-meter-deep ditch and then drops six meters. The rest of its journey to the sea, the stream flows as a cascade. The waterfall is often dry because the Ukuoja stream on the main plateau usually has low water levels. However, from the waterfall, stunning views open up to the Päite cliff, Sillamäe city, and the sea bay. The waterfall is 7.5 meters high and has a single step.
(Information is from the 2004 publication "Pankrannik ja joad Ida-Virumaal" by the NGO Toila Parish Education and Culture Society.)
https://www.puhkuseestis.ee/vaatamisvaarsused?sightseeing_id=1001
The length of the river is 24 kilometres and the area of the reservoir is 93.7 km2. The river originates from the system of lakes at Kurtna and runs into a dam, which is located 22 km away. Three dams form the unique cascade of storage pools. The depth of the biggest artificial lake is 7 meters and its area is 30 hectares. Coasts of the lake are very sloping. Water of the river is brown in colour, as the river takes in sediment from marshland. Fish found in the river are perch, roach, pike, bream and crayfish.
Merepark is located in the northeastern part of Sillamäe, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, within the North Estonian coastal lowland.
The park covers an area of approximately 20 hectares, making it the town's largest recreational park. The area includes a swimming beach, a beautiful lime tree alley, a refreshing pine forest, campfire sites, and walking paths. By walking or cycling through the wonderful forest or along the coast, one can reach the "Nordic Riviera" – Narva-Jõesuu. Historically, ski trails originated from the park area.
Among tree species, grey alder, various willow species, silver birch, Scots pine, and European elm are represented. Less common are Norway spruce, various poplar species, common ash, ash-leaved maple, and common lime. The forest between Sillamäe and Narva-Jõesuu is primarily a pine forest. Among shrub species, the park predominantly features common snowberry, common raspberry, Siberian dogwood, wild rose, and various willow species.
Open settings (This phrase "Avatud seaded" at the end is a bit ambiguous in this context. It could mean "open configurations" or "open layouts" regarding the park's design, or perhaps it's an incomplete thought from the original text. Without further context, the most direct translation is provided.)
Having looked on the Northeast coast, it is possible to see that it rises as a dark wall, which upon approach separates into green, brown and yellow strips.
The Baltic limestone shore begins at the western coast of Öland island and runs through the Baltic Sea and seashore of Estonia, until it reaches the Lagoda River in Russia. The length of Baltic limestone shore is about 1100-1200 kilometres. The most impressing area is limestone bluff from Ontika till Päite, where the height is more than 30 meters. There is also located the top point of limestone bluff in Estonia which is 55.6 meters high. The limestone shore crosses Sillamäe. From the ledges of the shore opens the beautiful view of the sea; its ledges are symbols of city which are represented on both the flag and arms of Sillamae.
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Last updated: 23.07.2025
