Kassari

Introducing Kassari

This pleasant 8km-long island is thickly covered with mixed woodland and boasts some striking coastal scenery. It's linked to Hiiumaa by two causeways.

Southern Kassari narrows to a promontory with some unusual vegetation and ends in a thin 3km spit of land the tip of which, Sääre Tirp, juts out into the sea. It's a beautiful place for a walk. On the way towards Sääre Tirp you'll pass by a small swimming beach(about 500m past the fork to Orjaku).

You'll also notice a statue of the local hero, Leiger, carrying a boulder on his shoulder. He was a relative of Suur Tõll, Saaremaa's hero. Legend has it that the Sääre Tirp is the result of an aborted bridge he started to build to Saaremaa, to make it easier for Suur Tõll to visit and join in various heroic acts.

Just inland of the main road, a short distance west of the Sääre Tirp fork, is the single-storey Hiiumaa Museum (463 2091; adult/concession 10/5Kr; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm Sat), which was formerly servants' quarters on the Kassari estate. It has a small collection of artefacts and exhibits on Hiiumaa's history and biodiversity. Among the curiosities: the jewel-like prism of the 1874 Tahkuna lighthouse and the stuffed body of the wolf that allegedly terrorised the island in the 1960s.

Another enjoyable walk, ride or drive is to a pretty, whitewashed, 18th-century chapel at the east end of Kassari. A sign 'Kassari Kabel 2' directs you down a dirt road from the easternmost point of the island's paved road. A path continues nearly 2km to a small bay in Kassari's northeastern corner.

Along the way to the chapel, you'll also pass Hiiumaa's largest horse farm, the Kassari Ratsamatkad(469 7102; www.kassari.ee; 1hr/day tour €10/40), which offers a range of horse-riding excursions through forests and along untouched coastline.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009