Western Estonia & the Islands
Lending its name to the sleepy, surrounding settlement, this soberly symmetrical manor was built between 1755 and 1760 by Countess Ebba Margaretha…
Must-see attractions in Western Estonia & the Islands
Western Estonia & the Islands
Nineteenth-century Russian toffs, like their counterparts in Victorian England and Paris’ belle époque, liked nothing more than a good see-and-be-seen…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Although this large, single-naved, dolomite church was rebuilt in its present form in 1836, its prized feature is considerably older: a medieval stone…
Railway & Communication Museum
Western Estonia & the Islands
Haapsalu’s attractive former train station, with its wooden-lace ornamentation and grand colonnade, opened in 1907 to transport the Russian nobility to…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Just inland from Sõru sadam (port) where the ferry to Saaremaa docks, this little community museum is worth a look. Downstairs you might find art from the…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Kõpu Peninsula’s second lighthouse stands 29.5m high, in all its blazing red glory at the western tip of the peninsula, only 200km from Stockholm. In 1874…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Based in former Soviet border-guard barracks, this ramshackle museum showcases military detritus, much of which was scavenged from the surrounding area…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Even in a nation where people still leave offerings in sacred groves, Orissaare's most famous landmark is, well, a little weird. Winner of the 2015…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Northern Hiiumaa had a population of free Swedish farmers until they were forced to leave on the orders of Catherine the Great, with many ending up in the…
Tehumardi Night Battle Monument
Western Estonia & the Islands
On the night of 8 October 1944 a gruesome battle took place in the coastal village of Tehumardi between retreating German troops and a Soviet Estonian…
Sõrve Lighthouse & Visitor Centre
Western Estonia & the Islands
The first lighthouse on Sõrve promontory, just a primitive beacon, was built in the 17th century; the current 52m erection dates to 1960. To climb it, it…
Western Estonia & the Islands
The outline of the 17th-century, star-shaped Swedish ramparts that once surrounded old Pärnu can still be discerned on maps. The one remaining section and…
Western Estonia & the Islands
The German knights built this castle, 4km north of Orissaare, during the 14th to 16th centuries and using the forced labour of the conquered locals. It…
Western Estonia & the Islands
On the western edge of town, beyond the train station, this shady park has a popular beachfront which, despite being a bit swampy, attracts plenty of…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Vormsi’s Swedish heritage is kept alive in this restored farmstead, also known as Pears Farm. It's a fascinating insight into the ways of a population…
Western Estonia & the Islands
The islanders are among the minority of ethnic Estonians who adhere to the Russian Orthodox religion. This pretty little church at the centre of the…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Hiiumaa’s oldest stone church, founded by the German Livonian Order in the 13th century, is worth visiting if driving through sleepy Suuremõisa, en route…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Saaremaa’s highest cliffs run along the northern coast near Panga for 3km. The highest point (21.3m) was a sacred place where sacrifices were made to the…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Built in 1775, Haapsalu's former town hall now houses a charming little museum with displays on the history of the resort town, regional history, a re…
Western Estonia & the Islands
There’s a colourful little statue of the saint with his trusty axe in the niche above the door of this squat, whitewashed 14th-century church, just out of…
Johannes & Joosep Aavik’s Memorial Museum
Western Estonia & the Islands
The Aavik family home is now a small museum dedicated to the life and works of linguist Johannes Aavik (1880–1973), who introduced major reforms to the…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Erected to commemorate the visits of Tchaikovsky to Haapsalu, this stone bench is inscribed with the first few notes of his VI Symphony. There's also an…
Western Estonia & the Islands
While not spectacular, Kärdla’s extremely shallow beach is pleasant enough, with a mixed sand-and-grass shoreline edged by Rannapark. This expanse of…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Although it has its roots in the 16th century, the exterior of this whitewashed church owes much to a renovation in 1858. Inside, look out for the…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Constructed in parts shipped from England in 1864, this 29m-high lighthouse flashes at passing ships from the southern extremity of Pitkänä peninsula. In…
Western Estonia & the Islands
This 1797 neoclassical building now houses the tourist office and a small gallery space. Also note the half-timbered 'Citizen's Residence', dating from…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Although the best beaches are out of town, this small sandy bay behind Kuressaare Castle fills up with sunbathers, paddlers and volleyball players during…
Kaali Meteoritics & Limestone Museum
Western Estonia & the Islands
A small museum devoted to the nearby meteorite crater with displays of meteorite fragments and fossils, and a film explaining the Kaali impact.
Western Estonia & the Islands
Built in 1864, this 24m lighthouse is a short walk from Saxby, the island’s westernmost settlement. It's especially scenic at sunset.
Memorial to Victims of the Red Army
Western Estonia & the Islands
On the eastern wall of Kuressaare Castle there's a memorial to 90 people killed within the castle grounds by the Red Army in 1941.
Memorial to Victims of the Nazis
Western Estonia & the Islands
This touching memorial is inscribed with the names of around 300 local people killed during the German occupation.
Western Estonia & the Islands
Immediately southwest of the Eemu windmill, this earthen ring draped in greenery is where in 1227 the pagan Estonians made their last stand, holding off a…
Western Estonia & the Islands
People still take to the waters at this pint-sized beach, despite the water being murky and full of weeds. It earned its name from the statues of wild…
Western Estonia & the Islands
On the main road at Nautse, this working windmill has a display board and sells bread made from its milled flour.
Western Estonia & the Islands
This 5.8m-high erratic boulder stands near Diby in the northeast.
