Saaremaa - Attractions

1. Kuressaare Episcopal Castle
Kuressaare is the biggest urban area in Saaremaa and the only town in the county. The very well preserved episcopal castle from the 14th century is a landmark for the town of Kuressaare and is the best-preserved medieval stronghold in the Baltics. The castle accommodates Saaremaa Museum.

2. Kaali meteorite craters
This most extraordinary geological marvel on Saaremaa is a must for the serious sightseer. It is the most easily accessible meteorite crater in the world. It is estimated that the meteor fell in the year 700 B.C. - a terrifying natural phenomenon that must have reverberated far and wide. Since then it has been a source of folk songs, sagas, fairy-tales, etc and a place that Pytheas considered to be Ultima Thule or the grave of Phaethon.

3. Angla windmill hill
At one time, every village had a windmill hill - a hill open to the winds, where all the village windmills were built. The five remaining windmills at Angla represent the last surviving windmill hill on the island. It will leave a lasting impression.

4. Karja church
Saaremaa's smallest church, dating back to the 14th century, is dedicated to St. Catherine and St. Nicholas. Although small, with its rich ornamentation and artistic quality not found anywhere else in Estonian limestone architecture, it is the most beautiful of the churches in Saaremaa. Some curiously archaic motifs and strange depictions (such as a three-legged triskele, a devil peaking from between its legs, and a pentagram) the significance of which remains unclear, were probably intended to keep demonic powers at bay.

5. Kihelkonna church
Kihelkonna church has the highest tower in Saaremaa and the only remaining freestanding bell tower in the Baltic countries, located some hundred meters away from the church.

6. Mihkli farm museum
A representation of a typical, self-sufficient western Saaremaa farm as they were in the l930s. Most of the buildings date back to the middle of the 19th century. Almost all the items on display have been made by the six generations of family who lived here.

7. Panga cliff
Panga cliff is the highest bluff on the northern coast of Saaremaa. It reaches 21.3 meters at its highest point and is approximately 2.5 meters long. There is another bluff directly under the water, forming almost a perfect semicircle against which the waves break.

A perfect place to admire nature and learn about local legends (there are plenty of them, as according to tradition Panga bluff was a place of sacrifice in pre-Christian times).

8. Maasi fortifications
To quote the Livonian Chronicle: "Master Burchard built a well-fortified stronghold on Saaremaa, which Brother Goswin later enlarged." in reality, the building of the stronghold lasted longer than the lives of the two brothers mentioned. Construction lasted from the 14th century until well into the 16th century.

9. Koguva village
Koguva village is the best-preserved 19th century village in Estonia. All of the buildings are architectural landmarks. Most of them date from the 19th century, although the oldest ones date back to the 18th century. Aside from one museum complex, Koguva village is still lived in.

10. Nature
Because of its mild maritime climate and lime-rich soil, Saaremaa boasts an abundance of flora and fauna. The ancient inhabitants of Saaremaa did not believe in the Christian God, but worshipped instead dragons and birds. Consideration for the environment has been inherited right through to the present generation. Over two hundred local species - from Rhinanthus osiliensis (a rare flower) to ringed seals (Phoca hispida) - now enjoy special protection status. In Saaremaa a great number of Roman snails, rare butterflies and beautiful orchids can be found. To get more acquainted with this botanic mecca, good places to start exploring are the Viidumäe and Vilsandi nature reserves.