For those of you following my trip through Estonia, today we are heading to a small seaside town called Haapsalu (a few hours outside of Tallinn). And to those of you just joining, welcome! I’ve been sharing my travels through Estonia, starting in Tallinn and working my way out and today I’m sharing with you another great day trip. I wasn’t expecting to make this such a day, but my husband and I found so many great things along the way that we had to stop for these added surprises. Isn’t it about the journey, not the destination anyway? So with that, let me share with you some of the fun things we saw and learned in our day trip through the western coast of Estonia.
Parts of this drive was forest-like with flat and green areas, but other areas of the drive were through pretty coastal cliffs and wilderness. We saw interesting things like many locals picking mushrooms all along the way – 400 varieties are grown here. I asked our guide how do you know which ones aren’t poisonous and she replied, “You have to be a local.” I chuckled at that. It made perfect sense! And with that, we were on our way again, and let me just stop really quickly and mention the view as we were driving in the area. There were amazing large granite stones that apparently were 11,000 years old brought over from Finland during the Ice Age located in the Gulf of Finland. So, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for those.
Next, we stopped at the Keilia Waterfalls (there are 20 total in Estonia). They aren’t far off the road with just a short walk. It was the perfect little break to get up and stretch our legs. The falls are not enormous, but they are beautiful, and the surrounding area is lush and green (and not full of tourists) so we enjoyed the peace and quiet. Plus, we found that just up the hill is the Keilia Joa Palace built at the beginning of the 19th century – now converted into a restaurant and exhibition hall. The contrast of the forest-like area beneath the palace was really beautiful.
After the falls and palace (restaurant/exhibition hall), we drove to the town of Paldiski just up the road. Originally, a prime location in the 18th century under Peter the Great, this area became a secret when the Soviets took over this land and they used the harbor there to hide their submarines. This harbor is now very important for commerce today but it specifically exports a great amount of limestone and juniper along with other things. With its interesting history, this town was very informative to walk around. We even came across an few old lighthouses, some repurposed and others historically abandoned. But for the most part, this little city seems to be just a quiet and peaceful seaside village.
If you think there can’t be anymore stops on our way to Haapsalu, you’d be surprised. Next, we found ourselves at the Padise Monastery. Construction started in 1317 but wasn’t completed until around 1517. And even today it is undergoing renovations, but that’s because it has been declared a national monument of Estonia. It was really interesting to explore, and a short distance away you can go see parts of the 16th century manor on the grounds of the monastery.
And now, we have finally arrived at our final destination, Haapsalu, one of the oldest towns in Estonia. I found this little seaside town lovely and so peaceful. The town is also famous for its wooden architecture, which in my opinion doubled the appeal and charm of the village.
Haapsalu’s small city center is most famous for its 13th century castle, as it is one of the best-preserved castles in Estonia. It was originally a residence for the local authorities until the end of the 17th century. Now the main building of the castle hosts a small museum for people tour through. It was nice to walk around the courtyard as parks have been added to the fortress which mixed elements of nature and medieval architecture. The former fortress moat has been transformed into a playground inspired by the Middle Ages.
But my favorite part about the castle was finding out that it is home to Estonia’s most famous ghost – the White Lady! According to the legend, a canon (priest) fell in love with an Estonian girl and secretly brought her to the castle – she hid dressing as a choir boy (women were forbidden in the castle under threat of death). Their secret was exposed, and she was walled in a cavity in the castle – alive, yikes! For some time, her cries for help were heard. Some believe her soul could not find the peace and, as a result, she appears on the Baptistery’s window to grieve for her beloved man.
The city center, although famous for its castle, also has many small shops and cafes to browse through. We even came across the seaside Promenade a few streets north from the center, where tourists of yesteryears used to swim and sunbathe. Although it is no longer safe to swim here, locals and tourists alike enjoy the path strolling alongside it.
In the 19th century, Haapsalu became a very popular summer resort area, particularly with wealthy and famous people from St. Petersburg, Russia. One of these was the Russian composer Pjotr Tchaikovsky – he spent a summer here and said that many of his works were inspired by his stay in this town. A bench here was created to commemorate his visit. Because of the rise of this town’s summer popularity, in 1905, a small railway station was built to accommodate its summer visitors – a small part was built exclusively for the Russian Czar and his family. The station is no longer in use but there is a small railway museum and it is fun to walk around and imagine the time of its former glory.
In case you need another reason to visit this quaint little seaside town, Haapsalu has been well known for centuries for its curative mud. In fact, the salt mud spas were the primary reason why the Russian aristocracy was attracted to this area in the first place! For many years, locals have claimed that the sea mud has a curative effect on people. Ever since then, Haapsalu has been a popular summer destination where people from all around the world come for medical treatment. Some of these spas (the first was founded in 1825) were frequented by the Russian Romanov family and are still in operation to this day! We didn’t have time to visit a spa but did pick up a few bars of mud soap at a shop and brought them home (it smells surprisingly good!)
We really enjoyed our time in Haapsalu but also enjoyed our sights and stops along the way too. As I mentioned earlier, the journey is always half the fun. I’m glad we had time for all our unexpected stops and would recommend taking a look at all those places if you are planning to head to Haapsalu from Tallinn. It made for a great adventure.
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