Saaremaa, Estonia

Friday, September 28

We left Tallinn in the rain and throughout today’s travels, short bursts of rain alternated with bright sun and blue skies.  Our destination was Kuressaare, a coastal town on the island of Saaremaa, the largest of the Estonian’s islands in the Baltic Sea.  

We took a 20-minute ferry ride from the mainland port of Virtsu to the small island of Muhu  (sometimes referred to as Saaremaa’s doormat), and then a causeway to the larger island.  Saaremaa is now a popular summer vacation spot for Estonians, and Scandinavians and its main town, Kuressaare, is home to many spa hotels, though things seem pretty quiet on this fall day.  Like all of Estonia, the island has been occupied by a series of foreign nations, most recently the Russians.  During the Soviet era, the entire island was a restricted zone and no unauthorized people were allowed on the island. 

We stopped to walk around the Bishop’s Castle in Kuressaare, which faces the sea on a manmade island surrounded by a moat. Founded in the 13^th century, it’s the best-preserved castle in the Baltics.  Currently, there’s a museum in the keep and a couple of war memorials on the grounds, which also serve as a concert venue.

From Kuressaare, we drove north through the center of the island to see the cliffs at Pranga.  The winds were blowing again and the cliffs were hard to appreciate as we were atop them; bending forward and craning our necks to get a good look at them.  As rain and sunlight played cat and mouse, we were rewarded by a beautiful rainbow arching into the low clouds over the sea.

Our last destination was the Sorve Peninsula on the southwest corner of the island.  At Saare, we braved fierce winds to walk out on a spit of land beyond the lighthouse to check out some of the decaying battlements of World War II; the island was the site of intense fighting between Germany and Estonian Soviet troops.

After checking into our apartment back in Kuressaare, we had dinner in a restaurant housed in a former windmill. The island is known for its home brews and craft beers, which we sampled, along with some of the local fare – wild boar and beef cheeks – delicious!

We enjoyed today’s look at rural Estonia, especially the touches of fall color, but we’d be happy for a bit less wind as we head to Riga, Latvia tomorrow!