Events - Visit Haapsalu

Things are happening in Läänemaa

In the romantic small town of Haapsalu and small villages, hospitable people await you, surprising you with their sincerity and interest in history and culture. The guests who stayed here are remembered again and again with great respect.

Nõva Church

Olev’s Church in Nõva originating from the 18th century is a cosy wooden beach-chapel-style church. The unique parchment images on its windows look like real stained glass at first glance. It is one of the few wooden churches preserved in Estonia, and also one of the smallest, measuring at only 13.6 x 7.1 metres. When walking around in the churchyard, take a closer look at the iron crosses there. The crosses made by local blacksmiths are all unique – even the landlady von Ungern-Sternberg of Nõva Manor made herself her own cross. Interesting facts: When inside, take a look at the benches – benches for men and women have a different design. On top of the roof, there is a figure of a rooster. The organ was built by G.Terkmann.

Nõva küla, Lääne-Nigula vald

Church of St Prince Alexander Nevsky, Haapsalu

The church erected in 1896–1897 on the site of the old graveyard in Haapsalu was dedicated to Alexander Nevsky. A Moscow style tent roof crowned with a small onion dome and a vestibule with a belfry were added according to the project by architect A. F. Krassovsky from St. Petersburg. The original iconostasis based on the drawings by academician Šaub is now at the orthodox church in Kiviõli, where it was transferred in 1962 after the church was closed. The church was used as a venue for funerals all year round. A stove was built in the church in the middle of the 20th century and then it was used as the winter church. At the moment the Haapsalu Mary Magdalene (Alexander Nevsky) parish of the Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate uses the church.

Haapsalu linn, Haapsalu, Surnuaia tänav 1

Ridala Baptist Chapel

This congregation is one of the fountains of awakening in Lääne County. The book “Ridala ärkamise ajalugu” (“History of the awakening of Ridala”) by M. Busch dates the breaking of bread in the midst of nature on 13 September 1882 as the first event of the congregation. P. Püssim is the architect of the new chapel, which was finished in 1988. The building follows the historical architecture of churches. The three south-north bound gable roofed sections of the building that rise and expand step by step make the building unique. Traditional ornamental church art and stained glass is used in the interior design.

Vilkla küla, Haapsalu

Vormsi Farm Museum

Vormsi is an island where Swedes lived for centuries. Documents show that there was a settlement as early as in the 13th century. Vormsi was a Swedish-speaking island, where, for example, in 1934, 2,393 Swedes and 122 Estonians lived. Vormsi Farm Museum is a typical pre-World War II farm of Estonian Swedish people. The farm has been restored with the help of old photographs, written sources, and the memories of the people of Vormsi who were born in Vormsi and fled Sweden to escape the war. The museum sells Vormsi handicrafts, souvenirs, and Vormsi-themed books.

Sviby küla, Vormsi vald

Saxby Lighthouse

Saxby lighthouse has a 27-metre-high beacon that controls the entrance to the Väinameri Sea archipelago and is an important aspect in the Vormsi island’s culture. The tower, built in 1864, is the oldest lighthouse assembled from cast-iron using the Gordon system. The tower was built at the same time as the Kihnu and Virtsu lighthouses and looks similar to them, which is why a legend from Kihnu island tells a story about the construction of lighthouses. It’s said that there are only three of lighthouses in the world: one on Kihnu island, the second on Vormsi island, and the third one at the bottom of the sea, which is said to have disappeared on a sea lane at an unknown location. The lighthouse is open and offers a beautiful view of the Vormsi island’s Northwestern coast.

Saxby küla, Vormsi vald

De la Gardie’s castle

In 1827, Count Carl Magnus De la Gardie bought a castle with a park what was to be called the Count Yard. De la Gardie also supported the construction of the first mud spa in Haapsalu. Many important figures of the Russian Empire, including the Imperial Family, went on summer holidays to his castle. Since the end of the reign of Nicholas I until the destruction of the Empire, all of the Russian tsars, until Nikolai II, spent their summers in Haapsalu and took mud baths there. De la Gardie’s castle was renovated and since 2012, it has been used as a nursing home for the Lääne County hospital.

Haapsalu linn, Haapsalu, Vaba tänav 4