Läänemaa: Haapsalu, the White Lady and Bird Bays
Travel guide · editorialLääne maakond, or Läänemaa County, lies on Estonia's west coast, where shallow bays, reed belts and islands blend into one another. A vacation in Läänemaa is a quiet one: the little spa town of Haapsalu, the bird migration at Matsalu and the Swedish-influenced island of Vormsi.
Haapsalu: Spa Town with a Castle
Haapsalu sits on a peninsula surrounded by shallow sea. In the 13th century, the bishops of Ösel-Wiek built a castle here with a cathedral, said to be the largest single-nave church in the Baltics. According to legend, the White Lady appears in the window of the baptistery on August nights; a festival with theater is dedicated to her. In the 19th century, healing mud was discovered here, and the town became a spa resort that even the tsar's family visited. A wooden Kursaal stands on the waterfront, and the Tsarist-era railway station, with its long covered platform, houses a railway museum. Haapsalu is also known for its fine knitted lace shawls and as the home of the composer Cyrillus Kreek.
Sights in Läänemaa
Matsalu National Park in the south, one of Europe's most important bird sanctuaries, attracts hundreds of thousands of geese, swans and cranes in spring and fall; observation towers stand at Penijõe and Haeska. The island of Vormsi, reachable by ferry from Rohuküla, was long home to Estonian Swedes, and bike paths lead to juniper heaths and old stone crosses. Near Noarootsi and Dirhami you'll find quiet beaches and fishing harbors. The ferry to Hiiumaa also departs from Rohuküla.
In the coastal villages, fish is traditionally smoked, especially flounder, herring and perch. Haapsalu has a small café scene in wooden villas along the promenade, and in summer the castle hosts concerts, medieval festivals and an early music festival. The Estonian Swedes Museum in Haapsalu tells the story of the community that lived on the coast and islands until World War II, when most of its members fled to Sweden in 1944.
Getting There and Best Time to Visit
Buses run from Tallinn to Haapsalu in a little over an hour and a half; a new rail connection is being planned. The best time to visit is summer for the seaside resort and the festivals; bird lovers should come in April and May or in September and October.