The Episcopal castle, which is one of the best-preserved castles in Estonia, is a good place to start a walking tour in Haapsalu. Since the end of the 13th century up to the year 1559 it served as the centre of the Diocese of West Estonia and the islands.
The castle yard is surrounded by an 803-metre wall. The oldest parts of the castle, the Small Castle and the Cathedral with its excellent acoustics, date back to 1270s. A figure of a lady appears in the window of the baptistery at the full moon in August.
According to the
legend the White Lady in the wall is a girl who had violated the rules of the abbey. From the Watch Tower of the castle one can enjoy the best view to the town and its surroundings. The castle offers a lot of entertainment, from the museum, the open-air cinema and the café to various concerts and performances.
The square in front of the castle was once a market place. Here start all the oldest streets of Haapsalu. On the Square stands the former Town Hall, built in the 18th century, where at the present the
Läänemaa Museum is located. Just behind the museum there stands the town church – St. John´s Church. It was rebuilt from an old warehouse in the 15th century and it differs from the others because of its north-south position. A five-metre stone altar (1630) and a wooden pulpit (1707) are worth everybody´s attention. The floor in front of the altar is covered with memorials slabs.
The walking tour continues along Linda Street. On the corner of Linda and Rüütli Streets there stands a house where according to a legend the Russian Czar Peter I had stopped in 1715 and which still, along the other legends connected with the Emperor, live in the memory of the citizens of Haapsalu.
A small yellow house near
Peter´s House is a childhood home of
Ilon Wikland. Ilon Wikland has become famous for the illustrations of Astrid Lindgren´s more than 30 books. The artist spent her summers at her grandparents in Haapsalu until in 1944 she, being only 14 years old, fled to Sweden.
Turning towards the sea we reach to Big Promenade, which until the WW II was the centre of summer life of Haapsalu. Promenade, which starts from the once most important beach – African Beach, was founded in the sea in the middle of the 19th century. A memorial to the Estonian first professional composer Rudolf Tobias (1873-1918), and a sundial, both created by our own sculptor Roman Haavamägi, stand on Promenade.
In 1898 a Kuursaal and an open-air band shell were completed
on Promenade. That wooden-lace Kuursaal offers a lot of entertainment as a restaurant to every visitor even nowadays. Not far from the Kuursaal stand a memorial to the founder of the spa,
Carl Abraham Hunnius (1797-1851). Being a local county doctor, he was the first to notice the local people treating themselves with the
sea mud to ease the health problems. He started a research and in 1825 he initiated the building of the first spa in Haapsalu.
Big Promenade flows into Chocolate Promenade which ends at Pyotr Tchaikovsky Bench. The location of the bench had been the composer´s favourite place to admire the sunset in 1867 when he spent his summer in Haapsalu. The memorial bench is near the Haapsalu Rehabilitation Centre. Across the street stands one of the three spas in Haapsalu – the recreation centre Laine. In front of it, on the shore of Väike Viik, stands a sculpture “A Stick Breaker” created by Juhan Raudsepp, symbolizing a healed man.
Going along Sadama Street we pass the former spa building and arrive at the Museum of Coastal Swedes. Before the WW II Haapsalu was the capital of Estonian Swedes.
When we come back to Väike Viik, we can continue our tour along the sea shore walkway. On the opposite side of the bay we notice the memorial dedicated to composer Cyrillus Kreek (1889-1963) in front of his home which has been turned into his home museum. We pass Bernhard Laipmann’s memorial. He was a speaker representing peasants in arguments with landlords in 1905 and earned capital punishment for that.
From Väike Viik the tour takes us to Ehte Street and goes on along Wiedemann Street. The street got its name after linguist Ferdinand Johann Wiedemann (1805–1887) who used to live there. In the same street, in the yard of Children’s Library, is located a playground called Ilon’s Garden, named after Ilon Wikland. On the wall of the building we can read the name of Aleksandr Gortchakov, the Russian Foreign Minister and State Secretary (born in 1798). It is thought to be his birthplace. We pass the building of Wiedemann High School which has given education since the end of 18th century.
The oldest part of the school building dates back to the 18th century and newest part was built in 1928. A few years ago the school got the extension – the most modern sports hall in Haapsalu.
At the end of the street the eye catches the sea again and the walk continues
along Õhtu Kallas. On the embankment there is a monument and the park dedicated to the local poet Ernst Enno.
From here we can see one of the pearls of Haapsalu – the Railway Station. The
station was completed in 1907 and was built specially
for the Emperor’s family. The Railway Station is one of the most beautiful ones in Estonia and its covered platform was the longest (216 metres) in North Europe at the time of its completion. At present it locates the
Estonian Railway Museum.
From here you can turn back to Jaama Street and the town centre or walk to the forest and s
andy beach of Paralepa. Here you can’t miss the newest s
pa – Fra Mare .(
it is also a good restaurant !!) www.framare.ee
Ranna tee 2, Haapsalu
90403 Läänemaa, Viro
47 24 600
http://www.framare.ee/?go=index&lang=fin
Food and diningRondo Kohvik OÜwww.rondokohvik.ee
Posti 7, Haapsalu
90502 Läänemaa, Viro
47 20 555
Pizza Grande OÜ - www.pizzagrande.ee
Karja 6, Haapsalu - 473 72 00
http://www.haapsalu.ee/index.php?lk=267
Sightseeinghttp://www.haapsalu.ee/index.php?lk=270
http://www.haapsalu.ee/index.php?lk=267
Sightseeing
http://www.haapsalu.ee/index.php?lk=270
