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Haapsalu Kuursaal
This fairy-tale wooden confection painted pale-green and white sits plumb on the waterfront, surrounded by rose gardens. Stepping into the cavernous spa hall (1897) is like stepping back into a more genteel time, with a small stage at one end (used for concerts) and a summertime re
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Estonian National Library
Construction commenced in 1985 but the Estonian National Library wasn’t completed until 1993, making this prime example of Soviet architecture one of Independent Estonia’s first new public buildings. Its clad in the local dolomite limestone and it’s well worth calling into the foye
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Kondas Centre
Housing vibrantly colourful works by local painter Paul Kondas (1900–85) and other self-taught artists working outside the mainstream, this is Estonia’s only gallery dedicated to naïve and outsider art. It’s not hard to find – in a marvellously oblique reference to the artist’s 196
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Seto Farm Museum
Presided over by a wooden carving of the god/king Peko, this museum consists of a 19th-century farmhouse complex, with stables, a granary and the former workshops for metalworking and ceramics. Don’t bypass the charming restaurant here or the excellent gift shop – Setomaa’s best –
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Raadi Manor Park
On the main road heading north out of town stands the sad remains of Raadi Manor. It was once a beautiful baroque-style building but WWII bombing has left only a red-brick shell. In the 19th century the manor grounds were considered to be one of Estonia’s most beautiful parks and,
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Liiv Museum
This museum is devoted to Juhan Liiv (1864–1913), a celebrated writer, poet and nationalist figure, of sorts. Even if you haven’t heard of him (and let’s face it, if you’re not Estonian, you’re not likely to have), it’s a lovely rural setting and the 19th-century farm buildings whe
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Muhu Ostrich Farm
The quirky ostrich owners will give you an earful about these strange creatures and let you feed them (mind your fingers). There’s also a mini-menagerie of kangaroos, wallabies, emus and ponies (for kids to ride). A small shop sells feathers, eggs, purses and shoes made from ostric
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Otepää Winter Sports Museum
Big, flash Tehvandi Stadium, used for football and ski events, is a testimony to Otepää’s obsession with sport. Within the bowels of the main stand, this two-room museum displays equipment, costumes and medals belonging to some of Estonia’s most famous winter athletes. If the displ
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St Mary’s Lutheran Church
Rõuge’s whitewashed stone church dates from 1730, replacing a 16th-century church destroyed in the Great Northern War. Inside, the focal point is the altar painting Christ on the Cross (1854), framed by a neoclassical relief. Outside theres a monument to the local dead of the 1918–
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Hiiumaa Museum
Located in Kassari villages old post office, this small museum has a collection of artefacts and exhibits on Hiiumaa’s history and biodiversity. Among the curiosities: a 1955 Russian-made TV, the jewel-like prism of the 1874 Tahkuna lighthouse and the stuffed body of the wolf that
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World War II Memorial
An estimated 29,000 Russians died at the Nazi POW camp Stalag-351, which was located in converted stables at Priimetsa on Valga’s outskirts. Most died of starvation, cold and disease. Nothing remains of the camp, but a simple, moving monument known as the Mourning Mothe r is locate
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St Andrews Lutheran Church
Its thought that the name Sangaste might derive from the Latin phrase Sanguis Christi (Blood of Christ), referring to a relic kept in Sangastes original 13th-century church. The current building dates from 1742, with its baroque gable tower added in 1873. The interior is relatively
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Birdwatching Tower
Haapsalu Bay is one of the key habitats for migrating waterfowl in Estonia and is listed as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance (www.ramsar.org). During their spring and autumn migrations as many as 20,000 birds descend. If you know your gadwalls from your grebes and fancy
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St Catherine’s Orthodox Church
Like its Lutheran cousin, Võrus main Orthodox church is dedicated to St Catherine as a nod to the towns founder Catherine the Great. Completed in 1804, its elegant neoclassical design is topped with distinctly Russian-looking curved steeples. Inside theres a beautiful iconostasis a
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Tehumardi Night Battle Monument
On the night of 8 October 1944 a gruesome battle took place in the coastal village of Tehumardi between retreating German troops and a Soviet Estonian Rifle Division. The horror defies belief: both armies fought blindly, firing on intuition or finding the enemy by touch. This large
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Sõru Museum
If youve got time to kill before the Saaremaa ferry, this little community museum is worth a look. Downstairs you might find art from the village schoolkids or locally made feltwork, while upstairs theres a permanent display containing the usual black-and-white photos of fisherfolk
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Orissaare Oak
Even in a nation where people still leave offerings in sacred groves, Orissaares most famous landmark is, well, a little weird. Winner of the 2015 European Tree of the Year award, this 150-year-old oak stands right in the middle of a football field. The field was laid out around th
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Tagamõisa Peninsula
Much of the beautiful and rarely visited western coast of the Tagamõisa Peninsula is protected as part of Vilsandi National Park, including the Harilaid Peninsula. At its northwestern tip (accessible only on foot) is the striking Kiipsaare lighthouse , which due to beach erosion no
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Town Council Pharmacy
Nobodys too sure on the exact date it opened but by 1422 this pharmacy was already on to its third owner, making it the oldest continually operating pharmacy in Europe. In 1583 Johann Burchardt took the helm, and a descendant with the same name ran the shop right up until 1913 – 10
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Town Hall Tower
Old Thomas (Vana Toomas), Tallinn’s symbol and guardian, has been keeping watch from his perch on the town halls weathervane since 1530 (although his previous incarnation now resides in the City Museum). You can enjoy much the same views as Thomas by climbing the 115 steps to the t
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