Emerald isles
Estonia’s coastal islands are an undiscovered gem offering rest and relaxation to visitors from Russia and Europe. By Sergey Chernov
Staff Writer
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PADASTE MANOR
Padaste Manor on Muhu.
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TEHUMARDI, Estonia — While many think of capital city Tallinn when they think of Estonia, the country also has a less well-known asset in its hundreds of coastal islands. Often escaping the effects of Soviet military and industrial intervention, the islands have preserved much of their natural environment and are now gearing up to responsibly exploit their potential for tourism. With good transport links and modern facilities, Estonia’s islands stand poised to attract travelers from Russia and Europe looking for an undiscovered gem. Two of them are among Estonia’s most important island destinations. SAAREMAA Described by enthusiasts as a paradise on earth, Saaremaa is the largest of Estonia’s 1,500-plus islands, to the west of the mainland. It can be reached on a ferry from several points in Estonia and Latvia. Located between the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, the island was a restricted area under the Soviets, who installed radars and weapons there. Soviet citizens could go there only with special permission, which, some reckon, had a positive effect on the island, helping to keep most of its natural environment intact. Foreigners were banned altogether, of course. Saaremaa’s native people, who have lived there for at least 5,000 years, have been described as cultivating their difference from mainlanders in their lifestyle, traditional clothes, temperament and dialect. The inhabitants of Muhu, a smaller island that lies between Saaremaa and the mainland, are also thought to differ in these respects. In the south of the island, the Tehumardi Recreation Center is a new facility with a five-room wooden main building and a number of small holiday houses, located in the woods near a fishpond. Owned and managed by Ago Liblik, it has been open to the public since spring 2004, providing plenty of room for sports and for kids’ entertainment, as well as a sauna and bicycles to rent. Sights nearby include the Sorve peninsula, the Viieristi coast and the Jarve dunes. It is also the site of the close-range and bloody Battle of Tehumardi between the Soviets and Nazis in 1944. The nearest shop is in Salme, 2.3 kilometers away. Abundant with fish and birds, Saaremaa attracts fishermen and huntsmen and offers excellent opportunities for trekking and canoeing. At Vastriku, a nearby hotel with canoes to rent, sailor shirt-clad owner Hillar Lipp will instruct you on the various routes through the island’s narrow rivers and lakes (www.saaremaa.ee/vastriku/index.htm). Seventeen kilometers from Tehumardi is Kuressaare, Saaremaa’s capital and basically the only town, with a 16,000-strong population (40,000 people live on the island). Kuressaare (www.kuressaare.ee), which used to be a well-known resort before World War II, is once again a major tourist attraction. Officially declared a town in 1563 by Duke Magnus, brother of the Danish king, Frederik II, Kuressaare’s main sight is the bishop’s castle, which is considered to be the best-preserved castle in the Baltics, now an exciting and informative museum. The island’s most famous sights include Kaali Meteorite Crater lake, the largest of a number of meteorite craters presumably formed by an iron-nickel meteorite that split in the atmosphere and fell to earth in pieces in around 700 B.C. The crater lake, once known as the Holy Lake, was worshipped by the island’s ancient inhabitants. Close to the 110-meter hole filled with greenish water, there is a private museum-cum-hotel celebrating it.
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Sergey Chernov / The St. Petersburg Times
Canoe station owner Hillar Lipp explains the route through Saaremaa.
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Angla Windmills is a set of five old mills on the Angla Hill, the only remaining windmill hill on Saaremaa. Preserved for their historical value, the structures do not function but create a breathtaking sight against Saaremaa’s blue skies. The island is also famous for its medieval churches such as Valjala (the island’s oldest stone church) and Karja, whose interiors are decorated with sculptures and carvings. MUHU Now joined to Saaremaa by a land bridge, Muhu is a much smaller island, yet it clings to its identity. It is home of Koguva, Estonia’s best-preserved fishing village, with all its buildings (dating to the 18th or 19th century) under historical protection. The stone walls that surround the houses are more than 200 years old, but the beginnings of the village reportedly date from the 16th century. It is still populated. Padaste Manor, a restored 19th century manor (though its earlier history goes back to the 16th century, according to the guides), is a major point on the map for Europe’s upscale tourists. The luxury hotel, with gourmet restaurants and spa facilities, is located in a bay, surrounded by Muhu’s splendid forests. Modern-day spa facilities are complement by traditional procedures such as the barrel bath. A massive water-filled barrel is set up on a bay and heated by an adjusted firewood heater and up to four to six people sit inside enjoying the sea breeze. Horseback rides are available in Muhu as well as at many points on Saaremaa. The island breed is short and gentle. Padaste Manor is cozy and sophisticated, yet there is still some work to be done, according to the management. Thus, the manor’s central building is still in scaffolding. “It’s a labor of love that will never end,” said Martin Breuer, Padaste Manor’s Dutch-born owner and general manager. The St. Petersburg Times was a guest of the Estonian Tourist Board, Enterprise Estonia (Liivalaia 13/15, 10118 Tallinn, Estonia. Tel: +372 6279 770). www.eas.ee, www.visitestonia.com. INFORMATION
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Sergey Chernov / The St. Petersburg Times
A windmill at the Angla windmill hill on Saaremaa.
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HOW TO GET THERE Buses depart from Tallinn at least seven times a day (www.bussireisid.ee, www.sarbuss) and take four hours to get to Saaremaa's main town Kuressaare (including a 30-minute ferry ride). But it is only 45 minutes by plane from Tallinn to Kuressaare (www.avies.ee). Many points in Saaremaa and Muhu can be reached by local buses (www.neomobile.ee). There are also several car rental services on Saaremaa. St. Petersburg's travel agencies can help; check for the list of agencies dealing with Estonia at the consulate’s web site (www.peterburg.estemb.ru/turfirm”). WHERE TO STAY Tehumardi Recreation Center, whose main purpose is to provide lodging and services for people traveling in caravans, offers five double rooms in the main building with showers and 18 tiny four-bed holiday homes with bunk beds. Bicycle and sauna rental available. (www.tehumardi.ee) Saaremaa Spa Hotels group includes the new or fully renovated hotels Ruutli, Meri and Saaremaa Valss in Kuressaare. Based around the Kuressaare mud resort, in operation since 1964, the hotels provide therapy procedures, medical services, leisure activities, a water center, swimming pools and saunas. (www.sanatoorium.ee) Padaste Manor is an upscale luxury hotel located in a restored 19th century manor, with two-floor suites, and a number of smaller buildings set on a bay. Spa and resort facilities are available. (Tel: +372 454 8800. www.padaste.ee) WHERE TO EAT Nautica, on the first floor of the Spa Hotel Ruutli in Kuressaare and designed in the style of a ship's galley, comes complete with antique furniture and offers some delectable food with the addition of a great view of the coast. (Pargi 12, Tel: +372 454 8125. www.sanatoorium.ee) The Seahouse Restaurant at Padaste Manor is one of Estonia's finest gourmet restaurants which uses mostly local countryside ingredients, including game, but, inventively, raises it to a high art. Dishes include creamy mushroom soup made from mushrooms picked in local forests, hare fillet and steamed turbot. (Muhu Island, Tel: +372 454 8800. www.padaste.ee) For more information on hotels and restaurants, check out www.visitestonia.com and www.saaremaa.ee.
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