| Linnamäe – Taebla – Haapsalu (18 km) |
|
Linnamäe – Taebla – Haapsalu (18 km)
When you drive towards Haapsalu, then after a short distance from Taebla you can notice a road sign which directs you to the village of Kadarpiku, to the house-museum of one of the famous painters of Estonia, Ants Laikmaa. The house was built as the image of the painter’s ideals in a unique style of national romanticism. The 7-hectare park behind the house is under the nature protection where you can find the old oaks planted in honour of several famous Estonian writers.
The centre of Läänemaa, Haapsalu, has had the town bylaws since 1279. As a resort town, Haapsalu was famous far and wide already in the 19th century, especially among the Russian noblemen and tsars. The present-day centre of Haapsalu is at the crossroads (from Tallinn, Pärnu and Rohuküla).
In Haapsalu it is worth walking along Karja Street towards the old part of the town. At the end of this street there is Rootsiturg (Swedish Market) and the old market place. This is the beginning of all the old streets of Haapsalu – Kooli, Jaani and Linda Streets. The Castle square is surrounded by historical buildings, such as the Episcopal Castle with its Watch Tower and Dome Church, the former Town Hall (now the Museum of Läänemaa) and Ilon Wikland’s Gallery.
On Karja Street there stands the Museum of Evald Okas who is the best-known Estonian artist.
Outside the castle walls there is a park, so called Count’s Garden. Behind the old Town Hall there is another church – St John’s Church which is the second oldest building in Haapsalu. On the corner of Linda Street and Rüütli Street there stands Peter I house. It is said that he had stopped there in 1715 while visiting Haapsalu. Not far from there is Ilon Wikland’s childhood home.
African Beach together with Big Promenade is the beginning of the most famous walkway in Haapsalu, which continues as Promenade and which takes you to Kursaal, to band shell and to the memorial bench of Tchaikovsky. At the end of this long walk there is another gem of Haapsalu – the Railway Station, which was completed in 1906 and has the longest roof-covered platform (216) in Estonia.
If you are interested in more than that, we advise you to drop in at Haapsalu Tourist Info Centre where more detailed plans are available.
|
/MT_banner.jpg)
.gif)
