Sights of Haapsalu: location, history of the city, interesting places, photos and reviews

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Estonia - small and very cozy - is waiting for you to relax on the picturesque shores of the B altic. A rich excursion program and treatment at mineral springs awaits you. Rest here has a number of advantages. This is closeness to Russia. In addition, almost everyone here speaks Russian. But the article presents the sights of Haapsalu.

General Description

How can this small town deserve the attention of tourists? There are quite a few reasons for this. The sights of Haapsalu can be listed all day long. A tiny but very cozy town is ready to offer you a lot of options for recreation. In addition, there are other small towns and villages nearby, which have their own interesting places. It's easy to get to them by bus.

The history of this city began in the 11th century. At the same time, many old buildings have been preserved,which are worth checking out. There are three mud baths that offer their services to tourists.

Hapsalu Castle

Located in western Estonia. It was founded in the middle of the 13th century and at one time was used as a defensive structure. The reconstruction of the castle continued for several centuries, which even today makes it the object of close study. The thickness of the walls reaches 2 meters in some places. There is also a watchtower, the height of which is 29 meters. Later, it began to be used as a bell tower. Of particular interest is the museum opened on the territory of the castle. Medieval weapons and ammunition are on display here for tourists.

Matsalu National Park

This is Haapsalu's most attractive attraction. The photos taken here will remind you of a wonderful excursion for a long time to come. The park covers an area of 486 sq. km. There are three hiking trails here, but public transport runs on only one of them. There are a huge number of birds, about 270 species in total. There are towers in the park that allow you to watch them. In addition to birds, roe deer, moose, raccoon dogs and foxes, as well as hares, live here. You can explore the park by boat, bike or bus.

Toy Museum

The sights of Haapsalu cannot be seen without this museum, because both children and adults love it. Pleasant atmosphere and rich expositionbring adults back to childhood. The museum building at the beginning of the 19th century was the estate of the county of Tartu. By the way, the journey from Haapsalu to the museum will take no more than 3 hours. To date, the building has been completely renovated, its original appearance has been recreated.

Toy collection consists of more than 6000 dolls and other models. Old Estonian toys for children are widely represented. The museum has a room for games and crafts, and various programs are organized here to make your visit unforgettable.

Rakvere Castle

Continuing to see the sights of Haapsalu, you should visit this castle, which is located in northern Estonia. And he appeared here in the XIII century. Throughout history, it has been rebuilt several times by different owners. In the XVIII century, its ruins were used as a quarry, but later they acquired a special significance. The castle has become a picturesque place for walks and picnics. In 1975, work began on the restoration of the castle. Today it is one of the main attractions of Haapsalu.

You can walk around this fortress on your own or accompanied by guides. Here, the atmosphere of the Middle Ages was very successfully recreated. Controllers are dressed in appropriate outfits, and small workshops are open around the entire perimeter, where you can not only see and touch everything, but also try your hand at this art. Inside the castle there is a dungeon and a room of fear. This is a torture chamber filled with instruments of torture. The next room is a crypt with the dead and, finally, hell, where even the floor is shaking. There are still many castles and bastions here, but ifif you want to meet in one day, then you will not be able to visit everything.

Dark Garden

This is a favorite place for locals and tourists in Estonia. The sights of Haapsalu can be divided into what nature has created and the creations of human hands. The Dark Garden is an example of garden and park architecture of the 19th century. There are trees that are over 100 years old. There is a monument in the park, which is a cast-iron cross. This is the memory of the dead Russian soldiers. There is another outstanding sculpture here. This is a Swedish lion, which is installed in memory of the battle of Russians and Swedes near Narva.

Pyukhtitsky Dormition Convent

This is one of the most visited attractions in Haapsalu. The photo with the description does not convey the charm of the atmosphere of this monastery. According to legend, the Mother of God once appeared to a shepherd at this place and presented an icon as a gift. In gratitude, a chapel was founded here in the 16th century. It was destroyed and rebuilt many times, and later a monastery was founded here. In Soviet times, it was the only one of the active monasteries throughout its territory. Today, about 150 nuns live here. You can order a tour of the monastery, during which they will show you the cells and the refectory, tell you about the life of its inhabitants.

Botanical Garden

The leader, Professor G. N. Hermann was a passionate and enthusiastic researcher. Thanks to his efforts, the garden reached a colossal size of 3.5 hectares. Here you can see a collection of monocot plants and visit a hugepalm greenhouse. But that's not all. Here you can see valuable tree species. Lots of ornamental plants in the garden. This is a huge collection of irises and peonies, a rose garden, a subtropical greenhouse, in which succulents occupy a separate place. It seems that even in Sochi there is no such variety of plants. Maybe this is an exaggeration, but there are a huge number of plants here. The park is especially good in the spring and summer season. The smell from the variety of flowering plants is such that it just makes your head spin. Yes, and the flower beds look very elegant.

Tourists who come to Estonia often ask what to see in one day? Haapsalu is a small town, but both it and its suburbs, as well as neighboring cities, are rich in unique and simply interesting places, as well as architectural monuments.