The 10 Best Things to do in Saaremaa, Saare County

Mihkli Farm Museum was found on the 5th of February in 1959. Mihkli is a farm typical to West-Saaremaa, with many architectural sights as well. Most buildings lie in a circle around the yard, part of which is separated by a stick fence as flower garden. Farm is surrounded by old ash trees, leafy branches used to be cut from them for sheep's winter feed.Good to know:There was no need to search for items for this farm, in addition to a complete set of buildings there was a rich collection of everyday items.Almost all of the items were made by the inhabitants of this farm over 2 centuries.

The Kuressaare episcopal castle, also known as the Kuressaare Castle, was built in the 14th century. Today, the castle houses the Saaremaa Museum which is devoted to the island’s nature and history. A large part of the fun is exploring the warren of chambers, halls, passages and stairways, apt to fuel anyone’s fantasies. One room near the bishop’s chamber looks down to a dungeon where, according to legend, condemned prisoners were dispatched to be devoured by hungry lions (recorded growls reinforce the mental image). Legend also tells of a knight’s body found when a sealed room was opened in the 18th century, which has given rise to varying accounts of how he met his tragic fate. Upon discovery the knight’s body dissolved into dust but don’t worry, it’s since been re-created. There’s also interesting coverage of daily life under the USSR, including the interior of a typical apartment. On the top floor, the museum has wonderful views over the bay and surrounding countryside.

Kuressaare Castle-Fortress is built in the 14th century. Today, the castle houses the Saaremaa Museum. Saaremaa Museum is one of the oldest (founded in 1865) and biggest museums in Estonia and is visited by 70 000-80 000 people every year. As a county museum its main function is to preserve and strengthen the identity of Saaremaa as a region with extraordinary nature, history and culture. The museum tries to exhibit the essence of the castle and tells its story to the whole world.

Sorve Military Museum is at the very end of Sorve peninsula, in former Border Guard barracks. Founded in order to preserve and promote local history, this modest museum showcases local life and has displays of the military presence and activities here. Among its exhibits there is a very old stone blackboard, parts of an old Swedish military vessel and rifles that have seen better days! There is also a marked track starting from the museum which highlights the military history of the area.

The peninsula ends with the tip of Sorve, which is continued by a number of islets in the Irbe Strait. According to a legend, they were created by Great Toll. The hero was chasing the Devil out of the country and throwing stones after him. Heavier stones fell down sooner, lighter ones flew further. Good to know: Sorve peninsula was first mentioned in 1234. The peninsula has only 1600 inhabitants. The tip of Sorve is loved by birdwatchers.

The ecological reserve was established in 1957. The area of the ecological reserve constitutes 1873 ha. Different forest types can be seen here, from swamp forests to high pine forests. The Burgundy snail, the biggest land snail in Estonia, lives on the grasslands and greenwoods. The wooded meadows, semi-natural biotic communities that are typical for Saaremaa but almost extinct, are preserved in the Viidumae ecological reserve by means of traditional maintenance methods.Good to know: The Viidumae ecological reserve is located in the highest and oldest part of Saaremaa.85% of Viidumae are covered with woods.

GoodKaarma is a unique ecofarm which makes organic soaps. In summer our doors are open to everyone. Our outdoor cafe offers drinks and snacks, while our gift shop has a wide range of interesting souvenirs, jewellery, soaps and more. Those interested can even take part in soap-making workshops!

The establishment of housing and landscape gardening got into full speed in the second half of the 19th century when Kuressaare became thanks to discovery of medical mud one of the spa cities of Estonia. For park establishment and administration in 1861 was formed a park committee. Versatile help was offered by residents who donated money, seedlings and gave for work horses and vehicles. In 1930 new rare types of trees that were ordered from Tartu University were planted in town park. The plant life of park is rich, here you can find around 80 species of trees and bushes.Interesting to know:Town park is a former cemetery.