What to do and see in Puhalepa, Estonia: The Best Places and Tips

The present manor house was built by the countess Ebba Margaretha Stenbock. The countess is buried in the mausoleum next to Puhalepa Church. Otto Reinhold Ludwig von Ungern-Sternberg bought the Suuremoisa manor in 1796 as an addition to the North-Hiiumaa manors already in his possession. Suuremoisa castle is one of the most beautiful and biggest manor-houses in Estonia. The value of the castle lies in its pure Baroque-Rococo style.The English-style manor park was established more than eight hundred years ago. You can follow a wonderful trail to get to know the manor park. Right now the manor house accommodates Suuremoisa Technical School and Suuremoisa Primary School.

The history of Sooaare farm, that was itsoirignal name, dates back at least for 200 years. The oldest part of the cottage-cum threshing barn originates from the first half of XIX century, it's a threshing barn room with soilfloor and people used to live there and also dry crop in the autumn. Living room with chambers was built in the second half of XIX century.Smoke sauna, paargu or better known as summer kitchen, storehouse, cellar, coach house and victualler (former cowshed) are all part of the Farm Museum. There are also remains of an old dug well. In all buildings there are expositions of archaic tools and commodities.Soera was a typical XIX century Hiiu household.

Scrolls mention Suursadam harbor for the first time as Saare Sadam (Serle Ham) in 1593. In 1680 Dutchman Erasmus Jacobson built a bigger ship-building concern in Suursadama harbor. There were lime-furnaces nearby. The production of these lime-furnaces was sent to many ports of the Baltic Sea.In 1848 a 358-ton bark (ship), "Hioma", was built in this harbor. This sailboat was the biggest boat in Estonia in the 19th century. "Hioma" was the first sailboat that sailed over the equator in 1854 and around Kap Hoorn into the Pacific Ocean.A big storehouse has been taken under protection as an architectural monument.

The Puhalepa Church is Hiiumaa’s oldest stone church. In 1255, the German Order started the construction of a stone fortress-church. Initially lacking a steeple, the arched stone church was completed in the 14th century; construction of the steeple started in 1770. After it renovation in the 19th century, Crosses of Malta were painted on the walls that are primarily associated with the membership of the Ungern-Sternberg family members in this Order. Interesting fact: – One of the inauguration crosses has survived on the wall of the choir room. – An unusual stone pulpit was given to the Puhalepa Church by the Hiiesaare manor lords, the Gentschiens in 1636. – The burial chapel of the von Stenbock family is in the churchyard.

Hidden in the forest bioherm reef is up to 10 m high and 400 m long. More than 100 years old pine forest and several rare species of plants grow on the cliff.

It happened about 455 million years ago that a meteor with a diameter of about half a kilometre started moving towards the earth with the speed 30-40 km/s. The meteor went through a 100-meters thick layer of water in less that 0.1 seconds and a 140-meters thick layer of sedimentary rock and exploded with a force equal to 25,000 explosions of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The diameter of the crater is 4 km and it is one of the most remarkable ones in the world. The ring wall of the crater can be seen well from Palukula and Tubala. In Palukula there is a crater viewing tower. Near the viewing tower you can find a small limestone quarry which reveals the layer of limestone with its cracks.

In 1871 and 1879, Russian geologist Gregor Helmersen was the first to describe and characterize the Heilu rocks. His name is also connected to rocks elsewhere in Estonia. He described the Helmersen Rock Field as the best group of boulders originating from Finland that he had seen in the Baltic countries. There are over 80 rocks on the 0.5-hectare-size plot, which been carried here by the glacial ice.

At first, you don’t see more than just a large pile of rocks. Yet it is clear that the strength of ordinary hands would not be sufficient to achieve this. It is often thought this an ancient sacred place, a place where fundamental agreements were concluded, and consultation held with the gods. It is also thought that the pile of rocks marks the grave of Nordic King Ingvar. Ingvar was killed in Estonia around 600 and buried in a place marked with the name Kivi (Rock). There are also stories that this is the place where seaman brought the gods rocks for luck before embarking on voyage. It is also said that manor lord O. R. L. von Ungern-Sternberg was planning to build an Egyptian-style pyramid.