Haapsalu

The beautifully renovated Tõstamaa Manor has a colourful history and it is one of the best-known sights in the area. Even though it has a late classicist appearance, the manor was established in the Middle Ages. It has been used as a school since 1921. You can go on a tour of the manor where you will learn about its history and see its rooms. The wall and ceiling murals, the beautiful main staircase and the room under the mantle chimney are particularly impressive. Useful information! The last owner of the manor was Alexander Stael von Holstein, a famous Orientalist who even became a professor at the University of Beijing. The crown of the manor, which is under heritage and nature conservation, is oak with a top whose diameter is 23 m.

The Tallinn Zoo is located in the naturally beautiful Veskimetsa park forest that is rich in species. Boasting the most exciting collection of wildlife in Northern Europe, it is home to more than 11,000 specimens belonging to almost 600 species or subspecies from Australia to Alaska. The Zoo has giant elephants and rhinoceros, dangerous predators, simians, polar bears, and many other exotic species. Tallinn Zoo also has the best collection of wild goats and sheep in the world, as well as a remarkable number of eagles and vultures, and an excellent selection of owl and stork species.

The Pärnu Museum is one of the most modern historical museums in the Baltics and offers an experience for the whole family. Permanent exhibition "The History of 11,000 Years - Experience from Ancient Times" brings you an exciting time line through the Stone Age, the medieval trade routes, the Baroque Fortress to the nostalgic Soviet period.

The Red Tower was built in the 15th century as a prison in the Southeastern corner of the medieval fortress that surrounded the town of Pärnu. It is the only defensive tower of the Hanseatic town of New-Pärnu that has been preserved. This granite tower got its name from the brick that used to line the inside and outside of the tower. In the 17th century, the tower had four storeys and a prison cell that was 6 metres deep. Three storeys have been preserved. In the 19th century, the building was renovated into the town archives, but the building served a number of different purposes over the following century.

Eliisabet's Church, inaugurated in 1750, is the most outstanding sacral building of the Baroque period in Estonia. The beautiful church in the centre of Pärnu invites you to step in and look around to see a pulpit in the Neo-Gothic style from the middle of the 19th century, the altar and the altarpiece “Resurrection”. One of the best organs in Estonia is in Eliisabet's Church and the place is popular as a concert hall among music lovers. Interesting to know! The church got its name from Russian Empress Jelizaveta thanks to whom the congregation got a Lutheran church.

In 1874, the Häädemeeste Lutheran Church, which was built around the same time as an orthodox church, received a smaller but architecturally worthy opponent. The church is dedicated to the Archangel Michael and is celebrated on the 29th of September in the year of celebration.

This massive, 38m-high cannon tower houses an extensive museum of the town's fortifications, weapons and medieval-era life.

The representative square of Tallinn – Freedom Square is a popular meeting place designed for pedestrians. The monument to the War of Independence is also located there. Over the years, the square has gone by many names: Heinaturg (Hay Market), Peetri plats (Peter’s Square), and Võiduväljak (Victory Square) among them. It was first named Freedom Square in 1939, remaining that way until 1948. The name was readopted in 1989. The defensive structures found at archaeological excavations have been preserved and stored in the parking lot under the square; the remains of the guard gates of the defence tower can be seen at the end of Harju Street through a glass screen.

Exquisite altarpieces, medieval burial slabs and other works of religious art can be seen in this 1230-era church-turned-museum. Saints, dancing skeletons and silver – not to mention the occasional organ concert – are the main attractions here.

The Bank of Estonia Museum is situated in a historical building in the heart of Tallinn constructed in 1904 as the headquarters of Aadlipank. The exhibition rooms shelter history – video clips, interactive games and virtual displays showcase the history of Estonian money, the activities and role of the Bank of Estonia in the eurozone and how money is made. You can have a chat with the waxworks of the cultural figures who once featured on Estonian kroons, check the authenticity of bills and differentiate real bills from forged ones, predict the economic development, and manage the external assets of the central bank. At the museum shop, you can exchange Estonian kroons into euros or buy souvenir coins and other souvenirs. You can also pre-book a tour.

Tammsaare Park is located in the centre of Tallinn, between the Estonia Theatre and Viru Keskus shopping centre. In 1896, one corner of the park became the new site of Tallinn’s market, which was formerly located on Town Hall Square. From 1903–1905, the park was home to a giant wooden ‘Interimstheater’ – a barn-type hall that was a venue for theatre performances and cinema screenings. When this building burnt down, space was landscaped and pathways were constructed. In 1978, a statue of A. H. Tammsaare was erected in the centre of the park to mark the Estonian author’s 100th birthday. Tammsaare Park has modern lighting, white park furniture, and thousands of flower bulbs.

Listed in UNESCO heritage, the complex provides an overview of maritime trade, agencies, and navigation in the Middle Ages, as well as in the era of sailing, steam, and motor ships. There is a total of 1,000 m² of exhibition space. The star exhibit is the 700-year-old Koge wreck found in Kadriorg in 2015. There are about 70 ship models out of which 17 have been created specifically for the exhibition, nearly 700 items, and 50 digital and hands-on solutions.

Kadriorg Park is the most outstanding palatial and urban park in Estonia, covering around 70 hectares. Its construction began in 1718 on the orders of Russian tsar Peter I. Elements of park design from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries can be seen here. The most popular places for a stroll in the park are the flower beds surrounding the Swan Pond and the promenade leading from there to the president's palace. There are a number of museums in the park, including KUMU (the Estonian Art Museum), Kadriorg Art Museum and the Mikkeli Museum, as well as monuments to such cultural figures as sculptor Amandus Adamson, author F. R. Kreutzwald and artist Jaan Koort.

This grand, baroque palace built for Peter the Great in 1718 now houses the Art Museum of Estonia's foreign collection.

The Russalka Memorial was built in 1902 by Amandus Adamson in memorial to those who lost their lives at the Gulf of Finland on the Russian navy vessel called Russalka. The 16-metre sculpture was placed by the sea where the promenade from Kadriorg Palace comes down to meet the Bay of Tallinn. The monument depicts a bronze angel on a granite pillar pointing an Orthodox cross in the assumed direction of the sunken ship.

Soomaa National Park, founded in 1993, is the second largest national park in Estonia. Soomaa, located on the border between Pärnu and Viljandimaa, is one of the pearls of nature in Estonia, with its large, man-made, almost untouched bogs and wild rivers.

Kuressaare beach is one of the warmest sandy beaches in Estonia. Thanks to its low water level and the fact that the bay warms quickly, it is perfect for families with small children.

The Sport Centre has three full sized basketball courts where you can also play volleyball, floor hockey and indoor football. The Sport Centre also has a athletics hall with two tennis courts, a weight room, weight equipment, a wrestling and judo hall and an aerobics hall. Badminton (4 courts) and table tennis (3 tables) can also be played.

The church together with the gates from dolomite and surrounding wall is under protection as architectural memory. The church built in 1790 is three-naved in low-key late classicistic style. Interesting is built at the same time three-part gate.

Kuressaare Episcopal Castle, also known as Kuressaare Castle, is one of the most interesting and best-preserved fortresses in Estonia. The castle has become one of the most remarkable buildings in Northern Europe built during the 14th–19th century. There is a history museum which tells stories of the distant past and recent history of Saaremaa and the locals through permanent exhibitions and travelling exhibitions. There are also activities for both children and adults – from treasure hunts to archery!

Founded in 1920, Ugala is one of Estonia's oldest professional drama theatres. It became a professional theatre in 1926. In 1981, the theatre received a new, large and modern building that was one of the most advanced ones in the Baltic countries at the time. The Ugala offers a varied repertoire from children's stories and musical plays to world classics and contemporary world dramaturgy. Estonian originals also have their place in the programme.

The park in front of the main building of Viljandi Manor is home to a 'world tree' bearing national patterns carved out of the old, dry oak. Both the tree and the large wooden Hiiu zither nearby made a home for themselves in the park in spring 2009, when Viljandi held the title of Forest Capital of Estonia. The park's 'orchestra' obtained new players in 2010: a willow whistle and bellows.

There is a pedestrian mall in the heart of Viljandi where you will see an amazing array of things - fragments of the medieval town wall; a modern walking track with unique fountains and benches; and examples of drying barn architecture from the olden days. The Garden of Arcadia was inspired by a dance hall and meeting place here that went by the same dreamy name among locals in the early 1930s.

Rüki Gallery is an exhibition and sales gallery of contemporary art in the Old Town of Viljandi. The exhibitions organised both paintings and photography, graphics, sculpture, installations, and other alternative art. The purpose of the gallery is to introduce the works of Estonian professional artists to local residents, as well as visitors from Estonia and the rest of the world. The gallery is housed in a historic barn building where a sign saying ‘Rüki jahu’ (rye flour in the local language) was found during renovation work. The sign indicated where flour was stored at that time. Hence the name of the gallery.

The oldest church in Viljandi is the St. John's Church, which was built near the castle in the years 1466-1472. A triangular home church, made of limestones and brick, was first prepared for the Franciscan monastery.

The bridge made by the Riga company Felser & Co in 1879 was erected amid the castle hills in Viljandi in 1931. It was a present by the lord of the Tarvastu Manor Karl von Mensenkampf. Interesting to know: *The bridge is over 50 m long. * It was erected over a valley which is 15 m deep. * At first, the bridge was located over the moat in Tarvastu to make it easier for the family of the lord to visit the chapel in the ruins. The suspension bridge has become a favourite object of both citizens and visitors of Viljandi and one of the town’s important symbols. It was reconstructed in 1995.

The museum is located in an old pharmacy , with a permanent exhibition on two floors reflecting the history of Viljandi County until the mid-20th century. Wildlife showcases contain many animal and bird species that are special favorites for the smallest visitors.

The 30m high red brick water tower was constructed in 1911 and was preserved until today with its small windows and the octangular wooden upper part. The tower was actively used for about 50 years. After a long time of emptiness, the building was renovated in 2001 as an observation tower. You are welcome to visit and enjoy the beautiful view over the lake and Old Town of Viljandi! Interesting to know: ·Viljandi was one of the first towns in Estonia to receive waterworks and canalisation. ·The three storeys of the tower accommodate one permanent and several travelling exhibitions. The water tower is an important part of the skyline of Viljandi as a so-called town of towers.

Lake Viljandi is in a primeval valley, which is 11 m deep, 450 m wide and 4600 metres long. The lake is well-known in Estonia thanks to the song about the boatman of VIljandi, who day-dreams about the beautiful blue eyes of a girl he once saw when he was young.

The Pentala Archipelago Museum is located on an old fisherman’s estate on Pentala Island in Espoonlahti Bay. The museum area consists of fifteen different buildings. The oldest one is a fisherman’s cottage built in the early 1790s. The fisherman’s estate was inhabited year-round until 1986. Espoo’s maritime side is at its best on Pentala Island. The Archipelago Museum showcases life in the archipelago, from housing and hard work to villas and leisure activities. In the summer, the museum area is full of things to see and do. If you want to experience Espoo’s unique archipelago nature, simply follow a nature trail to Lake Pentalanjärvi and the Diksand beach.

The Archipelago National Park is located just 60 kilometres from Turku. Visitors can reach the park via Kimito and Pargas. Nature in the region is fascinating the whole year-round. The region is comprised of a rugged archipelago ecosystem and ancient bedrock, where the juniper and curling pine grow. Thanks to grazing livestock and long-term land management, the region also boasts beautiful, verdant traditional landscapes. Archipelago National Park is one of the most species-rich regions in Finland. Visitors can also experience archipelago life and culture within the park as well as in co-operation areas outside it. The Archipelago National Park is part of the Archipelago Sea Biosphere Reserve, which was established by UNESCO.

At Espoo City Theatre – The International Theatre of Finland brings together a broad range of in-house productions with the finest domestic and international visiting performances. With programming befitting a performing arts festival, Espoo City Theatre is unlike most theatres in Finland. For over 30 years now, the theatre has presented up to four world-class international visits each season, in addition to domestic visiting performances. Our Louhisali stage has featured cutting-edge talent from home and abroad, performing in many languages, over the years. Each spring, Espoo City Theatre hosts the Viro-viikot festival presenting the most ambitious new work from Estonia. The Theatre aims to be an open and inclusive platform for all performing arts. Its bold programming reflects the changing world around us. In addition to a more classical theatre repertoire, Espoo City Theatre regularly presents contemporary circus, dance, opera, and performance art.

Hanasaari is an enchanting place in the midst of the archipelago, close to the Helsinki city centre. The Hanasaari Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre promotes and develops interaction between Finland and Sweden, as well as co-operation in all areas of society. Hanasaari’s home is a modern well-maintained building, amply decorated with modern Finnish and Swedish art. The Hanasaari cultural centre was inaugurated on 1 June 1975 by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and President Urho Kekkonen of Finland. The building was designed by architect Veikko Malmio, and its original interior decorations by Professor Yrjö Sotamaa. An art competition was organised during the building phase, and the winner was revealed by King Carl XVI Gustaf when he inaugurated the house. The winning piece was Heikki Häiväoja‘s grand relief “Vuorovaikutus” (Interaction). Two other participating works were also purchased for Hanasaari: Marjatta Weckström‘s relief “Vuodenajat” (The seasons), which today can be seen in Restaurant Johannes, and the bronze front doors with small coloured windows embedded in them by Kauko Räsänen.