Haapsalu
Estonia · Lääne · 5 m
Description
Haapsalu is a small spa town on a shallow western bay, built around the ruins of a bishop's castle whose cathedral still stands roofless inside the walls. Its curative mud made the town fashionable in the nineteenth century and Tchaikovsky spent a summer here, which the promenade bench commemorates. The railway station built for the imperial court has the longest covered wooden platform in Europe, kept even though the line to it closed. A white lady is said to appear in the castle window at the August full moon.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – August
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Haapsalu episcopal castle and its cathedral
- Railway station with the longest wooden platform in Europe
- Promenade and the Tchaikovsky bench
- White Lady festival at the August full moon (approx. August)
- Wooden villas of the spa quarter
- Curative mud treatments
- Ilon's Wonderland and the Pippi illustrator
- Matsalu National Park bird migration nearby(Day trip)
Getting there
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry