Saaremaa Island

Why Saaremaa Island works

Saaremaa, Estonia's largest island, sits in the Baltic off the country's west coast, reached by ferry from the mainland, and has long served as Estonians' own preferred escape — a status that has kept large-scale development off the island even as its charms have become better known internationally. Kuressaare Episcopal Castle, the best-preserved medieval castle in the Baltic states, rises in pale limestone from its own moat at the island's main town, its complete fortress form dating largely to the 14th century under the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek; inside, a museum covers the island's layered history under Danish, German, Swedish and Russian control before Estonian independence. Angla, in the island's north, preserves a cluster of traditional Dutch-style windmills on wooden trestles, a rare surviving example of the mill technology that once dotted the whole island. Saaremaa's coastline alternates between limestone cliffs, pine forest and juniper-covered meadows grazed by sheep, with the Vilsandi National Park protecting one of Europe's most important seabird breeding grounds along the island's western fringe. The island is also known for its spa culture — mineral-rich mud treatments have drawn visitors to Kuressaare's resorts since the 19th century — and for a local sense of humour, cider and beer traditions distinct enough from the mainland that Saaremaa islanders (saarlased) are often the subject of good-natured Estonian jokes about their laid-back pace.

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