Of the interior of the church which dates back to the 13th century one should pay attention to the pulpit, chandeliers, organ, altar painting, H. Göseken’s epitaph and triumphal arch group.

In the churchyard you will see Estonia’s oldest wheel cross which reads Sitta Kodt Matz. According to a legend Matz had been gathering horse droppings, then fertilised the field with those and then he grew mighty rye there. He became so rich that he could get himself buried in the churchyard.

Estonia’s first professional composer Rudolf Tobias (1873-1918) is buried in the churchyard.

Nearby you will find Kullamaa Rohumägi – Estonians’ for of nearly 2000 m2 dating back to the 11th-12th centuries. Kullamaa is also the place where the oldest Estonian language signs were found.

The timber-laced Kuursaal resort hall and the bandstand on the seaside promenade were built at the end of the 19th century and are the only ones of the kind that have survived in their original shape. From the first half of the 20th century until present day, the resort hall has been the centre of summer activities in Haapsalu.
Interesting to know: in 1898, the house was practically under water; later, the small coves of the bay on both sides of the building were filled and the embankment got its present shape. The resort hall with the bandstand was a favourite place of the Russian emperor’s court and the aristocracy from St. Petersburg. During the Soviet time, the resort hall was used as a storehouse.
National Register of Cultural Monuments

Haapsalu’s main street, Karja, begins at the Swedish Market. The name of the street (“herd”) originates from the time when animals belonging to the citizens of the town were led out to pasture down this road. As late as the beginning of the 20th century, the Swedish Market was an empty square where the fish market was held. Many plots of land in the area belonged at that time to Estonian Swedes (or Coastal Swedish) families. In the 1930s, a small park with the town well was built here. To decorate the square, the sculpture “Boy With A Fish” was commissioned from the sculptor Juhan Raudsepp (erected in 1936).

Good to know: The fountain side is still a nice and romantic place to sit. During the summertime festivals such as August Blues and the White Lady Festival the Swedish Market is transformed into a small open air stage. 

Haapsalu Castle is an architectural gem built in the 13th century that was the seat of power of the local authorities until the end of the 17th century. It is one of the best-preserved castles in Estonia and home to the most famous ghost in Estonia – the White Lady!

There is a museum on medieval history in the main castle, through which you can also access the southern cathedral, first mentioned in writing in 1279. There is a children’s playground inspired by the Middle Ages in the moat.
You can visit the courtyard for free, but you have to buy a ticket to get to the museum.

Haapsalu is the childhood hometown of the Ilon Wikland, illustrator of the books by world famous children’s book author Astrid Lindgren.  In the 1930s she lived with her grandparents in a yellow house on the corner of Linda and Rüütli streets. Wikland emigrated to Sweden in 1944. Her time in Haapsalu brought small town motifs to her drawings. In Ilon’s work you will find images of Haapsalu’s wooden houses, fortress walls and railway station.

Interesting to know: Ilon Wikland donated 800 of her original drawings to Haapsalu as a gift. They are displayed in a gallery opened on Kooli street on the site of the children’s theme park Ilon’s Wonderland. Ilon’s childhood home can only be viewed from the outside. 

Ilon’s Wonderland is a theme park for children and families that showcases the work of Ilon Wikland, the illustrator of Astrid Lindgren’s children’s books.

The three-storey building is open from September to April. It has a gallery, a cinema, an exhibition hall, Karlsson’s Room, Ilon’s Kitchen, and a playroom, where workshops and thematic events take place.

From May to August, the Wonderland courtyard is also open. Inside you’ll find Mattias’s cottage and a handicrafts workshop where you and your kids can make many exciting items yourself. In the courtyard, you can try your hand at target throwing, stilt-walking, fishing, acting, and sandbox games.