A memorable and fun train ride allows you to see more of the picturesque and romantic seaside town than you would on foot. The train has a tour guide who points out the attractions on the way. You will see Kuursaal, lovely seaside streets with wooden lace houses, and cafés on the main street decorated with flowers.

The excursion lasts 45 minutes.
Departure/arrival in the summer season: Haapsalu Railway Station
The schedule is available here.

Marker towers, which are normally found on the shore close to the waterline or within low water itself, were originally designed to ensure safe sailing and simplify navigation. The towers at Telise were constructed from local stone in 1910. The lower tower rises 7 metres above sea level; the upper tower 11.9 metres above sea level. The distance between them is 416 metres.
Did you know…? *Marker towers have fallen out of use and are no longer constructed. Those that remain in Estonia have been placed under national protection.

Poet Ernst Enno came to Haapsalu in 1919, when he became a school adviser in Lääne County. His Haapsalu period was not the peak of his career, but it was here that he wrote his best children’s songs. If you are walking on the Haapsalu embankment stop by the park named for him and monument dedicated to him.

Interesting facts: Ernst Enno’s grave is in Haapsalu’s Old Cemetery, where many famous cultural figures rest under the indigenous trees. The author of the monument is Roman Haavamägi, whose is famous for his sculptures, including monuments that are located primarily in Haapsalu.

The world-famous Russian composer Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky stayed in Haapsalu in 1867. To commemorate him, a memorial bench was erected on the Šokolaadi Promenaad (Chocolate Promenade), where the maestro loved to watch the sunrise from the shore and marvel at the swans.

Interesting to know: in Haapsalu, Tchaikovsky continued to work on his opera ‘Voyevoda’ and composed the cycle of piano pieces ‘Souvenir de Hapsal.’ After having heard the Estonian folk song “Dear Mary”, he later used the melody in his famous VI Symphony, the first notes of the tune were also carved into the dolomite memorial bench. Today, the bench is equipped with a technical solution with the aid of which you can listen to the composer’s music and information related to him.

Ridala Church is one of the most valuable churches in Läänemaa from the artistic point of view. It has been dedicated to Mary Magdalene whose figure in the church is one of the oldest sculptured figures in Estonia.
This archaic sanctuary lacks a belfry. Be sure to take a look at the medieval paintings. The altar, the triumphal arch group and pulpit are also remarkable. In the churchyard the most valuable things are the trapezoid gravestones dating back to the 13th century with sun cross and arbour vitae motifs. The two massive stone crosses near the main entrance of the church are very old. Interesting facts: According to a folk tale the church was built by a giant maiden as a dwelling house.

Come and see this memorial to one of Estonia’s most famous composers, who grew up in Lääne County – Cyrillus Kreek (1889-1962). The memorial, which was created by Aime Kuulbusch, is located in front of the composer’s former home, on the shores of Väikese Bay.

Did you know…? The majority of Kreek’s works were created in Haapsalu. Kreek’s most important ‘secret service’ was composing sacred music and arranging sacred folk songs and choral canons, whilst publicly maintaining a standoffish attitude towards the church.