This museum in Haapsalu introduces the thousand-year-old settlements of the coastal Swedes in Estonia. In the house inaugurated by the King of Sweden, you can acquaint yourself with their unique cultural heritage and see a 20-metre embroidered rug that depicts the life of the Estonian Swedes. There is a scene where Swedish peasants bought Large-Pakri Island from the Padise Monastery for 34 silver marks in 1345. Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf had great words of praise for the pictorial rug! In addition, other interesting events are organised and traditional wedding feasts are held.
Good to know: the museum houses several traditional wooden boats typical of coastal Swedes.

Artist Ants Laikmaa was born in the Vigala Rural Municipality in Lääne County on 5 May 1866. 

A. Laikmaa studied painting in St. Petersburg and at the Academy of Arts in Dusseldorf; his favourite technique was pastel. He mostly painted natural landscapes and portraits of Estonian intelligentsia and the farmers of West Estonia.

The artist made his last home in Lääne County in the village of Kadarbik. The house was constructed according to the artist’s own drawings and it is surrounded by a gorgeous natural park.

The ground floor of the home museum houses an exhibition about the life of the master. On the upper floor, you will find his studio, study and bedroom with personal belongings and ethnographic antiquities.

The Haapsalu shawl, an extremely fine knit shawl that can be pulled through a woman’s ring, has been the symbol of Haapsalu for more than a century. Ever since then, these shawls have been highly regarded by women. The knitters of the traditional shawls are professionals and the skill is passed down from generation to generation.

In the Shawl Museum, you can see a permanent exhibition on the past and present of the Haapsalu shawl, examine the extremely fine patterns, and buy one of the masterpieces for yourself.
In the summer, local shawl knitters hold trainings and workshops.
Haapsalu shawls have been presented as gifts to the women of the Swedish Royal Family as well as the honoured guests of the President of Estonia.

The historic Town Hall building (1775) introduces the 190-year resort history of Haapsalu. The resort changed the urban structure of Haapsalu, brought new connections, a different way of life, and a broader world view. The visitor sees the development of the provincial town into an imperial resort of the Russian Empire and a lovely Estonian summer vacation town. In addition, the Town Hall exhibition house offers interesting themed exhibitions.

Noarootsi Church in late-Gothic style was built around 1500. You will first notice the Falu red plank roof – the church is one of the three plank-roof churches in Estonia. In the medieval times the lime and rubble stone building also had the function of being a fortified church.
Inside the church one should pay attention to the baptising stone, baroque pulpit, limestone baroque epitaph to Minister Martin Winter. Interesting facts: By the entrance there is a stone slab with royal autographs from the present King of Sweden – Carl XVI Gustav who visited Noarootsi in 1992. Across the road from the church you will see the oldest wooden building in Läänemaa – the parsonage originating from the 17th century.

Haapsalu, which is bordered by the sea on three sides, fits on a piece of land with a size of just 10.59 km2. The Old Town is located on a peninsula with two eskers, which continue to the north-west as a chain of islets (holms) connected to the mainland. There are low meanders between the holms – Suur and Väike Viik.
The culturally and environmentally valuable Old Town of Haapsalu can be divided into its medieval section and the 20th-century health resort area. The medieval part is around the Episcopal castle with the medieval network of Kooli, Jaani, Vee, Linda, Rüütli and Väike-Mere Streets and buildings. It is surrounded by a belt of wooden houses and the Promenade, Aafrika beach, and parks.