This year’s festival will host guest artists from around the world. There will also be several carefully selected chamber music concerts. We welcome everyone that appreciates beauty, romance, great feelings, and splendid melodies, as well as historical concert sites, lovely summer nights, the romantic old town, and, above all, the magnificent music by Tchaikovsky. The first Haapsalu Tchaikovsky Festival, which took place in 2017, received a lot of positive feedback from the audience, recognition from critics, and several significant prizes.

The first part of the trail is a dirt road that runs along the high-voltage power line. The track then reaches the Marimetsa Brook and leads to the rest area along the banks of the brook. From there, a boardwalk will take you to Marimetsa Bog. There is a viewing tower at the end of the trail (7.6 metres high).
In Marimetsa Bog, you will see a fen, a transition bog, a raised bog, and a number of different birds and plants.
The length of the trail is 9 kilometres of which 2 × 2 kilometres is a boardwalk. You should plan 4–5 hours for the hike. The trail is wet at places – make sure to bring your rubber boots. 
There is a dry toilet on the track, benches for resting, and an information board with a map and a scheme of the trail.

The White Lady Festival has been one of the highlights of the summer in Haapsalu for three decades. During the weekend closest to the August full moon, the Haapsalu old town transforms into a buzzing marketplace, where the vibrant culture programme lasts from dawn to dusk, and upon the setting of the sun, open air performances of the White Lady take place in the bishop’s castle.
The summer play “100 White Ladies” is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. Inspired by its predecessors from 1979, “100 White Ladies” also tells the story of Maila, a young Estonian girl who meets a lord. Not only is Maila convinced that love is not to be bound by social standing – she is also driven by a strong belief in freedom. Despite repeated warnings from fellow villagers, she rebels against the bishophood in an attempt to change society for the better. Screenwriter Piret Jaaks, stage director Siim Tõniste, music by Peeter Rebane.

The bike rental has 50 bicycles for rent. The 3- or 1-speed bikes are ideal for riding on the tracks and landscapes of Vormsi. The bicycles have luggage carriers and bottle holders and you can also use special seats for children.
Vormsi has a well-developed network of roads and bike tracks, and the traffic is much safer than in the mainland. If you ride around by bike you can have much better contact with nature and you can visit places you cannot access by car.
You can rent the bike for 1.5 hours or up to a couple of days.

The splendour of Haapsalu, the famous Czarist era resort, is brought to mind by the seafront Promenade and its jewel — the Assembly Hall with its wooden lattice designs. Walk on the sloping promenade and glance dreamily at the sea; check the time at the sundial and have a rest on the bench named for the world-famous composer Tchaikovsky.

Interesting facts: The Promenade starts at the exotically named Africa Beach, and ends at the Chocolate Promenade, which is named after an old café. There is a children’s playground on the Promenade and the town’s only observation tower. There is also a monument to Carl Hunnius, the discoverer of Haapsalu’s therapeutic mud standing just behind the stage.

A small private mini spa offers a pleasant escape from busy everyday life.

The mini spa has a large Finnish sauna with a sea view, a steam bath, jacuzzis, and a large rest area for up to 10 people. Here, you can relax and spend time with friends. If you want to pamper yourself, enjoy time with your family, or celebrate a special event, Grand Holm Mini Spa is ideal. Come and relax—we are waiting for you!

In addition, there are good restaurants in the port area, frequent concerts, delicious cocktails, and a magnificent sea view — there is a reason to stay longer in Haapsalu!

Club Africa is located in the most popular place in Haapsalu, right in the heart of the city. On the first floor of the building, there is Pub Africa, and in the basement, there is Nightclub Africa.

Africa is one of the first nightclubs in Estonia, opened in 1994. To create the milieu-like interior of the club, sculptor Tauno Kangro’s erotic sculptures in an African style have been used.

Comfortable furniture and an interesting lighting solution give the club a truly pleasant and cosy atmosphere. The high-quality lighting equipment and a decent sound system guarantee a party mood and make the club visitors dance.

 

The aim of Vormsi Nature Protection Area is to protect rare landscapes, heritage, culture and plants. The two internationally important bird protection areas on the coast of Vormsi – bays of Hullo and Sviby – and Hari strait with coastal meadows and islets are named research areas of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Interesting places: Hullo bay – a nesting and a stopping place for birds. In spring you can see thousands of scaups, long-tailed ducks, ducks, barnacle geese and woodcocks there. Rumpo peninsula is the habitat of the rare lichens characteristic for tundras, but rare in Estonia. Also take a look at Rälby bog, Dilby peninsula, Saxby beach and Prästviigi Lake.

Risti railway station was the place from where most of the deportees from Läänemaa – almost 3000 people – were deported to Siberia. The monument designed by Viljar Ansko “The railway rails remember…” has been placed on a small freight platform with stone stairs on both sides. Four rails reach for the sky from the four corners of the platform. The rails are joined into a cross with two horizontal bars just before the top. At night the monument is illuminated diagonally by four spotlights installed inside the railway platform. The height of the monument is almost 13 metres. Besides commemorating the mass deportations in recent history, the cross also symbolises the history of the small railway town Risti.

Driving on the highway through Taebla you will see Lääne-Nigula Church. The building was restored in 1816, the steeple dates back to 1882. The height of the church is 52.2 metres of which the spire is 26.7 metres.
There is an old cemetery around the church. You will find the old crosses and headstones in the cemetery interesting. The present interior design of the church dates back to the 19th century. The magnificent Empire style altar wall was made by master Sigismund from St Petersburg. Interesting facts: The altar paintings “Last Supper” and “Resurrection” are copies of Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings.

For most of the year the Gulf Tagalaht in Haapsalu is an exciting place for birdwatching. There is no need to leave town, simply visit the 15-metre high birdwatching tower on the Promenade. When visiting the tower you will get a full overview of birdlife in the area between Haapsalu and Noarootsi. When the ice breaks in April and May, the gulf is filled with swans and different types of ducks. In autumn – in September and October – it is interesting to witness the departure of geese and cranes.

The creative work of Epp Maria Kokamägi, one of Estonia’s most famous artists, includes oil paintings, watercolours, book design and theatre and film design. The building, which was built as a café during Estonia’s first period of independence, now houses a gallery over two floors, where exhibitions change according to the seasons. In addition to Epp Maria’s wonderful paintings, you can also enjoy the paintings and furniture created by her husband Jaak Arro, the ceramics of Liisu Arro and the paintings of Imbi Lind.