St. John’s Church in Haapsalu, a town church rebuilt from a granary, first mentioned in writing in 1513, is a Lutheran church which has been active without interruption since 1524. In the church there is a stone altar wall, created by Joachim Winter in 1630. The stone altar is rare in the whole Northern Europe. Its central motif, a high relief depicting ‘Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane’ is also unusual. The tombstone of the first known pastor, Joachim Jacobi (1581-1587), lies on the ground in front of the altar. The wooden pulpit with baroque-style wooden carvings dates back to 1707. Two bells, the older of which is from 1590, toll in the church tower.

Pürksi manor house, built in the 19th century, is located in the centre of the rural municipality – in the village of Pürksi. The manor belonged to the Ungern-Sternberg family until 1919, later on the manor was the home for Pürksi Agricultural and Folk High School. The building was restored in 1989-1995 and now it is the home of Noarootsi Secondary School.
Pürksi park is under nature conservation. The trees in the park include white beech and you can see the unique circle of lindens there.
Take a look at the few outbuildings that have survived, for example the barn and stables-coach house by the court in front of the main building.

Uuemõisa manor a few kilometres away from the centre of Haapsalu was first mentioned in 1539 when it was an Episcopal manor. The last owner before the compulsory sale of the manor, which in the 17th century belonged to the de la Gardie family, was princess Yevgeniya Shakhovskaya. In 1833 a two-storey post-classicist main building was constructed in the manor. In the 1920s the building was reconstructed based on the design made by Karl Burman. As a result, long one-storey wings were added to the building. All of this made it an immensely long building.

At present are in the manor Uuemõisa kindergarten and Primary School. The White Hall of the manor is a good place for concerts.

Ungru Manor is one of the most impressive neo-baroque buildings in Estonia, although the castle was never fully completed. It is an imposing building, which is an almost exact copy of the Merseburg Castle in Germany. Behind the construction of the manor was a sad love story:

Count Ungern-Sternberg fell in love with the daughter of the lord of Merseburg Castle, who had promised to spend her entire life in Merseburg Castle. The count promised to build an exact replica of the building and she agreed to move there. However, the construction stopped when the count’s lover suddenly fell ill and died.
These are mystical ruins in a beautiful place, making it a wonderful place for taking pictures!

Vasikaholm Beach is Haapsalu’s second official bathing beach after Paralepa. There are changing cabins on the beach, as well as a toilet with clean water. In the summer, there is also an ice cream cafe. Water quality and cleanliness is inspected twice a month. The official bathing season lasts from 1 June to 31 August.

Good to know: Pay attention to the colour of the flags on the beach:
* green means swimming is safe and the water is warmer than 18 ºC;
* yellow means the conditions are dangerous for children and the elderly;
* red means conditions are dangerous to all, water temperature below 16 ºC.

In front of the Hestia Hotel Haapsalu, on the shore of Väike Viik in Haapsalu, you will find Juhan Raudsepp’s sculpture ‘Stick-breaker’. It symbolises someone who has recovered from their illness in Haapsalu and breaks their walking stick in half, since they no longer need it.

Interesting facts: In 1992 the sculpture was stolen and broken up into four pieces. To the disappointment of the thieves, it proved to be hollow, so they sold the sculpture. Thankfully the pieces were recovered and the sculpture was restored to its former glory.

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.

Haapsalu Kuursaal is a summer restaurant, which is the only one located in a historical original kuursaal in Estonia.

The menu of the summer restaurant of Haapsalu Kuursaal includes delicious locally-made pastries, as well as à la carte, group, and children’s menus. The restaurant also has a wide range of drinks, starting from wines and ending with light summery cocktails. We also offer a large selection of Estonian craft beers (both draught and bottled).

In the summer, the restaurant also offers a tasteful programme of cultural events with different musicians and DJs. There is a balcony overlooking the sea and we also have wheelchair access.

St. Martin’ Church – exceptionally wide for a single-nave church – was built in the beginning of the 16th century. Pay attention to the shield of Saare-Lääne bishop Johannes III Orgas above the north portal of the church. The oldest thing inside the church is a Gotland-style baptising stone. Also valuable are the altar wall and Empire style pulpit. The church’s collection of 17th-18th century epitaph coat of arms is third in size after Tallinn Dome Church and Niguliste Church.
Interesting facts:
In 2004 medieval murals were discovered in the altar room of the church. These are considered one of the biggest historical discoveries in Estonia.

Nurme Bistro opened its doors in 2001 to feed the employees of the nearby Nurme factory. However, the bistro quickly gained popularity and became one of the most well-known eateries in Haapsalu.
Regardless of the alien name, we offer simple homemade and traditional local dishes. We also offer snacks, nourishing sandwiches, cakes, pies, and pastries. Every day, we offer a salad, a few different soups and steaks, and simple desserts.

When you are on a family vacation, it is important to know where the young ones can have a good time. The playground on Haapsalu’s Promenade is the best one for children and families, and it is open all-year-round.
Nearby, you will also find the summer café of Haapsalu Kuursaal (Resort Hall) and a bird-watching tower.

Haapsalu is a child-friendly town. On the corner of its main road and Mihkli Street you will find a cosy park where small kids can play on the slides and enjoy themselves on the swings. In summer it is a great place to just sit and relax – before taking a tour of the Old Town galleries or the Episcopal castle.