Haapsalu buying blow

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Haapsalu buying blow

The wide open spaces of Estonia surround us as Tallinn fades into the distance. On the outskirts of the city, we notice the solid concrete apartment buildings dotted by the highway. Having spent the past two days plodding around the cobblestoned lanes of the beautiful medieval city, the contrast is both stark and immediate. Estonia is a country of great contrast and to be able to see this, you need to venture out a little further. In other parts of Estonia, particularly as it nears the Russian border, the influence is more striking. It takes your mind away from thinking Estonia is just about one pretty city and makes you think much more deeply about where this country has been, and what makes it so amazing today. On our first road trip, we headed south-west of Tallinn to the small town of Haapsalu. So small, this town surrounded by the sea is only Haapsalu is located on the Baltic Sea on the west coast of Estonia. It is about a two and a half hour drive from the centre of Tallinn, mostly on highways. Based on population figures, Haapsalu is the 14th largest city in Estonia. This leaves the other cities with less than 20, inhabitants each. Haapsalu, at number 14 has just over 10, residents. The city has been around since the s although it really came to prominence in the early s when it became known as a spa town. Known for the healing properties of the mud, it drew the attention of Russian Czars, who claimed Haapsalu as their summer retreat. The Old Town of Haapsalu is built around what looks like a lake. An esker is a narrow ridge that has been formed as a result of glaciers melting, leaving behind hardened sand and gravel. The Baltic Sea comes into the lower area on the peninsula between these two eskers, forming what looks like a lake from ground level. In the Old Town of Haapsalu, the wooden houses are a unique type of architecture and not at all what I expected to see here. Built during the 13th century as a square building of defence, it had many parts added to it over the centuries. The castle, also known as Haapsalu Castle, also had a circular wall, which can still be seen in the main street of the town, although during the 16th century, continuing conflict saw the wall damaged. Inside the walls of the castle, another unique form of defence can be seen. Large hills of soil became another line of fortification. By the end of the 17th century, the castle became dilapidated and as some say, haunted. The attached church remained and has been in use continuously since then. Today, it is a beautiful spot to walk around, with large areas dedicated as parkland. I really want to say walk around the lake as that is exactly what it looks like. On the day we are here it is smooth and calm, but with a bitter wind blowing in from the sea. Still, the locals are out, pounding the pavement as they walk their dogs and themselves around the water. It just gives me a better chance to have a peek and check out the buildings. In , ownership of the Town Hall was handed over to the museum, who opened the first permanent exhibition in Surprisingly, for a small town, there are several very good quality spots to grab a quick bite or to settle in for something a little more leisurely. Whilst Muuriaare Cafe is often the headline act, we really liked Hapsal Dietrich. The restaurant sits on the ground level of a gorgeous three-story timber building, in typical Old Town style, Out the back, the restaurant is enclosed in glass, perfect for the freezing days like today. With a seasonal menu that changes often, you know the food is fresh. We sit and watch the world go by, outside on the walkway, whilst the chef makes up our tasty food as we order. With small balls of deep fried goats cheese in my mind, can you imagine how excited I was when this enormous piece of fresh goats cheese was placed in front of us? Freshly made gingerbread tops and tails the cheese, with a soft, caramelised nectarines providing a gooey top. Lightly toasted, flaked almonds sealed the deal. The accompanying fresh salad was good, very good, but seriously, who could beat this delectable treat. We savoured every mouthful. Instead, he opted for the seafood pasta with garlic. There was no mistaking the garlic either as he ate it and for the next eight hours! We drove to Haapsalu from Tallinn, taking us just over two hours to reach the town. The highway driving is easy, but of course, this is also weather dependent. Check out the pricing and availability of hire cars in Tallinn here. Buses also connect Tallinn to Haapsalu. For accurate times and ticket prices, check this website. There is no train service to Haapsalu, although the bus station is actually now at the front of the former station. Today, the Haapsalu Railway Station is the home of a railway museum, complete with rolling stock outside. This is a town that comes alive in summer. For obvious reasons, the beaches are at their best when the days are longer and warmer. Despite this, we actually really enjoyed being in Haapsalu outside of the busy summer period. With fewer people, there was no rush, making this tiny town seem even cosier. Given its reputation as a spa town, why not look at these spa hotels. Read the reviews and check availability on Trip Advisor. Beer and Croissants was a guest of Visit Estonia at the storyttellersnest in Tallinn. We created our own itinerary so that we could see all the places in Estonia that we wanted to personally see. We are appreciative of Visit Estonia providing us with our vehicle so that we could drive around Estonia with ease. As always, all editorial content, opinions and images are entirely our own. A former corporate business executive, Kerri is the content creator for Beer and Croissants, a trusted source of detailed guides on motorhome travel, road trip itineraries, and destinations. Together with Stirling, they are motorhome experts, having independently road-tripped their way across much of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand since Back home in Australia, they own their own motorhome and can always be found on a regional road trips, taking in towns that often no one has heard of. They are responsible travellers; long, slow trips in motorhomes, spending time in small regional communities where the tourists usually don't wander, and spending money in their small economies. And where possible, they travel in shoulder and off seasons, so they don't add to the tourist rush. Everything written and produced on this site is our own work. Read more about Kerri here. This looks like a great holiday Kerri. On my list! Your email address will not be published. Visit Haapsalu by doing a day trip from Tallinn The wide open spaces of Estonia surround us as Tallinn fades into the distance. Table of Contents. Pinterest Facebook Twitter. About The Author. Kerri McConnel A former corporate business executive, Kerri is the content creator for Beer and Croissants, a trusted source of detailed guides on motorhome travel, road trip itineraries, and destinations. Leave a Comment Your email address will not be published. Scroll to Top.