Page 94 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

92 EST ONIA REGION B Y REGION

1 Paldiski
Road Map C1. * 4,000. £
@ 145 from Tallinn. ∑ paldiski.ee
Deriving its name from the
Estonian pronunciation of
baltiyskiy, which means “Baltic”
in Russian, Paldiski was
established by Peter the Great in
1718. Paldiski was known to be
of strategic impor tance for the
Russian Empire. In 1962, when
the Soviet Navy nuclear sub-
marine training centre was set
up here, the area already had Haapsalu’s medieval castle, with an adjoining cathedral
two nuclear reactors and
employed some 16,000 people. Environs 2 Haapsalu
The Soviets finally withdrew in Pakri, a stunning peninsula Road Map C2. * 12,000. @ from
1994 and the town quickly fell 3 km (2 miles) west of Paldiski, Tallinn. g from Hiiumaa, Vormsi.
into chronic disrepair. The boasts Estonia’s tallest light- n Karja 15, 473 3248. _ Early Music
Swedish director Lukas house. Also here are the ruins of Festival (4–8 Jul), White Lady Days
Moodysson shot his Peter the Great’s ambitious but (Aug). ∑ haapsalu.ee
extraordinarily bleak film unfinished fortress project.
Lilya-4-Ever (2002) in Paldiski, Situated on a small spit of land
though it was described as an jutting out into a narrow bay, the
unnamed “former republic of popular resort town of Haapsalu
the Soviet Union” in the film. dates back to the 13th century.
Located 52 km (32 miles) Its impressive Bishop’s Castle
west of Tallinn, Paldiski is a ruins still serve as the main focal
fascinating place to visit point for the town, despite the
and it attracts a steady stream fact that its formidable fortifica-
of tourists. The countless tions were largely dismantled
derelict military buildings by Peter the Great in the 18th
testify to the prominent role century. The castle watchtower
Paldiski once played in the houses the Castle Museum,
Soviet defence system. Today, displaying medieval weaponry.
how ever, the town is slowly The adjoining Dome Cathedral
but surely being revitalized. is the largest single-nave church
The port area is booming in the Baltic region.
and Paldiski’s natural beauty Over the course of the 19th
makes it an attractive site for The red-painted lighthouse at Pakri, century, Haapsalu became a
residential development. near Paldiski fashionable holiday resort,
famed for its curative mud
treatments and pretty beaches.
Estonia’s Swedish Community
Its landmark 216-m (709-ft) long
Swedish settlers in Estonia were first mentioned in 1294 in Haapsalu’s train platform is an enduring
town records. It is generally thought that Swedes settled along monument to the era when
the western coastal areas in the 13th and 14th centuries to secure Russian royalty and high society
trade routes. From 1561 to 1700 Estonia was directly under Swedish flocked to the town every
rule. By the early 20th century, there were some 8,000 Swedish- summer. The platform was built
speaking Estonians, most of in 1904 to receive Tsar Nicholas
whom lived on Vormsi Island and II and his entourage, and its
in the Haapsalu region. The ornate wooden canopy was
Estonian-Swedes were a
recognized minority with their designed to protect them from
own periodical and distinct bad weather. The station closed
cultural identity. How ever, the in 1995 and the building now
majority of them fled to Sweden houses the Estonian Railway
during World War II. It is estimated Museum with models of
that some 2,000 Estonian-Swedes engines used between the late
remained behind, but life in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Soviet Union soon effaced their Paralepa Beach, just to the
Swedish circular crosses in St Olav’s way of life and they effectively west of the station, is Haapsalu’s
Church cemetery, Hullo disappeared as a minority. most popular bath ing spot.
On the east coast, the
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp297–8 and pp316–18