Foreword
This week no restrictions are going to hold us back from visiting SAAREMAA (saar+maa = island+land).
Saaremaa is currently the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in Estonia, and being referred to as a „corona island“ in media. We believe Estonian biggest island is so much more than that.
This week’s #time4estonia series is going to devote every day to SAAREMAA and its remarkable people.
Time for this week’s special edition
Time for Saaremaa
#time4estonia
Did you know that Estonia’s biggest island Saaremaa has only one town? It is the capital Kuressaare. Kuressaare’s heart and the site where most of the island’s cultural and social events take place is the grandest of all…
…its LOSS = castle
Kuressaare Episcopal Castle is one of the best preserved medieval fortresses in Northern Europe, built between the 14th and 19th century. Its past ownership reveals the complex history of the island and Estonia:
– Bishops’ period, 14th century 1st half to 1559
– Danish period, 1559-1645
– Swedish period, 1645-1721
– Russian period, 1721-1918
Followed by Estonian (1918-1940) and Soviet time (1940-1991).
Today, in an independent Estonia, the castle inhabits a wonderful history museum telling the stories of the past and exhibiting some of the greatest treasures of the island.
Take a virtual tour of the Kuressaare castle-museum here: https://www.kuressaarecastle.ee/
And now, enjoy the majestic architecture of Kuressaare Castle during the winter.
#time4estonia is Mon – Fri 4pm Estonian Embassy in London Facebook series where you can discover Estonian artists, writers, musicians, architecture, cities, museums, galleries, nature etc. We will give you a hint of Estonian language (eesti keel [ˈeːsti ˈkeːl]), our humour and Estonian spirit.