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60-661: The town is situated on the southern coast of Saaremaa island , facing the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea , and is served by the Kuressaare Airport , Roomassaare harbour, and Kuressaare yacht harbour. Kuressaare's historic name Arensburg (from Middle High German a(a)r: eagle , raptor) renders the Latin denotation arx aquilae for the city's castle . The fortress and the eagle, tetramorph symbol of Saint John

120-721: A bombing campaign  [ ru ] on Berlin from Saaremaa. The island was then invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany later ( Operation Beowulf ). German troops were expelled and the island was reoccupied by the Soviet Red Army in the Moonsund Landing Operation in October and November 1944. In 1946, the Soviet military authorities declared Saaremaa a restricted zone closed to all non-local civilians, i.e., mainland Estonians and foreigners. It remained

180-594: A fleet of sixteen ships and 500 Osilians ravaging the area that is now southern Sweden , then belonging to Denmark . Probably around 1000, Gunnar Hámundarson from Iceland took part in a Viking raid at Eysýsla (Saaremaa). There he obtained his famous atgeir , by taking it from a man named Hallgrímur. Njáls saga tells the following: Thence they held on south to Denmark and thence east to Smálönd and had victory wherever they went. They did not come back in autumn. The next summer they held on to Rafala ( Tallinn ) and fell in there with sea-rovers, and fought at once, and won

240-407: A man is to be slain with that atgeir, for something sings in it so loudly that it may be heard a long way off—such a strong nature has that atgeir in it. The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia describes a fleet of sixteen ships and five hundred pirates from Saaremaa ravaging the area that is now southern Sweden , then belonging to Denmark . The XIVth book of Gesta Danorum , Saxo Grammaticus describes

300-415: A mass of 20–80 metric tons (20–79 long tons; 22–88 short tons). At the altitude of 5–10 km (3–6 mi) the meteor broke into pieces. The largest fragment produced the main crater with a depth of 22 m (72 ft). Eight smaller craters with diameters ranging from 12 to 40 m (39 to 131 ft) and depths varying from 1 to 4 m (3 to 13 ft) are all within 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) of

360-683: A part of the Governorate of Livonia . In 1840, the first spa opened in Kuressaare (then known as Arensburg), and the town experienced renaissance and became a popular seaside resort. During World War I, the West Estonian Archipelago was conquered by Imperial German Army in October 1917 ( Operation Albion ) and remained occupied by Germans until the end of hostilities in November 1918. Thereafter Saaremaa became part of

420-566: A popular seaside resort on the Baltic coast . During World War I , between September and October 1917, German land and naval forces occupied Saaremaa with Operation Albion . During World War II , the Battle of Tehumardi took place. In October 1990, Kuressaare was the first town in Estonia to regain its self-governing status. Kuressaare is a well-known summer and resort town. The city is one of

480-664: A restricted area until 1989. Estonia regained full independence in August 1991. The island forms the main barrier between the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea. To the south of it is the main passage out of the gulf, the Irbe Strait , next to Sõrve Peninsula , the southernmost portion of the island. In medieval times islanders crossed the strait to form fishing villages on the Livonian coast , notably Pitrags . In those days it

540-518: A subsequent battle on Öland in 1170 in which the Danish king Valdemar I mobilized his entire fleet to curb the incursions of pirates from " Couronia " (Courland) and Saaremaa. Perhaps the most renowned raid by the inhabitants of Saaremaa occurred in 1187, with the attack on the Swedish town of Sigtuna (other candidates as raiders are Karelians and Curonians ). Among the casualties of this raid

600-525: A variety of soils, Saaremaa has a rich flora , illustrated by the fact that 80% of the plant species found in Estonia are represented here. Altogether 1200 species of vascular plants can be found in Saaremaa. About 120 of the local plant species are rare ones that have received special protection status. The most famous endemic species is Rhinanthus osiliensis , a rare little flower growing mostly in spring fens. Rare and beautiful flowers are widespread; out of

660-517: Is 31,435 (as of January 2020). The main island of the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), it is located in the Baltic Sea , south of Hiiumaa island and northwest of the Gulf of Riga . The administrative centre of the island, and of the Saare maakond (county), is the town of Kuressaare . From the 13th century until the first half of the 20th century, the island of Saaremaa

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720-521: Is itself connected to Saaremaa by a causeway , the Väinatamm . Saaremaa can also be reached by ferry from Sõru on the island of Hiiumaa to Triigi. There are also passenger services from Roomassaare to the smaller island of Abruka . During many winters it is possible to drive to Saaremaa by an ice road between the mainland and Muhu or between Saaremaa and the island of Hiiumaa . There are regular bus services from Tallinn , Pärnu and Tartu on

780-471: Is one of the most well-preserved medieval castles in Estonia and bears testimony to the late Medieval Age. During the 14th–16th centuries, and possibly earlier, inhabitants of Saaremaa started to resettle into areas surrounding the Baltic Sea and, for example, to establish villages on the Livonian coast . Most of Saaremaa was ruled directly by the Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek, while some parts were enfeoffed to

840-463: Is served by Kuressaare Airport , located on a peninsula southeast of the town. There is regular traffic to Tallinn, as well as seasonal flights to the island of Ruhnu . There are bus connections around the island, as well as with Kuivastu on Muhu Island, a ferry terminal with connection to the mainland. In 1917, during the German occupation, an urban railway was built in Kuressaare, and in 1918, it

900-503: The East Atlantic Flyway , a migration path of waterfowl. This "bird road" connects northeastern Europe with Arctic regions. Each year hundreds of thousands of migratory birds visit Saaremaa in spring and autumn. The barnacle goose , mute swan , whooper swan , eider , shelduck and a great many other bird species have been given protection status. But on the whole, the islands are somewhat poorer in wildlife species than

960-523: The Terra Mariana . Johann von Münchhausen, bishop since 1542, converted to Protestantism . With the advance of the troops of Tsar Ivan IV of Russia in the course of the Livonian War , Münchhausen sold his lands to King Frederick II of Denmark in 1559 and returned to Germany. Frederick sent his younger brother Prince Magnus to Kuressaare where he was elected bishop the following year. It

1020-544: The clouded apollo butterflies and Roman snails . The coastal areas of Saaremaa are well-known seal habitats; in fact, the indigenous gray seal can be found in three large permanent resting areas on the islets off the coast in the western and southern parts of Saaremaa. Nowadays, the local population of said seals is slightly increasing . Ringed seals can be encountered everywhere in the coastal waters of Saaremaa but, because of their timidity, it has not been possible to make an estimation of their number. The islands lie in

1080-488: The 19th century, but there are also older ones. In the old town there are, for example, St. Nicholas Church and Laurentius Church, a goods yard, an old mill (1899), a harbor yard (1663) and residential buildings. The baroque town hall and council house date from the Swedish era in the 17th century, while the building of the Saaremaa Knights, located next to the Kuressaare town hall, dates from the 18th century. Among

1140-473: The 36 species found in Estonia, 35 of them are found on Saaremaa and its adjacent islands. Over 40% of Saaremaa is covered with forests, most of which are mixed forests, but in some areas, one can find broad-leaved (deciduous) trees, which are relicts of plant communities of former milder climatic periods. Wooded meadows were common in Saaremaa before World War II , but many of these unique natural complexes have gradually become overgrown and thus converted into

1200-499: The Earth's crust is continuing even today at a rate of 2 mm (0.079 in) per year. The West Estonian islands are low-lying plains resting on limestone; their average elevation is roughly 15 meters (49 ft) above sea level. Limestone has become denuded in a great number of places, resulting in cliffs, limestone pits and quarries at Mustjala , Ninase , Pulli , Üügu and Kaugatuma . Because of its mild maritime climate and

1260-530: The Evangelist , are also depicted on Kuressaare's coat of arms. The town, which grew around the fortress, was simultaneously known as Arensburg and Kuressaare linn ; the latter name being a combination of Kuressaare —an ancient name of the Saaremaa Island—and linn , which means town . Alternatively, the town's name may come from kurg ( crane ) and saare ( island ), a name that may have come from

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1320-607: The Livonian Order. In 1559, the bishopric and Saaremaa were sold to Denmark, becoming part of Danish Estonia . From 1570 until 1645 the entire island was under Danish possession. In 1645, Saaremaa was ceded from Denmark to Sweden by the Treaty of Brömsebro . In 1721, along with the rest of Livonia , Saaremaa (then known by its Swedish name of Ösel) was ceded to the Russian Empire by the Treaty of Nystad , becoming

1380-506: The Saaremaa Regional Museum. The original wooden castle was constructed between 1338 and 1380, although other sources claim a fortress was built in Kuressaare as early as 1260. In 1968, architect Kalvi Aluve  [ et ] began studies on Kuressaare Castle. The town hall was originally built in 1654, and restored, retaining classicist and baroque features. It was last restored in the 1960s with dolomite stairs at

1440-399: The captains—one's name is Hallgrímur, and the other's Kolskeggur. I know them to be mighty men of war; and I know too that they have such good weapons that the like are not to be had. Hallgrímur has an atgeir which he had made by seething-spells; and this is what the spells say, that no weapon shall give him his death-blow save that atgeir. That thing follows it too that it is known at once when

1500-524: The city's German name and coat of arms, or may have existed before German settlers arrived. Eventually, the town's name shortened to Kuressaare and became official in 1918 after Estonia had declared its independence from Bolshevist Russia . Under Soviet rule, the town was renamed Kingissepa in 1952. This name came from the Bolshevik Kuressaare-native Viktor Kingissepp executed in 1922. The name Kuressaare

1560-440: The crater; these are summarized by Lennart Meri in his book Hõbevalge . Dolomite , limestone , curative mud , mineral water , ceramic clay , sand , and gravel are the major local resources. Of these local resources, dolomite is perhaps the most famous above all. The majority of the island's population is Estonian (97%). The two most numerous ethnic minorities, Russians and Finns , together comprise less than 3% of

1620-569: The crusaders' hold on Saaremaa got stronger, Christianity also became more established on the island, and to this day Saaremaa has a unique set of medieval churches in Kaarma , Karja , Kihelkonna , Muhu , Pöide , Püha and Valjala churches. The crusader's fortress Kuressaare Castle , known in German as Schloss Arensburg, was built by the Teutonic Order for the bishops of Ösel–Wiek (Estonian: Saare-Lääne). Construction began in 1380 and it

1680-448: The fight. After that they steered east to Eysýsla (Saaremaa) and lay there somewhile under a ness. There they saw a man coming down from the ness above them; Gunnar went on shore to meet the man, and they had a talk. Gunnar asked him his name, and he said it was Tófi. Gunnar asked again what he wanted. "Thee I want to see," says the man. "Two warships lie on the other side under the ness, and I will tell thee who command them: two brothers are

1740-566: The first tier of Estonian football, the Meistriliiga . Saaremaa has been competing in the biannual Island Games since 1991. There are three main international traditional sport events in Saaremaa: Saaremaa Rally takes place every year in October and attracts thousands of rally fans. The first rally was an amateur competition and it took place in 1974. The first professional competition took place in 1975 and from 1993

1800-486: The front. St Nicolaus Church was built in 1790. The annual Saaremaa Opera Days ( Saaremaa Ooperipäevad ) have been held in Kuressaare each summer since 1999. Other festivals include Kuressaare Chamber Music Days ( Kuressaare Kammermuusika Päevad ), held since 1995 and Kuressaare Maritime Festival ( Kuressaare Merepäevad ), held since 1998. Kuressaare also hosts the FC Kuressaare football club. Kuressaare

1860-574: The gate and two towers: Pikk Hermann and Sturvolt. 17-18 are also important. The powerful earthen fortifications of the Kuressaare fortress around the medieval fortress core date from the 19th century. Kuressaare Castle is one of the best preserved in the Baltic States. It has been restored several times since the beginning of the 20th century. Since 2001, Kuressaare Castle Days have been organized every summer with knight tournaments, theatrical tours and processions, and other medieval attractions. To

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1920-560: The inhabitants. Compared to the Republic of Estonia on the whole, the population of Saare County and particularly of Kuressaare town is younger, whereas the number of the retired people is considerably smaller. Saaremaa is located in the heart of the Baltic region , which is one of the most rapidly growing markets in Europe, with 70 million consumers. The island's "Gates to the West" include

1980-491: The island", i.e. the same as the ancient Scandinavian name for the island. The old Scandinavian name is also the origin of the island's name in Danish Øsel , German and Swedish Ösel , Gutnish Oysl , and in Latin , Osilia . In Latvian , the island is called Sāmsala , which possibly means "the island of Saami ". Saaremaa may have been the historic Ultima Thule . According to archaeological finds,

2040-463: The main crater. The age estimates of the crater vary, with 4000 ± 1000 BCE being a commonly accepted estimate, though other estimates suggest the explosion was as recent as 660 ± 85 BCE . The energy of the impact—about 80 TJ (20 kilotons of TNT), comparable with the Hiroshima bomb —burned forests within a radius of 6 km (3.7 mi) of the impact site. There are numerous legends related to

2100-468: The mainland, which use the ferry from Virtsu to Muhu. Kuressaare Airport offers regular flights to Tallinn operated by NyxAir . There are regular services to Ruhnu and Pärnu operated by Diamond Sky . Historically there was a Soviet air base at Aste Airfield during the Cold War . Plans to connect Saaremaa to the mainland by either bridge or tunnel are being studied. FC Kuressaare competes in

2160-492: The mainland. Neither mole , mink , nor otter can be found here, whilst the Eurasian lynx and the brown bear are infrequent guests. Kaali is a small group of nine unique meteorite craters on Saaremaa. The largest of the craters measures 110 m (360 ft) in diameter and contains a small lake, known as Kaali järv ("Lake Kaali"). The meteor cluster had an impact velocity of 10–20 km/s (6–12 mi/s) and

2220-487: The most visited tourist centers in Estonia. The first known tourist group visited Kuressaare almost 165 years ago. In the middle of the 19th century, Kuressaare became a spa town when large reserves of healing mud were discovered near the town. The first mud spa was built in 1840, but healing with mud baths has been tested on the west coast of Saaremaa since the mid-1820s. It was the health mud that became Kuressaare's key word. New sanatoriums and boarding houses were created,

2280-604: The newly independent Republic of Estonia . Most of the local Baltic German population of the island was resettled to Germany following the August 1939 Nazi–Soviet Pact . During World War II , the island was first occupied by the Soviet Red Army in June 1940 and, along with the rest of Estonian territory, formally annexed into the Stalinist USSR in August 1940. On 8 August 1941, Soviet Naval Aviation started

2340-597: The oldest preserved buildings are also the parsonage building at Kauba tänav 5 and the Põlluvahi house at the corner of Kitsa and Kitzbergi streets. The city's biggest attraction is the Kuressaare Bishop's Castle, which mainly dates from the 14th century, and currently houses the Saaremaa Museum. The square-shaped fortress consists of four building wings around the courtyard. On the northeast side are

2400-568: The order was considerably improved and the number of visitors continued to grow. Between 1918 and 1940, the resort's heyday continued. The share of Russians among visitors decreased, giving way to Latvians, Finns and Swedes. The development of tourism slowed down from the beginning of the Second World War until the end of the Soviet occupation, when the entire Saaremaa was declared a closed border zone, which excluded all foreign tourism. Only strictly limited and controlled domestic tourism

2460-464: The ordinary forest. The same is true for alvars (limestone areas covered with thin soil and stunted vegetation). Once a typical and exclusive landscape element in Saaremaa alvars are now in decline. Nature conservation planning for Saaremaa now includes protection of the largest and most unusual alvar areas. Saaremaa has a wide variety of rare wildlife species, ranging from insects to seals. The smallest protected wildlife species in terms of size include

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2520-549: The rally has been international. Saaremaa Velotuur is a group race of road cyclists that is oldest in the Nordic countries (held since 1957) and the only international one in the Baltic states. Saaremaa three-day running marathon takes place on the roads around Kuressaare town and Sõrve peninsula. The main race consists of three different runs, which are held on three sequential days (10+16,195+16=42,195 km). The first marathon

2580-487: The reconstructed Kuressaare Airport and Roomassaare Harbour , the operation of modern ferries between Saaremaa and the Estonian mainland, and the rapid development of the telecommunications. Saaremaa is also a significant tourist destination, revisited by 35% of foreign and 95% of domestic tourists. Saaremaa is reached by TS Laevad 's ferries from Virtsu on the Estonian mainland to Kuivastu on Muhu island, which

2640-755: The resistance of the local inhabitants remained strong. The crusaders founded the Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek there. When the Order was defeated by the Lithuanian army in the Battle of Saule in 1236, the Saaremaa islanders rebelled. The conflict was ended by a treaty that was signed by the Osilians and the Master of the Order. In the following year, the Sword-Brothers were absorbed into the Teutonic Order . As

2700-667: The seat shifted (alone) to the castle of Arensburg (Kuressaare) on the island of Ösel (Saaremaa) ; the cathedral and cathedral chapter (canons) remained in Hapsal. It was a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archbishopric of Riga from 1253. One of the five members of the Livonian Confederation , the state was administratively divided into two bailiwicks (Latin advocaciae , German Vogteien ). The bishop

2760-544: The south-west of the castle is Tori bay, where the port of Kuressaare is located. Kuressaare Castle Park and the historicist-style Kuressaare Kursaal are the center of resort life. Both were founded in the second half of the 19th century. At the beginning of Lossi Street, in the former fish market, there is a monument to those who fell in the Estonian War of Independence. There are nine neighborhoods of Kuressaare: The medieval episcopal Kuressaare Castle today houses

2820-484: The streets. The former municipality of Kuressaare was twinned with: [REDACTED] Media related to Kuressaare at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED] Kuressaare travel guide from Wikivoyage Saaremaa island Saaremaa ( / ˈ s ɑːr ə m ɑː / ; Estonian: [ˈsɑˑreˌmɑː] ) is the largest and most populous island in Estonia . Measuring 2,673 km (1,032 sq mi), its population

2880-548: The territory of Saaremaa has been inhabited from at least 5000 BCE . Nordic Iron Age ship burials , dated to 700–750 CE, have been found in Sõrve Peninsula . Sagas talk about numerous skirmishes between the islanders and Vikings . Saaremaa was the wealthiest county of ancient Estonia and the home of notorious pirates, sometimes called the Eastern Vikings. The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia describes

2940-530: The title of Count of Arensburg, the German and Swedish name for Kuressaare at that time. The city was burnt to the ground by Russian troops in 1710 during the Great Northern War and suffered heavily from the plague . Abandoned by the Swedes, it was incorporated into the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire through the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. During the 19th century Kuressaare became

3000-587: The western part of Pärnu county of Estonia . The bishopric was created on 1 October 1228 as a Latin rite , and initially possibly exempt, diocese by papal legate William of Modena and simultaneously as a state of Holy Roman Empire—making it a prince-bishopric —by Henry , King of the Romans (1220-1242; not Emperor). Due to the repeated shift of the seat of the bishops, it was also successively known as bishopric of Leal (Lihula) from 1234, Perona (Vana-Pärnu) from 1251, Hapsal (Haapsalu) Castle from 1279, and

3060-409: Was allowed. Today, Kuressaare is once again a resort town. New health facilities and hotels have been built, and historical monuments have been restored. Two thirds of the current visitors to the city are mainland Estonians, the remaining visitors are mainly from Finland, Sweden and Latvia. In the old town of Kuressaare, mainly the 18th and 19th centuries have been preserved. historical buildings from

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3120-580: Was also the lord of the Teutonic Order over its fiefs on the bishopric's territory. From 1241 until 1343, Ösel (Saaremaa) Island was an autonomous part of Ösel-Wiek prince-bishopric (autonomy renewed 27 August 1255). The principality ceased to exist in 1560 when its last prince-bishop , Johannes V von Münchhausen, sold it to Denmark , which vested executive power in royally appointed Governors (styled Lensmænd to 1654, then Statthalter). King Frederick II of Denmark 's brother Magnus of Livonia , Duke of Holstein , obtained it as an appanage on 15 April 1560 and

3180-701: Was conquered by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword under Volkwin of Naumburg in 1227, who merged with the Teutonic Knights shortly afterwards. The first documentation of the castle ( arx aquilae ) was found in Latin texts written in 1381 and 1422. Over time, a town, which became known as Arensburg or Kuressaarelinn, grew and flourished around the fortress. It became the see of the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek established by Albert of Riga in 1228, part of

3240-492: Was easier and quicker to cross the strait towards nearby Kolka , Saunags or Mazirbe , than travel by horse large distances inland. The highest point on the island is 54 m above sea level. The Kaali crater is on the island. The island has much forested terrain. One of the symbols of the island is the juniper . More than 10,000 years ago the first parts of Saaremaa arose from the Baltic Ice Lake . The uplift of

3300-524: Was held in 1974. Bishopric of %C3%96sel-Wiek The Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek ( Estonian : Saare-Lääne piiskopkond ; German : Bistum Ösel–Wiek ; Low German : Bisdom Ösel–Wiek ; contemporary Latin : Ecclesia Osiliensis ) was a Roman Catholic diocese and a semi-independent prince-bishopric — part of Terra Mariana ( Old Livonia ) in the Holy Roman Empire . The bishopric covered what are now Saare , Hiiu , Lääne counties and

3360-509: Was known in most of the world by variants of its other historical name Ösel . Saaremaa was called Eysysla in the Icelandic sagas and other early medieval Scandinavian sources ( Old Norse : [ˈœyˌsyːslɑ] ), meaning "the district (land) of island"). The island is called Saaremaa in modern Estonian and Saarenmaa in Finnish — literally "land of the isle " or "land of

3420-1231: Was restored in 1988.   Saare County pre–1227 [REDACTED] Bishopric of Riga 1227–1228 [REDACTED] Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek 1228–1236   Saare County 1236–1241 [REDACTED] Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek 1241–1261   Saare County 1261–1262 [REDACTED] Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek 1262–1343   Saare County 1343–1345 [REDACTED] Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek 1345–1560 [REDACTED] Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek ( Danish-controlled ) 1560–1572 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Denmark 1572–1645 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Sweden 1645–1704 [REDACTED] Tsardom of Russia 1710–1721 [REDACTED] Russian Empire 1721–1917 [REDACTED]   Russian Republic 1917 [REDACTED] German occupation 1917–1918 [REDACTED]   Republic of Estonia 1918–1940 [REDACTED] Soviet occupation 1940–1941 [REDACTED] German occupation 1941–1944 [REDACTED] Soviet occupation 1944–1990 [REDACTED]   Republic of Estonia ( in transition ) 1990–1991 [REDACTED]   Republic of Estonia 1991–onwards The town first appeared on maps around 1154. The island of Saaremaa ( German , Swedish : Ösel )

3480-521: Was the Swedish archbishop Johannes . Archaeological excavations have not verified the traditions of destruction of the town. Normal life in Sigtuna continued until town started to slowly lose its importance during 13th century due to navigability problems caused by post-glacial rebound . In 1227, Saaremaa was conquered by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword during the Livonian Crusade but

3540-528: Was through his influence that the city obtained its civic charter in 1563, modeled after that of Riga . The bishopric was finally secularised in 1572 and Kuressaare fell to the Danish Crown . In 1645, it passed to Swedish control through the Treaty of Brömsebro after the Danish defeat in the Torstenson War . Queen Christina of Sweden granted her favourite, Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie ,

3600-496: Was transferred to the town administration. It connected the port with the city center/ One of the stations was provisionally located in Kurhouse, and in 1924, the dedicated Park Station was built. The railway functioned until the 1930s when it was gradually disused and mostly dismantled. An attempt to revive the railway in the beginning of the 1950s, during the Soviet period, was unsuccessful, and ended up with rails fully removed from

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