Sightseeing in Kuressaare - what to see. Complete travel guide

In the past, there were wooden buildings and a market on the site of modern Kuressaare. A castle was built on the island in the 80s of the 14th century. This castle became a bishop's residence. A settlement started slowly growing around the castle. The Dutch kingdom captured the castle two hundred years later. Kuressaare officially became a town in 1563. Starting from 1645, Swedish rulers owned the town for six years. At that time, the Germans, Dutch, and Swedes made up the majority of the island’s population. However, Sweden lost this territory in 1721, and the island became a part of the Russian Empire.
The Kuressaare Castle or the Kuressaare Episcopal Castle is the main landmark that the city is proud of. This is one of the finest landmarks of the medieval architecture in Estonia that has survived until modern days in almost original state. The castle is a rectangular construction that is forty meters long and wide. The castle has bastions and guardian towers. The latter are forty meters tall. The castle got its design that we can see nowadays in the 40s of the 14th century. Initially, the castle belonged to the Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek, but the building got a new owner, the Dutch King Frederick II, in 1559.

The opening of the park happened in the second half of the 19th century. This is the time when Kuressaare started developing as a resort destination. The first park committee was established in Kuressaare at the beginning of the 60s in the 19th century. The main mission of the committee was to make new recreational areas and maintain their infrastructure in good condition. Local people also tried to help. Some were bringing money, and some offered seedlings. Some people tried to help by providing the committee with horses and carts. Nowadays, the park features more than eighty different trees and shrubs. This is a popular venue for concerts and various city events. Consider taking a stroll here as this park is not only a great place to enjoy fresh air but also to have fun.

Kuressaare has an airport situated three kilometers from the city. It serves flights by Estonian carries from Tallinn and Stockholm. There is another way to reach the island – by ferry that departs from Virtsu and goes to Kuivastu. After that, the road crosses the dam. There are daily buses from Kuivastu that take passengers to the “island capital” of Estonia in one and a half hours.
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City tours, excursions and tickets in Kuressaare and surroundings
Reference information
Survived castles around Kuressaare
♥ Castle 'Kuressaare Castle' , 0.7 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Castle 'Kuressaare Castle' , 0.7 km from the center. On the map


National and city parks around Kuressaare
♥ National park 'Vilsandi rahvuspark' , 40.1 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Nature Park 'Milzukalns' , 63.4 km from the center. On the map
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♥ National park 'Matsalu rahvuspark' , 80.6 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Nature Park 'Talsu pauguraine' , 113.1 km from the center. On the map
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♥ Nature Park 'Engures ezers' , 116.7 km from the center. On the map
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♥ National park 'Vilsandi rahvuspark' , 40.1 km from the center. On the map


♥ Nature Park 'Milzukalns' , 63.4 km from the center. On the map


♥ National park 'Matsalu rahvuspark' , 80.6 km from the center. On the map


♥ Nature Park 'Talsu pauguraine' , 113.1 km from the center. On the map


♥ Nature Park 'Engures ezers' , 116.7 km from the center. On the map


Sightseeing in Estonia: things to see


Search touristic sites on the map of Kuressaare

