Kuressaare Castle - Estonia

Kuressaare Castle is a beautiful Episcopal Castle located in the capital of Saaremaa, Kuressaare city, Estonia. The castle is one of the most remarkable sites in the republic.

One of the things that makes the castle so interesting and notable is that it is the only remaining intact medieval fortress in the Baltic countries.

The late Gothic dolomite was established as a main residence of the Bishop of Saare-Lääne bishopric. He ruled from there to the conquest of the ancient country of Saaremaa from the German knights.

The oldest part of the castle, the Tower of Tall Hermann is supposed to be built somewhere around 1260.

It is assumed that the main part of the castle was begun to build about 1338 and took forty years of construction.

The existence of Episcopal castle was mentioned in 1381 for the first time in literature.

The castle is a three storey building, consisting of two towers, the seven storey Defence Tower and the Watch Tower. The Watch Tower is the taller one and its roof was not accomplished until 16th century.

At that time the castle was sold to the Danes who surrounded it with a moat and also built a citadel. Later, the fortress fell into the hands of Swedes and Russians who modified it.

During the 19th and 20th centuries the castle was in possession of the Knighthood of Saaremaa who carried out a number of restoration work on it.

The architecture of the Kuressaare Castle is a typical example of the late Gothic style.

On entering the castle it is visible to see a gun dated from 1803 and a beautiful vase, depicted with elements of the medieval baptismal fonts.

There is a gallery with a width of one meter which defence tilt covers the whole castle.

The castle hosts a museum strewn, representing significant historical information on the history of the region.

The café situated on the top of the tower of the castle offers a magnificent view to the surroundings, the sea as well as the island of Abruka and other islets.
The Kuressaare castle is also a place where many cultural events are held.

Next to the area of the castle are located a few hotels, spas, tennis courts, the yacht harbour and mini-golf course.

Address:
Kuressaare Castle
Lossihoov 1
93815 Kuressaare
Estonia