Beside the multitude of medieval sights like Tall Hermann Tower, Kuressaare Castle had a series of museums with wonderful exhibits…View image…View image… that began in pre-historic times and continued through into modern day history. One area was completely devoted to life on Saaremaa Island under the Russians and Nazis. Russian forces arrived on Saaremaa Island in 1939 to build military bases and soon after incorporated Estonia into the Soviet Union. The arrests, people gone “missing” and mass deportations followed soon after. It was no wonder that the Germany Army was greeted as the liberator in 1941, but the Soviets returned in 1942. People tried to escape over the sea to Sweden while others were arrested in Saaremaa because of “political reasons”. This meant 25 years in prison camps.

Deportation was an undeclared war against the three Baltic Republics and the means by which the Soviets hoped to break their national self-consciousness and obtain cheap slave labor. The deportees were taken to Kihelkonna and placed in the hold of a coal ship. From there, the ship sailed to Paldiski where the deportees were put on a train that continued towards Siberia. Information given me by the Kuressaare tourist bureau states, “… Hitler and Stalin were each other’s enemies. However, they had a lot in common…the fact that they assumed a right and even an obligation to kill…to destroy to an extent unprecedented in history…”

old buggies in the Kuressaare Castle Museum, Saaremaa Island, Estonia
Saaremaa has a reputation for a crime free society. A small population, Kuressaare is the only city on Saaremaa with only a little over 15,000 occupants. The entire island is primarily a summer destination. Situated on the coast of Gulf of Riga, summer brings crowds of Finns and Swedes who come for the spa resorts, cafes, restaurants, gorgeous and sandy beaches. The people of Saaremaa have always been independent and were usually the last to fall to invaders. They have their own customs, songs and costumes.

Saaremaa Island coastal scenery, Estonia 

Kuressaare, Saaremaa Island map
Raekojo Street…View image, in the center of Kuressare, is lined with old buildings but big sights are far and few between with the exception of the Old City Hall…View image… built in 1670 and also the location of the Kuressaare Tourist Information Office, and the Weigh House built in 1663 to keep the public scales in.

Kuressaare City Hall, Saaremaa Island, Estonia 

old weigh house in Kuressaare, Saaremaa Island, Estonia
A scenic highlight on the 12-minute walk to and from the center back to the Hotel Staadioni was the colorful old houses…View image. By the way, the hotel was one of the few that actually had very welcome and badly needed heat in the rooms. Free WI-FI, however, was prevalent throughout the Baltic States.

charming little Kuressaare house on Saaremaa Island
Something a little out of the ordinary for dinner. Patty, ex-Marine and I walked into town and had a very good dinner at Veski Windmill Tavern. This old Dutch windmill was built in 1899 and operated until 1941 when the sails were sawn off in order to avoid enemy use for signaling. Restored and reopened in 1974, the Windmill is one of the most popular places along with being known as the oldest operating catering establishment in Kuressaare. The last “tomorrow”…back to Estonia mainland before the group began making their way back home.