Things to Do in Haapsalu: A Guide for Two

Haapsalu covers ten and a half square kilometres and has sea on three sides. You can cross the whole town on foot in fifteen minutes. That is the appeal. Here is what is worth your time, with walking times from the harbour.

The old town and the castle

Haapsalu was given town rights in 1279, which makes it one of the oldest towns in Estonia. The old town sits on a peninsula, seven minutes from our door.

The Bishop's Castle dates from the 13th century. The castle and its museum were renovated in 2019, so the walls are safe to walk and the exhibition is modern. Allow an hour, more if you climb the tower.

The castle also carries the town's best known story. A clergyman brought a young woman into the castle dressed as a choirboy. When the bishop found out she was walled in, and her shape is said to appear in the chapel window at the August full moon. The town keeps the legend alive with the White Lady Festival every August.

The promenade and the birdwatching tower

The promenade starts outside our building and follows the water past the old Kuursaal, the wooden assembly hall from the resort years. It is the one walk everybody does, morning and evening.

Halfway along there is a fifteen metre birdwatching tower over the Tagalaht bay. Bring binoculars if you have them. Most of the year there is something on the water, and you do not have to leave town to see it.

In summer you can rent a boat on the promenade and look at the town from the sea instead.

Two museums worth an hour each

• Ilon's Wonderland. Ilon Wikland illustrated Astrid Lindgren's books and spent her childhood in Haapsalu before leaving for Sweden in 1944. The museum keeps her original artwork. Finnish and German visitors usually recognise the drawings before they recognise the name.
• Museum of the Coastal Swedes. Haapsalu was the centre of the Swedish speaking community of western Estonia, most of whom left in 1944. The house was opened by the King of Sweden.

The Railway and Communications Museum sits in the old station, built long enough for a tsar's train to pull in under cover. The Town Hall tells the resort story, 190 years of it.

Lace, ceramics and small galleries

The Haapsalu shawl is knitted from thin wool in a lace pattern, and a good one passes through a wedding ring. The tradition goes back to the 19th century, when wealthy summer visitors turned the shawls into luxury goods. You can see them and buy one at the Haapsalu Lace Centre.

Two more stops in the old town: the handicraft shop Mirimart, and the Epp Maria Gallery, whose paintings also hang in Müüriääre Café.

Mud, water and a sauna

The resort began with curative mud from this bay. There are two spas today. Hestia Hotel Haapsalu Spa is four minutes from our door. Fra Mare Thalasso Spa sits at the edge of the Paralepa pine forest, a little further out. Book treatments before you travel, especially at a weekend.

The full story is here: the Haapsalu spa and mud treatment guide.

For swimming, Paralepa has sand, pines and some of the warmest water in Estonia. Vasikaholm is the second town beach and quieter.

On the water in summer

• Kayaking in Haapsalu Bay. Flat water, low shore, good for a first time.
• Sailing on the yacht Meeri. Up to five passengers, two to three hours.
• E-bikes. A loop through town and the Paralepa forest, which covers more ground than a walk.

In a cold winter the town floods a skating rink on Väike Viik, a few minutes from the old town.

Three day trips, if you have a car

• Matsalu National Park. Half an hour south. One of the best birdwatching sites in Estonia, at its most dramatic during the spring and autumn migrations.
• Vormsi. The ferry leaves from Rohuküla harbour, under ten kilometres from town. Book ahead in summer. The cemetery by St Olav's church has over three hundred stone sun crosses.
• Osmussaar. Five residents and no scheduled ferry. You charter a boat from Dirhami. A whole day, and only in settled weather.

Which weekends are busy

July is the busy month, and the festivals fill the town. The Early Music Festival takes over the historic buildings in July. Augustibluus brings blues to the railway station. The White Lady Festival runs 28 to 30 August 2026, and Nostalgia Days 11 to 13 September 2026, when old cars parade through the centre.

Come on those weekends for the noise, or avoid them for the quiet. Both are good reasons to pick a date.

Hungry after all that: where to eat in Haapsalu. Getting here: driving, parking and arrival.

Common questions

Opening times, dates and prices change. We check ours against Visit Haapsalu and Visit Estonia.