Manors

Altja is a typical seaside village, with all of its houses stretching along one street. The village was first mentioned in written records in 1465. The Uustalu and Toomarahva farms at Altja are typical coastal farms and have been restored by Lahemaa National Park. On the headland of Altja, you can see the fishing net sheds which were reconstructed on the basis of old photographs and the memories of the villagers. The village also has its own swing and tavern, where you can try local dishes.

Esku chapel, nestled in the middle of the forest in Lahemaa National Park, was built in 1845 by the von Fock family of Sagadi Manor. It was designed for their use as well as a place of burial for the local farming families. Its garden was redesigned as a cemetery at the behest of Baron Paul Eduard von Fock and is unlike any other you will find in Estonia. What makes it unique are the wooden crosses and small stone name plates you will find here.

Lahemaa Lääneväravas asub üks Eesti suurimaid ja ajalooliselt tähtsamaid mõisakomplekse – Kolga. 

Kutsun Sind ringkäigule mõisa peahoonesse, ehitis- ja kultuurimälestisse, mis on paljusid inspireerinud oma olekuga looma uusi lugusid ja teoseid. Alustame ringkäiku hoone ees – tutvustan põgusalt paiga ajalugu ja enda seoseid sellega. Fuajeest liigume läbi kolme korruse, vaatame ka pööningule – viibime ruumides, kus filmid, seriaalid ja muusikavideod on salvestatud. Räägime põnevaid lugusid, vaatame pilte ja episoode. 

Ringkäigu kestvus on kuni paar tundi. Toimumisaeg võib olla nii päev kui ka öö.

St. Mauritius church in Haljala was a very powerful place in a military sense. Its defensive purpose was served by its two-storey Western tower, which had its own fireplace and openings to fire from. The first stage of construction, between 1430 and 1440, produced the choir and vestry; a few decades later the vaulted, triple-naved lengthwise structure was in place; and by the end of the 15th century the Western tower had risen to a height of 34 metres. The eaves of the pulpit are adorned with the coats of arms of the church’s benefactor, overlooked by the archangel Michael blowing a bugle.

The wonderful nature of Lahemaa National Park and fascinating military history intertwine at Hara Harbour. It was once a Soviet submarine base where demagnetization took place. Underwater technical facilities made the hulls of ships and submarines undetectable to magnetic mines. Today, it is a curious place to walk around and look at the ruins of buildings. Visitors can see a photo exhibition about the port’s history, and nearby Hara Harbour offers guided tours, accommodation, and catering.

Fun fact: Estonia’s most beautiful sailing ship, Tormilind (the Storm Bird), was also built in Hara Bay!

The stone-cist barrows are located south-east of Muuksi Village, on the northern shore of Lake Kahala.

The 85 stone-cist barrows forming the group of Hundikangrud are located on a high limestone region covered with thin soil and stunted vegetation. Today, the bog forest blocks the view from the barrows to the lake. The stone-cist barrows that have spread mainly in Northern and Western Estonia are the basic antiquities that help peek into the everyday life of the Early Iron Age society.

Interesting to know: The most compact part of the stone cemetery was known as Hundikangrud. Making barrows of stone piles is a burial habit originating from the Scandinavian countries, which in Estonia was introduced in the Bronze Age and practiced until the end of prehistoric times – for more than 2,000 years.

The lime tree on Ilumägi hill is one of the few remaining trees in Lahemaa National Park that was considered sacred to ancient Estonians. According to the recollections of locals, tributes were still being brought to the tree as recently as the early years of the 20th century. People believed that if you offered something nice to the tree, something good would also happen to you. A spring once emerged from beneath the tree whose waters were used to treat eye problems, but it has since dried up.

Ilumägi chapel was built by Palmse’s Baron Carl Magnus von der Pahlen between 1814 and 1843 on the site of a former wooden chapel. Its windows are adorned with stained glass produced by the Pahlens and wealthier farmers and officials from Palmse manor. In the cemetery you will see the handiwork of local smiths and stone hewers in its crosses. The fenced-off section of the cemetery holds the remains of the Pahlen family.

For years, the heart of the village of Jäneda has been the manor. The current manor building was built by Johan von Benckendorf in 1913-1915. The history books remember this manor as being connected with Maria Zakrevskaya Benckendorf thanks to her life full of adventure: her ties to the attempted assassination of Lenin, her life with world-renowned writers Maxim Gorky and H. G. Wells. Good to know: the manor can be viewed from the outside every day; groups can book ahead to visit the interior and museum, with tours available in Estonian, Russian, Finnish, German and English.

The lighthouse at the northern part of the Juminda Peninsula on the northern coast helps ships navigate.
The lighthouse was built in 1937 and obtained its today’s height and shape in 2006.
During the Soviet era a rocket base under the strict surveillance of border guard was located on the peninsula. 
In August 1941 a naval battle with the highest victim count was held at the end of the creek of the Juminda Peninsula. Juminda Peninsula has also been mentioned on several occasions in the stories of the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg (Son of Kalev).

The lighthouse can only be viewed from afar. But the history of the peninsula is so fascinating that you’ll find a day’s worth of exploring there!

Saint house with slender tower. There is a lot to see: wall paintings, late medieval crucifix, rare organ. In the church garden the Freedom war monument. Before entering the church it is worth to look at the outer wall of church that is decorated with small cross signs.

The earliest written records of a village in Käsmu date from 1453. It was home to a maritime school, and virtually every family had its captain or coxswain schooled there. That is why Käsmu was known as the “captains’ village”.
Today it’s a popular place for summer holidays and hosting events. You can rest and relax here strolling along the beach, exploring the natural beauty of the area on its hiking trails, enjoying the events put on here, and visiting the Käsmu maritime museum.

The village of Käsmu is home to a wooden chapel, erected using money donated by the villagers in 1863. The surrounding cemetery is the final resting place of more than 30 sea captains who brought prominence to the village. The cemetery has one of Estonia’s most beautiful monuments, erected by a Captain Tiedemann in memory of his most beloved daughter Signe, who died at a young age. Made in Finland from cast metal, the monument was completed in 1937.

Käsmu Lighthouse or Beacon, located at the tip of Käsmu Cape, was built in 1892 with the help of donations. It is one of the two preserved wooden lighthouses in Estonia. Käsmu Lighthouse was built on the initiative of the Käsmu Maritime School to make sailing into the home port easier, especially in autumn.

As of summer 2013, the Lighthouse is open for visitors as a museum.

The medieval Kiiu Tower was probably completed in the beginning of the 16th century, and it is located in Kiiu manor park.

This former residential tower is the smallest surviving medieval defensive structure in the Baltic countries. The tower has four floors; the walls are 1.8 m thick, and the inner diameter of the tower is 4.3 m. Narrow windows served as embrasures, the circular balcony was a defence passage.

In the time of war, only the first floor was used as living quarters; the rest was for defence purposes. The defence passage that surrounds the second floor and rests on beams is unique in the Baltic countries.

The defensive structure, which resembles a Dutch windmill from afar, was restored in 1974. The tower also houses a café.

Kolga Manor is one of the largest and most historically important manor complexes in Estonia. It is located in the western part of Lahemaa National Park.

The main building exudes a sense of history. According to the first reports, the 13th-century Kolga Manor belonged to the Cistercian order. The manor’s main building acquired its current appearance at the beginning of the 19th century, when the previous building was rebuilt into a classicist palace. Although some buildings have not yet been renovated, the manor complex still leaves a grand impression.

The manor is privately owned. You can visit the main building by appointment, during events, and on guided tours. Next to the manor house, you will find Kolga Museum.

Kuusalu Church, dedicated to protodeacon martyr St. Lawrence, is considered to be one of the oldest stone churches in Northern Estonia. It was most likely the Gotlandish Cistercian monks who started building a house of God on the boundary of their property next to the holy springs in Kuusalu at the end of the 13th century. By following their own traditions, of course.

In addition to the pulpit, altar, and clock tower, the older art heritage in St. Lawrence Church in Kuusalu also includes chandeliers, Eucharistic vessels made of tin, candle holders, and an embossed brass bracket from the 17th century. Other rarities include the portraits of Luther and Melanchthon as glass paintings.

In Kuusalu, just by Peterburi Road, lies a huge stone – St. Lawrence’s Stone, or the Path Stone. It is an ancient cult stone but most likely also marked the border between Kuusalu Church and Kolga Monastery during the middle ages. On the church side of the stone, you can now see the image of the burning grate or the fire tongs and a cross cut into the stone as a symbol of St. Lawrence – according to the legend, the martyr was tortured to death on a burning grate. On the Kolga side of the stone, you can see the emblem of the monastery (two crossed abbot’s crosiers) cut into the stone.

The girth of the stone is 10.2 m.

St. Lawrence used to be one of the most popular patron saints of the people.

Lahemaa Heritage House preserves, cultivates, promotes, and passes on our cultural heritage by changing attitudes, holding training and events, and practicing a hands-on lifestyle.

When visiting the Heritage House, you can pet and feed sheep, learn about our story, sit in the hut, make crafts and participate in old customs. In traditional handicraft workshops, you can make simple or complex objects from wood, wool, or other materials under the guidance of skilled craftsmen. You can use our hut and, if you wish, the sauna, and we can also organize a campfire experience.

Children are also very welcome. Visit us yourself or invite us to bring our workshops to your place!

Juminda poolsaarel Lahemaa Rahvuspargis asuv rannarahva kivikirik ja kalmistu põlispärnade varjus on lihtne ja ruumimõjult arhailine. Värviliste kujudega kantslil leidub Harju-Jaani vana kiriku kantslilt pärinevaid varabarokseid nikerdusi aastast 1646, silma rõõmustavad ennistatud klaaslühter, iidne rahapakk ja Mart Paadimeistri purjelaevamudel aastast 1920.

Tänapäeval käib kirikus evangeelne luterlik kogudus. Jumalateenistused toimuvad pühapäeviti kaks korda kuus.