Kuressaare () is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Saaremaa Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring . The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island and west of Muhu island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago. The capital of the isla ...

island in

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

. It is the administrative centre of

Saaremaa Parish Saaremaa Municipality, also known as Saaremaa Rural Municipality ( et, Saaremaa vald), is a municipality in Saare County in western Estonia. It is the largest municipality in Estonia by land area. The administrative centre of the municipality is i ...

and the capital of

Saare County Saare County ( et, Saare maakond or ''Saaremaa''; la, Oesel; german: Ösel; sv, Ösel) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It consists of Saaremaa, the largest island of Estonia, and several smaller islands near it, most notably Muhu, Ruhnu, A ...

. Kuressaare is the westernmost town in Estonia. The recorded population on 1 January 2018 was 13,276. The town is situated on the southern coast of

Saaremaa island Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring . The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island and west of Muhu island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago. The capital of the islan ...

, facing the

Gulf of Riga The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or Gulf of Livonia ( lv, Rīgas līcis, et, Liivi laht) is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia. The island of Saaremaa (Estonia) partially separates it from the rest of the Baltic Sea. The main c ...

of the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

, and is served by the

Kuressaare Airport Kuressaare Airport ( et, Kuressaare lennujaam, ) is an airport in Estonia. The airport is situated south southeast of Kuressaare on Saaremaa island. Overview The first runway was built in the last half of the 1930s. The airport was opened offic ...

Roomassaare Kuressaare () is a town on Saaremaa island in Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Saaremaa Parish and the capital of Saare County. Kuressaare is the westernmost town in Estonia. The recorded population on 1 January 2018 was 13,276. T ...

harbour, and Kuressaare yacht harbour.

Names

Kuressaare's historic name Arensburg (from

Middle High German Middle High German (MHG; german: Mittelhochdeutsch (Mhd.)) is the term for the form of German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High German and into Early New High German. Hig ...

''a(a)r:''

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...

, raptor) renders the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

denotation ''arx aquilae'' for the city's castle. The fortress and the eagle,

tetramorph A tetramorph is a symbolic arrangement of four differing elements, or the combination of four disparate elements in one unit. The term is derived from the Greek ''tetra'', meaning four, and ''morph'', shape. In Christian art, the tetramorph is t ...

symbol of Saint

John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης, Iōánnēs; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ; ar, يوحنا الإنجيلي, la, Ioannes, he, יוחנן cop, ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ) is the name traditionally given ...

, are also depicted on Kuressaare's coat of arms. The town, which grew around the fortress, was simultaneously known as Arensburg and Kuressaarelinn; the latter name being a combination of ''Kuressaare''—an ancient name of the Saaremaa Island—and ''linn'', which means ''town''.Pospelov, p. 28 Alternatively, the town's name may come from ''kurg'' (''crane'') and ''saare'' (''island''), a name that may have come from the city's German name and coat of arms, or may have existed before German settlers arrived. Eventually, the town's name shortened to Kuressaare and became official in 1918 after Estonia had declared its independence from Bolshevist Russia. Under

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

rule, the town was renamed Kingissepa in 1952. This name came from the

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

Kuressaare-native

Viktor Kingissepp Viktor Eduard Kingissepp ( in Karmel (now ) – 4 May 1922 in Tallinn) was an Estonian communist politician, the leader of the Estonian Communist Party. The son of a factory worker, he joined a Marxist circle as a schoolboy in Arensburg (no ...

executed in 1922. The name Kuressaare was restored in 1988.

History

The town first appeared on maps around 1154. The island of Saaremaa (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, sv, Ösel) was conquered by the

Livonian Brothers of the Sword The Livonian Brothers of the Sword ( la, Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae, german: Schwertbrüderorden) was a Catholic military order established in 1202 during the Livonian Crusade by Albert, the third bishop of Riga (or possibly by Theoderi ...

under Volkwin of Naumburg in 1227, who merged with the

Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians o ...

shortly afterwards. The first documentation of the castle (''arx aquilae'') was found in Latin texts written in 1381 and 1422. Over time, a town, which became known as Arensburg or Kuressaarelinn, grew and flourished around the fortress. It became the see of the

Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

established by

Albert of Riga Albert of Riga or Albert of Livonia or Albrecht (german: Albert von Buxthoeven, lv, Alberts fon Buksthēvdens; c.1165 – 17 January 1229) was the third Bishop of Riga in Livonia. In 1201 he allegedly founded Riga, the modern capital of Latv ...

in 1228, part of the

Terra Mariana Terra Mariana (Medieval Latin for "Land of Mary") was the official name for Medieval Livonia or Old Livonia ( nds, Oolt-Livland, liv, Jemā-Līvõmō, et, Vana-Liivimaa, lv, Livonija). It was formed in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade ...

. Johann von Münchhausen, bishop since 1542, converted to

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

. With the advance of the troops of Tsar

Ivan IV of Russia Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584. Iva ...

in the course of the

Livonian War The Livonian War (1558–1583) was the Russian invasion of Old Livonia, and the prolonged series of military conflicts that followed, in which Tsar Ivan the Terrible of Russia (Muscovy) unsuccessfully fought for control of the region (pr ...

, Münchhausen sold his lands to King Frederick II of Denmark in 1559 and returned to Germany. Frederick sent his younger brother Prince Magnus to Kuressaare where he was elected bishop the following year. It was through his influence that the city obtained its civic charter in 1563, modeled after that of Riga. The bishopric was finally

secularised In sociology, secularization (or secularisation) is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions. The ''secularization thesis'' expresses the ...

in 1572 and Kuressaare fell to the Danish Crown. In 1645, it passed to

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

control through the Treaty of Brömsebro after the Danish defeat in the

Torstenson War The Torstenson war, Hannibal controversy or Hannibal War ( no, Hannibalsfeiden) was a short period of conflict between Sweden and Denmark–Norway from 1643 to 1645 towards the end of the Thirty Years' War. The names refer to Swedish general ...

. Queen

Christina of Sweden Christina ( sv, Kristina, 18 December ( New Style) 1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Queen of Sweden in her own right from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. She succeeded her father Gustavus Adolphus upon his death ...

granted her favourite, Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie, the title of Count of Arensburg, the German and

name for Kuressaare at that time. The city was burnt to the ground by Russian troops in 1710 during the

Great Northern War The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swed ...

and suffered heavily from the

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pe ...

. Abandoned by the Swedes, it was incorporated into the

Governorate of Livonia The Governorate of Livonia, also known as the Livonia Governorate, was a Baltic governorate of the Russian Empire, now divided between Latvia and Estonia. Geography The shape of the province is a fairly rectangular in shape, with a maximum ...

of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

through the

Treaty of Nystad The Treaty of Nystad (russian: Ништадтский мир; fi, Uudenkaupungin rauha; sv, Freden i Nystad; et, Uusikaupunki rahu) was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War of 1700–1721. It was concluded between the Tsardom of ...

in 1721. During the 19th century Kuressaare became a popular

seaside resort A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germ ...

on the

Baltic coast The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 10 ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, between September and October 1917, German land and naval forces occupied Saaremaa with

Operation Albion Operation Albion was a World War I German air, land and naval operation against the Russian forces in October 1917 to occupy the West Estonian Archipelago. The land campaign opened with German landings at the Tagalaht bay on the island of ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the

Battle of Tehumardi The Battle of Tehumardi (Estonian: ''Tehumardi öölahing'', Russian: Бой у Техумарди, German ''Schlacht von Tehumardi'') was a battle related to the Moonsund Operation during World War II. Soviet soldiers fought German troops occ ...

took place. In October 1990, Kuressaare was the first town in Estonia to regain its self-governing status.

Neighborhoods of Kuressaare

There are nine neighborhoods of Kuressaare: *Ida-Niidu *Kesklinn *Kellamäe *Marientali *Põllu alev *Roomassaare *Smuuli *Suuremõisa *Tori.

Landmarks and culture

The medieval episcopal

Kuressaare Castle Kuressaare Castle ( et, Kuressaare linnus; german: Schloss Arensburg), also Kuressaare Episcopal Castle, ( et, Kuressaare piiskopilinnus), is a castle in Kuressaare on Saaremaa island, in western Estonia. History The earliest written record me ...

today houses the Saaremaa Regional Museum. The original wooden castle was constructed between 1338 and 1380, although other sources claim a fortress was built in Kuressaare as early as 1260. In 1968, architect began studies on Kuressaare Castle. The town hall was originally built in 1654, and restored, retaining classicist and baroque features. It was last restored in the 1960s with dolomite stairs at the front. St Nicolaus Church was built in 1790. The annual Saaremaa Opera Days (''Saaremaa Ooperipäevad'') have been held in Kuressaare each summer since 1999. Other festivals include Kuressaare Chamber Music Days (''Kuressaare Kammermuusika Päevad''), held since 1995 and Kuressaare Maritime Festival (''Kuressaare Merepäevad''), held since 1998. Kuressaare also hosts the

FC Kuressaare FC Kuressaare, commonly known as Kuressaare, is a professional football club, based in Kuressaare, Saaremaa, Estonia. The club's home ground is Kuressaare linnastaadion. Founded on 14 March 1997, the club competes in the Meistriliiga, the top ...

football club.

Climate

Economy

Transportation

Kuressaare is served by

, located on a peninsula southeast of the town. There is regular traffic to Tallinn, as well as seasonal flights to the island of

Ruhnu Ruhnu ( sv, Runö; german: Runö; lv, Roņu sala) is an Estonian island in the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is administratively part of Saare County but is geographically closer to the Latvian mainland. At , it has currently fewer than 10 ...

. There are bus connections around the island, as well as with

Kuivastu Kuivastu is a village on the eastern coast of the Estonian island Muhu. (retrieved 28 July 2021) Kuivastu Harbour is the primary gateway to the biggest Estonian island Saaremaa (Muhu and Saaremaa are distinct islands, but are connected by a caus ...

on Muhu Island, a ferry terminal with connection to the mainland. In 1917, during the German occupation, an urban railway was built in Kuressaare, and in 1918, it was transferred to the town administration. It connected the port with the city center/ One of the stations was provisionally located in Kurhouse, and in 1924, the dedicated Park Station was built. The railway functioned until the 1930s when it was gradually disused and mostly dismantled. An attempt to revive the railway in the beginning of the 1950s, during the Soviet period, was unsuccessful, and ended up with rails fully removed from the streets.

Notable people

* Adam Georg von Agthe (1777–1826), Russian military officer * Tiiu Aro (born 1952), Estonian physician and politician *

Eugen Dücker Eugen Gustav Dücker (also ''Eugène Gustav Dücker''; , in Arensburg (now Kuressaare, Estonia) – 6 December 1916, in Düsseldorf) was a Baltic German painter, in the Romantic atyle, associated with the Düsseldorfer Malerschule. Biograph ...

(1841–1916), Baltic German painter *

Maria Faust Maria Faust (born 18 April 1979) is an Estonian jazz saxophonist. She has worked with John Parish and Mark Howard. She frequently tours in western Europe and has performanced in the Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( ), also known as th ...

(born 1979), Estonian saxophone player and composer *

Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven Alexander Otto Hermann Wolfgang Bernd(t) Freiherr Freytag von Loringhoven (6 February 1914 – 27 February 2007), was a Baltic German officer in the German Army during World War II. In 1956, he joined the German Federal Armed Forces, the ''Bunde ...

(1914–2007), German military officer *

Louis Kahn Louis Isadore Kahn (born Itze-Leib Schmuilowsky; – March 17, 1974) was an Estonian-born American architect based in Philadelphia. After working in various capacities for several firms in Philadelphia, he founded his own atelier in 1935. Whi ...

(1901–1974), American architect *

Madis Kallas Madis Kallas (born 22 April 1981) is an Estonian decathlete and politician, Minister of the Environment of Estonia. From 2017 to 2020 and again from 2021 to 2022 he was the mayor of Saaremaa Municipality Saaremaa Municipality, also known as ...

(born 1981), Estonian decathlete and politician *

(1888–1922), Estonian communist politician *

Heli Lääts Heli Lääts (24 June 1932 – 16 February 2018) was an Estonian singer (mezzo-soprano) whose career began in the mid-1950s. Lääts predominantly performed estrada, chamber, pop, polka, and jazz music. Early life and education Heli Lääts wa ...

(1932–2018), Estonian singer *

Karl Patrick Lauk Karl Patrick Lauk (born 9 January 1997 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam . Major results ;2016 : 5th Time trial, National Road Championships ;2017 : 1st Overall Tour of Estonia ::1st Points classificati ...

(born 1997), Estonian cyclist * Tullio Liblik (born 1964), Estonian entrepreneur * Jörgen Liik (born 1990), Estonian actor *

Ivo Linna Ivo Linna (born 12 June 1949 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian singer. Eurovision Song Contest and Eesti Laul He represented Estonia alongside Maarja Liis Ilus in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 in Oslo with the song " Kaelakee Hääl" (The Sound ...

(born 1949), Estonian singer *

Richard Maack Richard Otto Maack (also Richard Karlovic Maak, Russian: Ричард Карлович Маак; 4 September 1825 – 25 November 1886) was a 19th-century Russian naturalist, geographer, and anthropologist. He is most known for his explorat ...

(1825–1886), Russian naturalist *

Konstantin Märska Konstantin Märska ( in Kuressaare, Saaremaa, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire – 30 August 1951 in Tallinn) was an Estonian cinematographer and film director. Märska is buried at the Rahumäe cemetery in Tallinn Tallinn () is the ...

(1896–1951), Estonian cinematographer and film director *

Gerd Neggo Gerd or GERD may refer to: * Gerd (given name), a list of people with the given name or nickname * Gerd (moon), a moon of Saturn * Gerd Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica * Gastroesophageal reflux disease, a chronic symptom of mucosal dama ...

(1891–1974), Estonian dancer and choreographer *

Marek Niit Marek Niit (born 9 August 1987, in Kuressaare) is a sprinter from Estonia who won gold medal at the 200 metres at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China. He is also the current national record holder in 100 metre ...

(born 1987), Estonian sprinter * Sulev Nõmmik (1931–1992), Estonian actor, director, humorist and dancer *

Tiidrek Nurme Tiidrek Nurme (born 18 November 1985) is an Estonian long and middle-distance runner, the current national record holder of the 1500 metres and 3000 metres. Nurme is one of only five men in the history of the Olympic Games to have qualified for ...

(born 1985), Estonian runner *

Margus Oopkaup Margus Oopkaup (born 11 March 1959) is an Estonian stage, film and television actor and playwright who was engaged at the Endla Theatre from 1982 to 2000. In 1983, he was awarded the Best Young Actor award for his performance in the film '' Nipe ...

(born 1959), Estonian actor *

Mikk Pahapill Mikk Pahapill (born 18 July 1983) is a retired Estonian decathlete. His personal best score is 8398 points, achieved at the 2011 Hypo-Meeting in Götzis. His coach is Remigija Nazarovienė. He won the 2009 European Indoor Championships in hepta ...

(born 1983), Estonian decathlete *

Grete Paia Grete Paia (born 27 August 1995) is an Estonian singer and songwriter. She is best known internationally for competing in ''Eesti Laul 2013'' and later in '' Eesti Laul 2016''. She also competed in Eesti Laul 2019 and in Eesti Laul 2022 in a d ...

(born 1995), Estonian singer and songwriter *

Tõnis Palts Tõnis Palts (born 29 March 1953, in Kuressaare) is an Estonian politician and former mayor of Tallinn and Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic po ...

(born 1953), Estonian politician and businessman * Jüri Pihl (1954–2019), Estonian police officer and politician * Keith Pupart (born 1985), Estonian volleyball player *

Ilmar Raag Ilmar Raag (born 21 May 1968 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian media executive, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his socio-critical film '' The Class''. He has served as CEO of Estonian Television from 2002 to 2005. He is a we ...

(born 1968), Estonian film director and media personality * Mihkel Räim (born 1993), Estonian cyclist *

Tuuli Rand Tuuli Rand (born 1 March 1990 in Kuressaare, Saaremaa) is an Estonian singer. Early life and education She is a graduate of Kuressaare Gymnasium and Georg Ots Music Singing School. Career She is the lead singer in bands TuuliKustiPeep, Funkif ...

(born 1990), Estonian singer * Getter Saar (born 1992), Estonian badminton player *

Indrek Saar Indrek Saar (born February 20, 1973) is an Estonian actor and politician, leader of the Social Democratic Party, and former Minister of Culture. Saar attended secondary school in Kuressaare and graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and H ...

(born 1973), Estonian actor and politician *

Benno Schotz Benno Schotz (28 August 1891 Arensburg, Livonia, Russian Empire – 11 October 1984 Glasgow, Scotland) was an Estonian-born Scottish sculptor, and one of twentieth century Scotland's leading artists. Biography Early life Schotz was the y ...

(1891–1984), Scottish sculptor * Hannibal Sehested (1609–1666), Danish statesman * Karen Sehested (1606–1672), Danish court official *

Adeele Sepp Adeele Sepp (also credited by her married name Adeele Jaago; born 10 November 1989) is an Estonian stage, film, and television actress. Early life and education Adeele Sepp was born in Kuressaare, on the island of Saaremaa in 1989. Her parents ...

(born 1989), Estonian actor * Jaanus Tamkivi (born 1959), Estonian politician *

Tarmo Teder Tarmo Teder (born 18 April 1958 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian writer, poet and critic. Born on the island of Saaremaa, Teder studied from 1973-76. at the Tallinn Polytechnic and 1976-78 at Kingissepa, now Kuressaare. He began work in Tartu and ...

(born 1958), Estonian writer and critic *

Ivar Karl Ugi Ivar Karl Ugi (9 September 1930 in Saaremaa, Estonia – 29 September 2005 in Munich) was an Estonian-born German chemist who made major contributions to organic chemistry. He is known for the research on multicomponent reactions, yielding the U ...

(1930–2005), German chemist * Voldemar Väli (1903–1997), Estonian wrestler * Mihail Velsvebel (1926–2008), Estonian runner *

Alexander Vostokov Alexander Khristoforovich Vostokov (born Alexander Woldemar Osteneck; russian: link=no, Алекса́ндр Христофо́рович Восто́ков; – ) was one of the first Russian philologists. Background He was born into a Balti ...

(1781–1864), Russian philologist * Richard Otto Zöpffel (1843–1891), Baltic German theologian

Twin towns and sister cities

The former municipality of Kuressaare was twinned with: * Ekenäs,

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

(since 21 November 1988) *

Kuurne Kuurne () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises only the town of Kuurne proper. On January 1, 2006, Kuurne had a total population of 12,591. The total area is 10.01 km² which gives a po ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

(since 9 August 1998) * Mariehamn, Finland (since 24 October 1991) *

Rønne Rønne ( sv, Rönne) is the largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,807 (1 January 2022). It was a municipality in its own right from 1970 until 2002, when Bornholm was a county ( Danish: ''Born ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

(since 3 October 1991) *

Skövde Skövde () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and urban centre in Skövde Municipality and Västra Götaland County, in the Västergötland, Västergötland (Western Gothland region) in central Southern Sweden. Skövde is situated some 150 ...

, Sweden (since 23 June 1993) *

Talsi Talsi (; liv, Tālsa, german: Talsen) (population 11,371) is a town in Latvia. It is the administrative centre of Talsi Municipality. It is nicknamed the "green pearl of Courland". Etymology It is believed that the name is derived from an old L ...

, Latvia (since 27 May 1998) *

Turku Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...

, Finland (since 30 May 1996) *

Vammala Vammala is a former town and municipality of southwestern Finland, chartered in 1907. On 1 January 2009, Vammala was consolidated with the municipalities of Mouhijärvi and Äetsä, to form a new city named Sastamala. Geography Vammala was located ...

, Finland (since 30 June 1994)

Significant depictions in popular culture

* Arensburg (Kuressaare) is one of the starting towns of the

State of the Teutonic Order The State of the Teutonic Order (german: Staat des Deutschen Ordens, ; la, Civitas Ordinis Theutonici; lt, Vokiečių ordino valstybė; pl, Państwo zakonu krzyżackiego), also called () or (), was a medieval Crusader state, located in Cent ...

in the turn-based strategy game Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms.

References

Notes

Sources

*Е. М. Поспелов (Ye. M. Pospelov). "Имена городов: вчера и сегодня (1917–1992). Топонимический словарь." (''City Names: Yesterday and Today (1917–1992). Toponymic Dictionary.'') Москва, "Русские словари", 1993.

External links

* {{Authority control Saaremaa Cities and towns in Estonia Former municipalities of Estonia Populated coastal places in Estonia Populated places in Saare County Gulf of Riga Spa towns in Estonia Kreis Ösel Populated places established in the 1380s 1380s establishments in Europe Port cities and towns in Estonia