Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island in

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

. Measuring , its population is 31,435 (as of January 2020). The main island of the

West Estonian archipelago The West Estonian archipelago (, also Moonsund archipelago) is a group of Estonian islands located in the Baltic Sea around Väinameri. The total area is about . The archipelago is composed of the islands Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu, Vormsi and ab ...

(Moonsund archipelago), it is located in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

, south of

Hiiumaa Hiiumaa ( , ) is the second largest island in Estonia and is part of the West Estonian archipelago, in the Baltic Sea. It has an area of 989 km2 and is 22 km from the Estonian mainland. Its largest town is Kärdla. It is located within ...

island and northwest of the

Gulf of Riga The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or Gulf of Livonia (, , ) 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 connection between the gulf and t ...

. The administrative centre of the island, and of the Saare ''

maakond The counties of Estonia () are the state administrative subdivisions of Estonia. Estonian territory is composed of 15 counties, including 13 on the mainland and 2 on islands. County governments () were abolished at the end of 2017, with their ...

'' (county), is the town of

Kuressaare Kuressaare () is a populated places in Estonia, town on the island of Saaremaa in Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Saaremaa Municipality and the seat of Saare County. Kuressaare is the westernmost town in Estonia. The recorded popul ...

. From the 13th century until the first half of the 20th century, the island of Saaremaa was known in most of the world by variants of its other historical name Ösel.

Etymology

Saaremaa was called ''Eysýsla'' in the

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

saga Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia. The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...

s and other early medieval Scandinavian sources (

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

: , meaning "the island district"), and named in contrast with ''Aðalsýsla'' ("the great district") or the Estonian mainland. The island is called in modern

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

and in Finnish — literally "land of the isle" or "land of the island",Toomse, Liine. "10 Estonian Islands You Should Visit." http://www.traveller.ee/blog/tallinn/10-estonian-islands-you-should-visit. Retrieved 8 March 2016. i.e. the same as the ancient Scandinavian name for the island. The old Scandinavian name is also the origin of the island's name in Danish ,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

and Swedish ,

Gutnish Gutnish ( ), or rarely Gutnic ( or ), is a North Germanic language spoken sporadically on the islands of Gotland and Fårö. The different dialects of Gutnish, while stemming from the Old Gutnish () variety of Old Norse, are sometimes considere ...

''Oysl'', and in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, . In Latvian, the island is called , which possibly means "the island of

Saami The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI, pronounced "Sammy") is an association of American manufacturers of firearms, ammunition, and components. SAAMI is an accredited standards developer that publishes several A ...

". Saaremaa may have been the historic Ultima Thule.

History

According to

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

finds, the territory of Saaremaa has been inhabited from at least

5000 BCE The 5th millennium BC spanned the years (5000 BC – 4001 BC) (c. 7 ka to c. 6 ka), that is, inclusive of 5000 BC but exclusive of 4000 BC. It is impossible to precisely date events that happened around the time of this millennium ...

Nordic Iron Age Iron Age Scandinavia (or Nordic Iron Age) was the Iron Age, as it unfolded in Scandinavia. It was preceded by the Nordic Bronze Age. Beginnings The 6th and 5th centuries BC were a tipping point for exports and imports on the European contine ...

ship burials A ship burial or boat grave is a burial in which a ship or boat is used either as the tomb for the dead and the grave goods, or as a part of the grave goods itself. If the ship is very small, it is called a boat grave. This style of burial was pra ...

, dated to 700–750 CE, have been found in

Sõrve Peninsula Sõrve is a village in Harku Parish, Harju County in northern Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the B ...

. Sagas talk about numerous skirmishes between the islanders and

Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

. Saaremaa was and the home of notorious pirates, sometimes called the Eastern Vikings. The Chronicle of

Henry of Livonia Henry of Latvia (; ; ; ; 1187 – ), also known as Henry of Livonia, was a priest, missionary and historian. He wrote the '' Livonian Chronicle of Henry'' which describes the evangelization of the regions which are now part of Estonia and Latvi ...

describes a fleet of sixteen ships and 500 Osilians ravaging the area that is now southern Sweden, then belonging to

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. Probably around 1000,

Gunnar Hámundarson Gunnar Hámundarson () was a 10th-century Icelandic chieftain. He lived in Hlíðarendi in Fljótshlíð and is probably better known as Gunnar of Hlíðarendi (). He features prominently in the first half of Njáls saga, which tells of the ...

from Iceland took part in a Viking raid at Eysýsla (Saaremaa). There he obtained his famous atgeir, by taking it from a man named Hallgrímur. ''

Njáls saga ''Njáls saga'' ( ), also ''Njála'' ( ), or ''Brennu-Njáls saga'' ( ) (Which can be translated as ''The Story of Burnt Njáll'', or ''The Saga of Njáll the Burner''), is a thirteenth-century Icelandic saga that describes events between 960 a ...

'' tells the following: The

Chronicle of Henry of Livonia The ''Livonian Chronicle of Henry'' () is a Latin narrative of events in Livonia (roughly corresponding to today's Estonia and Latvia) and surrounding areas from 1180 to 1227. It was written by a priest named Henry. Apart from some references ...

describes a fleet of sixteen ships and five hundred pirates from Saaremaa ravaging the area that is now southern

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, then belonging to

. The XIVth book of

Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essentia ...

Saxo Grammaticus Saxo Grammaticus (), also known as Saxo cognomine Longus, was a Danish historian, theologian and author. He is thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, the main advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. He is the author ...

describes a subsequent battle on

Öland Öland (, ; ; sometimes written ''Oland'' internationally) is the second-largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. ...

in 1170 in which the Danish king Valdemar I mobilized his entire fleet to curb the incursions of pirates from " Couronia" (Courland) and Saaremaa. Perhaps the most renowned raid by the inhabitants of Saaremaa occurred in 1187, with the attack on the Swedish town of

Sigtuna Sigtuna is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality situated in the eponymous Sigtuna Municipality, in Stockholm County, Sweden with 9,689 inhabitants in 2020. It is the namesake even though the seat of the municipality is in another locality, Märsta. S ...

(other candidates as raiders are

Karelians Karelians (; ; ; ) are a Baltic Finnic ethnic group who are indigenous to the historical region of Karelia, which is today split between Finland and Russia. Karelians living in Russian Karelia are considered a distinct ethnic group closely ...

and

Curonians :''The Kursenieki are also sometimes known as Curonians.'' The Curonians or Kurs (; ) were a medieval Balts, Baltic tribe living on the shores of the Baltic Sea in the 5th–16th centuries, in what are now western parts of Latvia and Lithuania. ...

). Among the casualties of this raid was the Swedish archbishop

Johannes Johannes is a Medieval Latin form of the personal name that usually appears as " John" in English language contexts. It is a variant of the Greek and Classical Latin variants (Ιωάννης, '' Ioannes''), itself derived from the Hebrew name '' Y ...

. Archaeological excavations have not verified the traditions of destruction of the town. Normal life in Sigtuna continued until town started to slowly lose its importance during 13th century due to navigability problems caused by

post-glacial rebound Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masses after the removal of the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, which had caused isostatic depression. Post-glacial rebound an ...

Enn Tarvel Enn Tarvel (until 1939 Enn Treiberg; July 31, 1932 – September 22, 2021) was an Estonian historian. Early life and education Enn Tarvel was born in the village of Metsiku, where he also grew up, the son of Valdek Tarvel (né Treiberg; 1882� ...

(2007)

''Sigtuna hukkumine''. Haridus, 2007 (7-8), p 38–41 In 1227, Saaremaa was conquered by the

Livonian Brothers of the Sword The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (; ) was a Catholic Church, Catholic Military order (monastic society), military order established in 1202 during the Livonian Crusade by Albert of Riga, Albert, the third bishop of Riga (or possibly by Theode ...

during the

Livonian Crusade The Livonian crusade consists of the various military Crusade, Christianisation campaigns in medieval Livonia – modern Latvia and Estonia – during the Pope, Papal-sanctioned Northern Crusades in the 12th–13th century. Overview Historic ...

but the resistance of the local inhabitants remained strong. The crusaders founded the

Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek The Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek (; ; Low German: ''Bisdom Ösel–Wiek''; contemporary ) was a Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic diocese and a semi-independent prince-bishopric — part of Terra Mariana (Old Livonia) in the Holy Roman Empire. ...

there. When the Order was defeated by the Lithuanian army in the

Battle of Saule The Battle of Saule (; ; ) was fought on 22 September 1236, between the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and pagan troops of Samogitians and Semigallians. Between 48 and 60 knights were killed, including the Livonian Master, Volkwin. It was the ea ...

in 1236, the Saaremaa islanders rebelled. The conflict was ended by a treaty that was signed by the Osilians and the Master of the Order. In the following year, the Sword-Brothers were absorbed into the

Teutonic Order The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...

. As the crusaders' hold on Saaremaa got stronger, Christianity also became more established on the island, and to this day Saaremaa has a unique set of medieval churches in Kaarma, Karja,

Kihelkonna Kihelkonna () is a small borough () in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Estonia. It was the administrative centre of Kihelkonna Parish (until 2017). Gallery File:Kihelkonna Mihkli kirik 2009.jpg, Kihelkonna St. Michael's Church File:Ki ...

Muhu Muhu (also called Muhumaa in Estonian) is an island in the West Estonian archipelago of the Baltic Sea. With an area of , it is the third largest island belonging to Estonia, after Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. Together with neighbouring smaller i ...

, Pöide, Püha and

Valjala Valjala () is a Populated places in Estonia, small borough () in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Estonia. As of the 2011 Estonian census, 2011 census, the settlement's population was 410. The Valjala Church, Valjala St. Martin's Church l ...

churches. The crusader's fortress

Kuressaare Castle Kuressaare Castle (; ), also Kuressaare Episcopal Castle (), is a castle in Kuressaare on Saaremaa, Saaremaa island, in western Estonia. History The earliest written record mentioning Kuressaare castle is from the 1380s, when the Teutonic Order ...

, known in German as Schloss Arensburg, was built by the

for the bishops of Ösel–Wiek (Estonian: Saare-Lääne). Construction began in 1380 and it is one of the most well-preserved medieval castles in Estonia and bears testimony to the late Medieval Age. During the 14th–16th centuries, and possibly earlier, inhabitants of Saaremaa started to resettle into areas surrounding the Baltic Sea and, for example, to establish villages on the

Livonian coast Livonian Coast (; ), also known as Livonia, is a culturally protected territory of Latvia that was historically inhabited by Livonian people. It is located in Northern Courland and encompasses twelve Livonian villages. The protected area is ab ...

. Most of Saaremaa was ruled directly by the Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek, while some parts were enfeoffed to the Livonian Order. In 1559, the bishopric and Saaremaa were sold to Denmark, becoming part of

Danish Estonia Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A Danish person, also called a "Dane", can be a national or citizen of Denmark (see Demographics of Denmark) * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, ...

. From 1570 until 1645 the entire island was under Danish possession. In 1645, Saaremaa was ceded from

Denmark–Norway Denmark–Norway (Danish language, Danish and Norwegian language, Norwegian: ) is a term for the 16th-to-19th-century multi-national and multi-lingual real unionFeldbæk 1998:11 consisting of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Norway (includ ...

by the Treaty of Brömsebro. In 1721, along with the rest of

Livonia Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia. By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...

, Saaremaa (then known by its Swedish name of Ösel) was ceded to the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

by the

Treaty of Nystad The Treaty of Nystad, or the Treaty of Uusikaupunki, was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War of 1700–1721. It was concluded between the Tsardom of Russia and the Swedish Empire on in the then Swedish town of Nystad (, in th ...

, becoming a part of the

Governorate of Livonia The Governorate of Livonia, also known as the Livonia Governorate, was a province (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, Baltic Governorate-General until 1876. Governorate of Livonia bordered Governorate of E ...

. In 1840, the first spa opened in Kuressaare (then known as Arensburg), and the town experienced renaissance and became a popular seaside resort. During World War I, the West Estonian Archipelago was conquered by

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...

in October 1917 (

Operation Albion Operation Albion was a German air, land and naval operation in the First World War, against Russian forces in October 1917 to occupy the West Estonian Archipelago. The campaign aimed to occupy the Baltic islands of Saaremaa (Ösel), Hii ...

) and remained occupied by Germans until the end of hostilities in November 1918. Thereafter Saaremaa became part of the newly independent

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

. Most of the local

Baltic German Baltic Germans ( or , later ) are Germans, ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950), their resettlement in 1945 after the end ...

population of the island was resettled to Germany following the August 1939 Nazi–Soviet Pact. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the island was first occupied by the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

in June 1940 and, along with the rest of Estonian territory, formally annexed into the

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

ist

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in August 1940. On 8 August 1941, Soviet Naval Aviation started a on Berlin from Saaremaa. The island was then invaded and occupied by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

later (

Operation Beowulf Operation Beowulf refers to two German plans to occupy the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Muhu, off the Estonian west coast. Both plans had the same objectives but assumed differing start points. The attack, using ''Beowulf II'', started o ...

). German troops were expelled and the island was reoccupied by the Soviet Red Army in the Moonsund Landing Operation in October and November 1944. In 1946, the Soviet military authorities declared Saaremaa a restricted zone closed to all non-local civilians, i.e., mainland Estonians and foreigners. It remained a restricted area until 1989. Estonia regained full independence in August 1991.

Geography

The island forms the main barrier between the

and the Baltic Sea. To the south of it is the main passage out of the gulf, the

Irbe Strait Irbe Strait, also known as Irben Strait (, , ), forms the main exit out of the Gulf of Riga to the Baltic Sea, between the Sõrve Peninsula forming the southern end of the island Saaremaa in Estonia and Courland Peninsula in Latvia. It is wide ...

, next to

, the southernmost portion of the island. In medieval times islanders crossed the strait to form fishing villages on the

, notably Pitrags. In those days it was easier and quicker to cross the strait towards nearby Kolka,

Saunags Saunags ( Livonian: ''Sǟnag'') is a populated place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia, located from the Cape Kolka, within the borders of Slītere National Park. The name derived from Livonian ''Sǟnag'' – pike perch (Sander), ...

Mazirbe Mazirbe ( or '', '') is a village place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia 18 km southwest of Kolka. It is one of twelve Livonian villages on ' - the Livonian Coast. Mazirbe is the cultural capital of the Livonians. The flag ...

, than travel by horse large distances inland. The highest point on the island is 54 m above sea level. The

Kaali crater Kaali is a group of nine meteorite craters in the village of Kaali on the Estonian island of Saaremaa. Most recent estimates put its formation shortly after 1530–1450 BC (3237 ± 10 14C yr BP). It was created by an impact event and is one ...

is on the island. The island has much forested terrain. One of the symbols of the island is the

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

Nature

More than 10,000 years ago the first parts of Saaremaa arose from the

Baltic Ice Lake The Baltic Ice Lake is a name given by geologists to a freshwater lake that evolved in the Baltic Sea basin as glaciers retreated from that region at the end of the last ice age. The lake's existence was first understood in 1894. The lake existe ...

. The uplift of the Earth's crust is continuing even today at a rate of per year. The West Estonian islands are low-lying plains resting on limestone; their average elevation is roughly above sea level.

Limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

has become denuded in a great number of places, resulting in cliffs, limestone pits and

quarries A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to manage their safet ...

Mustjala Mustjala is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the ...

, Ninase, Pulli, Üügu and Kaugatuma. Because of its mild maritime climate and a variety of soils, Saaremaa has a rich

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

, illustrated by the fact that 80% of the plant species found in Estonia are represented here. Altogether 1200 species of vascular plants can be found in Saaremaa. About 120 of the local plant species are rare ones that have received special protection status. The most famous endemic species is Rhinanthus osiliensis, a rare little flower growing mostly in spring fens. Rare and beautiful flowers are widespread; out of the 36 species found in Estonia, 35 of them are found on Saaremaa and its adjacent islands. Over 40% of Saaremaa is covered with forests, most of which are mixed forests, but in some areas, one can find broad-leaved (deciduous) trees, which are relicts of plant communities of former milder climatic periods. Wooded meadows were common in Saaremaa before

, but many of these unique natural complexes have gradually become overgrown and thus converted into the ordinary forest. The same is true for

alvar An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse grassland vegetation. Often flooded in the spring, and affected by drought in midsummer, alvars support a distinctive group of prairie ...

s (limestone areas covered with thin soil and stunted vegetation). Once a typical and exclusive landscape element in Saaremaa alvars are now in decline. Nature conservation planning for Saaremaa now includes protection of the largest and most unusual alvar areas. Saaremaa has a wide variety of rare wildlife species, ranging from insects to seals. The smallest protected wildlife species in terms of size include the

clouded apollo The clouded Apollo (''Parnassius mnemosyne'') is a butterfly species of the family of swallowtail butterflies (Papilionidae) found in the Palearctic realm. Clouded Apollos inhabit meadows and woodland clearings with plenty of flowering plants, b ...

butterflies and Roman snails. The coastal areas of Saaremaa are well-known seal habitats; in fact, the indigenous

gray seal The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or "earless seals". The only species classified in the genus ''Halichoerus'', it is found on both shores of the Nort ...

can be found in three large permanent resting areas on the islets off the coast in the western and southern parts of Saaremaa. Nowadays, the local population of said seals is slightly increasing . Ringed seals can be encountered everywhere in the coastal waters of Saaremaa but, because of their timidity, it has not been possible to make an estimation of their number. The islands lie in the East Atlantic Flyway, a migration path of waterfowl. This "bird road" connects northeastern Europe with Arctic regions. Each year hundreds of thousands of migratory birds visit Saaremaa in spring and autumn. The

barnacle goose The barnacle goose (''Branta leucopsis'') is a species of goose that belongs to the genus ''Branta'' of black geese, which contains species with extensive black in the plumage, distinguishing them from the grey ''Anser (genus), Anser'' species. D ...

mute swan The mute swan (''Cygnus olor'') is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurasia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to ...

whooper swan The whooper swan ( /ˈhuːpə(ɹ) swɒn/ "hooper swan"; ''Cygnus cygnus''), also known as the common swan, is a large northern hemisphere swan. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American trumpeter swan, and the type species for the genu ...

eider The eiders () are large seaducks in the genus ''Somateria''. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The down feathers of eider ducks and some other ducks and geese are used to fill pillows and qu ...

shelduck The shelducks, most species of which are found in the genus ''Tadorna'' (except for the Radjah shelduck, which is now found in its own monotypic genus ''Radjah''), are a group of large birds in the Tadorninae subfamily of the Anatidae, the biolog ...

and a great many other

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

species have been given protection status. But on the whole, the islands are somewhat poorer in wildlife species than the mainland. Neither

mole Mole (or Molé) may refer to: Animals * Mole (animal) or "true mole" * Golden mole, southern African mammals * Marsupial mole Marsupial moles, the Notoryctidae family, are two species of highly specialized marsupial mammals that are found i ...

mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ''Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the A ...

, nor

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among ...

can be found here, whilst the

Eurasian lynx The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is one of the four wikt:extant, extant species within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. It is widely distributed from Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe to Cent ...

and the

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear native to Eurasia and North America. Of the land carnivorans, it is rivaled in size only by its closest relative, the polar bear, which is much less variable in size and slightly bigger on av ...

are infrequent guests.

Kaali Meteorite

Kaali is a small group of nine unique

meteorite A meteorite is a rock (geology), rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical ...

craters on Saaremaa. The largest of the craters measures in

diameter In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the centre of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle. It can also be defined as the longest Chord (geometry), chord of the circle. Both definitions a ...

and contains a small lake, known as ''Kaali järv'' ("Lake Kaali"). The meteor cluster had an impact velocity of and a mass of . At the altitude of the meteor broke into pieces. The largest fragment produced the main crater with a depth of . Eight smaller craters with diameters ranging from and depths varying from are all within of the main crater. The age estimates of the crater vary, with 4000 ± 1000 BCE being a commonly accepted estimate, though other estimates suggest the explosion was as recent as 660 ± 85 BCE. The energy of the impact—about 80 TJ (20 kilotons of TNT), comparable with the Hiroshima bomb—burned forests within a radius of of the impact site. There are numerous legends related to the crater; these are summarized by

Lennart Meri Lennart Georg Meri (; 29 March 1929 – 14 March 2006) was an Estonian writer, film director, and statesman. He was the country's foreign minister from 1990 to 1992 and President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Early life Meri was born in Tallin ...

in his book ''Hõbevalge''.

Resources

Dolomite,

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

, curative mud,

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent). Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...

, ceramic clay,

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

, and

gravel Gravel () is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally on Earth as a result of sedimentation, sedimentary and erosion, erosive geological processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gr ...

are the major local resources. Of these local resources, dolomite is perhaps the most famous above all.

Characteristics

The majority of the island's population is

...

(97%). The two most numerous ethnic minorities,

Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...

and

Finns Finns or Finnish people (, ) are a Baltic Finns, Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these cou ...

, together comprise less than 3% of the inhabitants. Compared to the Republic of Estonia on the whole, the population of

Saare County Saare County ( or ''Saaremaa''; ; ; ; ) 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, Abruka and Vilsandi. The county borders Lääne Count ...

and particularly of

town is younger, whereas the number of the retired people is considerably smaller. Saaremaa is located in the heart of the

Baltic region The Baltic Sea Region, alternatively the Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states, refers to the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, including parts of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Un ...

, which is one of the most rapidly growing markets in Europe, with 70 million consumers. The island's "Gates to the West" include the reconstructed

Kuressaare Airport Kuressaare Airport (, ) is an airport in Estonia. The airport is situated about 3 km southeast of Kuressaare town centre in Saaremaa Municipality. Overview The first runway was built in the last half of the 1930s. The airport was opened officia ...

and Roomassaare Harbour, the operation of modern ferries between Saaremaa and the Estonian mainland, and the rapid development of the telecommunications. Saaremaa is also a significant tourist destination, revisited by 35% of foreign and 95% of domestic tourists.

Transportation

Saaremaa is reached by TS Laevad's

ferries A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus. ...

from

Virtsu Virtsu () is a small borough (') in Lääneranna Parish, Pärnu County, Estonia. It lies on the western coast of continental Estonia, and is a location of the main port for traffic to and from Saaremaa, the largest island of Estonia. The Virtsu ...

on the Estonian mainland to

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 since 1896, they have b ...

island, which is itself connected to Saaremaa by a

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...

, the

Väinatamm Väinatamm is the name of the largest causeway in Estonia on the Estonian national road 10. The causeway, opened in 1896, connects the island of Muhu, located between Saaremaa Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island in Estonia ...

. Saaremaa can also be reached by ferry from

Sõru Sõru is a village in Hiiumaa Parish, Hiiu County in northwestern Estonia. Sõru harbour is located in the neighboring Pärna village. A ferry service operates to Triigi on Saaremaa Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island i ...

on the island of

to Triigi. There are also passenger services from

Roomassaare Kuressaare () is a populated places in Estonia, town on the island of Saaremaa in Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Saaremaa Municipality and the seat of Saare County. Kuressaare is the westernmost town in Estonia. The recorded popul ...

to the smaller island of

Abruka Abruka () is a village in Estonia, primarily composed of the island of Abruka in the Gulf of Riga, 4 km south of the island of Saaremaa. The village includes the smaller adjacent islands of Vahase, Kasselaid, Linnusitamaa and Kirjurahu, ...

. During many winters it is possible to drive to Saaremaa by an

ice road An ice road or ice bridge is a human-made structure that runs on a frozen water surface (a river, a lake or a sea water expanse).Masterson, D. and Løset, S., 2011, ISO 19906: Bearing capacity of ice and ice roads, Proceedings of the 21st Int ...

between the mainland and Muhu or between Saaremaa and the island of

. There are regular bus services from

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth-largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second-largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of ...

and

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...

on the mainland, which use the ferry from Virtsu to Muhu.

offers regular flights to Tallinn operated by NyxAir. There are regular services to

Ruhnu Ruhnu (; ; ) is an Estonian island in the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. Its territory of is administratively part of Saare County, Saare ''maakond'' (county). Ruhnu lies geographically closer to the coast of Courland on the mainland of Latvia ...

and

operated by

Diamond Sky Diamond Sky OÜ is an Estonian airline headquartered in Tallinn. It operates charter passenger and cargo flights. History The airline was founded in 2013. The Estonian Transport Agency has issued its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and Nationa ...

. Historically there was a Soviet air base at Aste Airfield during the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

. Plans to connect Saaremaa to the mainland by either bridge or tunnel are being studied.

Sport

FC Kuressaare FC Kuressaare, commonly known as Kuressaare, is an Estonian professional football club based in Kuressaare, Saaremaa island. The club's home ground is Kuressaare linnastaadion. Founded on 14 March 1997, the club competes in the Meistriliiga, t ...

competes in the first tier of Estonian football, the

Meistriliiga Meistriliiga (), officially known as A. Le Coq Premium Liiga for sponsorship reasons, and commonly known as the Premium Liiga, is the highest division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. The league was founded i ...

. Saaremaa has been competing in the biannual

Island Games The Island Games (currently known as the NatWest International Island Games for sponsorship reasons) are biennial international multi-sports events organised by the International Island Games Association (IIGA). Competitor teams each represent ...

since 1991. There are three main international traditional sport events in Saaremaa: Saaremaa Rally takes place every year in October and attracts thousands of rally fans. The first rally was an amateur competition and it took place in 1974. The first professional competition took place in 1975 and from 1993 the rally has been international. Saaremaa Velotuur is a group race of road cyclists that is oldest in the Nordic countries (held since 1957) and the only international one in the Baltic states. Saaremaa three-day running marathon takes place on the roads around Kuressaare town and Sõrve peninsula. The main race consists of three different runs, which are held on three sequential days (10+16,195+16=42,195 km). The first marathon was held in 1974.

Notable people

* Hannibal Sehested (1609–1666), Dano-Norwegian statesman and son-in-law of King

Christian IV Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years and 330 days is the longest in Scandinavian history. A member of the H ...

. *

Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen Faddey Faddeyevich Bellingshausen or Fabian Gottlieb Benjamin von Bellingshausen ( – ) was a Russian cartographer, explorer, and naval officer of Baltic German descent, who attained the rank of admiral. He participated in the first Russi ...

(1778–1852), leader of the second expedition to successfully cross the

Antarctic Circle The Antarctic Circle is the most southerly of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of Earth. The region south of this circle is known as the Antarctic, and the zone immediately to the north is called the Southern Temperate Zone. So ...

. * Louis Isadore Kahn (1901–1974), one of the most influential architects of mid-20th century. * Paul F. Saagpakk (1910–1996), author of the largest Estonian-English dictionary (published in 1982). *

Arnold Rüütel Arnold Rüütel (, 10 May 1928 – 31 December 2024) was an Estonian politician. He was the third President of Estonia from 8 October 2001 to 9 October 2006. Rüütel was the second president of the country after the end of the 1944–1991 Sovie ...

(1928–2024), politician, President of Estonia 2001–2006 *

Ott Tänak Ott Tänak (; born 15 October 1987) is an Estonian rally driver and the 2019 World Rally Champion. He is currently teamed with Martin Järveoja and is competing for Hyundai Motorsport in the World Rally Championship. Tänak achieved his maiden ...

(born 1987), rally driver

Gallery

File:Valjala maalinn 2.jpg, Ruins of 13th century Estonian

fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

File:Panga-pank.jpg, The cliffs near the village of

Panga The panga (''Pterogymnus laniarus''), or panga seabream is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. It is the only species in the monospecific genus ''Pterogymnus''. This spec ...

on the north coast of Saaremaa File:National clothes in Saare countyIMGP6244.JPG, Women in traditional Saaremaa dress performing a folk dance File:Kuressaare-linnus, 2010.jpg,

in winter File:Kuressaare-1.JPG, Historic buildings near the center of

File:Loode tammik Saaremaal.jpg, Saaremaa countryside File:Old farmhouse.JPG, Farmhouse in Järveküla File:TagalahtBayPanorama.jpg, Tagalaht Bay panorama File:Valjala kirik, 2007.jpg, Valjala Church File:Kihelkonna Mihkli kirik 2009.jpg, Kihelkonna St. Michael's Church File:Karja kirik Leisi vallas Saaremaal.jpg, Karja Church in the village of Linnaka File:Angla tuulikud Saaremaal.jpg, Angla windmills in

Leisi Parish Leisi Parish was a municipality in Saare County, Estonia. The parish did consist of one small borough Leisi and 53 villages. The municipality had a population of 2,137 (as of 1 January 2010) and covered an area of 347.91 km². During the a ...

File:Kiipsaare leaning lighthouse.jpg, Kiipsaare leaning lighthouse File:Sõrve tuletorn 2013.jpg, Lighthouse at

File:Ring fort.JPG, Kaarma ring fort File:Pidula veskioja 02.jpg, Odalätsi springs File:Hirved1.jpg, Red deer in winter near Leisi File:Nasva klubi-saaremaa-andres larin.jpg, Nasva Club

Notes

References

External links

VisitSaaremaa – Official Tourism page of Saaremaa and Muhu

Saaremaa

Saaremaa.org – #1 Saaremaa info portal

Saaremaa for tourists. Photos and stories.

Neomobile
provide local bus services across the island
Estonian Air
fly between Tallinn and Kuressaare
Watch Saaremaa online via webcam

Saaremaa

Estonica ''Estonica'' is a comprehensive encyclopaedia on topics relating to Estonia, particularly the culture and history of Estonia. The project has been developed by Estonian Institute since 2000. It is sponsored by, among others, Tiigrihüpe. Materi ...

{{Authority control Estonian islands in the Baltic Gulf of Riga Kreis Ösel Landforms of Saare County