Haapsalu

• By admin
• July 29, 2016
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We decided to spend a day or two in Haapsalu, one of Estonia’s premier seaside resorts. We drove via Padilski; a former Soviet naval base and once one of the busiest ports in the Russian Empire. Established in 1718 by Peter the Great and abandoned by the soviets in 1994, a collection of derelict buildings which at one point housed the 16,000 personal; an insight into the military might required to prop up the old iron curtain.

The countryside was rural, undulating and very peaceful, one could have been in the Cotswolds. The campsite in Haapsala, set in the forest outside of the town, was interesting with semi open showers, with a series of curtains to provide minimal privacy, okay for less shy campers, but the showers were hot with good pressure and as I could not understand any comments that may have been made it was okay. In the morning we cycled into the town where a bustling market selling local produce was in full swing. We bought heaps of strawberries and broad beans returning them to the van before spending the day on the ‘small’ beach (as opposed to the ‘large’ beach) as it is shown on the map.  The next day we cycled around the 13^th century town and the very much more modern promenade, sitting briefly on Tchaikovsky’s bench; the composer apparently enjoyed spending time in the town. The town also has an impressive railway station built in 1907 and now home to the Estonian Railway Museum we rounded off the day with a late lunch before heading back to pack up the van for the move to Latvia.