Hiiumaa: strange, wild and relaxing

Some years ago our family decided to follow our best friends and go for holidays in a little Estonian island called Hiiumaa. We have been going there for over 5 years now, so we come to love the little place and going to a cabin with no wifi, surrounded by forests next to the sea, which is so clear and sometimes full of pink jellyfish... It became our little get-away, our little shangri-las, with no people unless you drive into the city, with your thoughts, with your books, you and the nature.

Actually the nature is so close here, during one thunderstorm, a bat flew into our cabin. Can you imagine how terrifying it was when thunder is roaring and something is clasping wings under your bed? In the morning we saw that it's just a small bat, my sister named him Lupe. In the evening we set him free. Also, we would always hear owls in the woods and we saw eagles, deer and bears.

But it's not only nature that we started to love. First of all it's the ride with the ferry. Feeling the sea breeze on your face, looking at the waters and seeing the land go away and appear in front.

Soon after you reach the land and start driving the (most probably) empty road you will reach Kardla, the island's capital. Now this capital is in my memory for one thing: coffee. Yes, you read it right. The town even has a legend that a meteor hit it and formed it like a coffee cup. But that's not all, they even have a cafe festival every year (which I attend every year of course) where fifteen cafes have different themes. You get a map with those cafes and events (it would be more helpful if it would be not only in Estonian) and of you go on you coffee hunt. (if you want more info go to http://xn--kohvikutepev-pcb.ee/en/)

Now in this cafe festival there always is one cafe that I absolutely adore (and it works not only during festival for which I am so grateful). They always have very helpful waiters (one of them according to my parents is my boyfriend..seriously...the things my parents make up...), great coffee and chocolate pie. Oh dear gods of sweets, the chocolate pie! If you want to experience that, the cafe is called Gahwa.


What else you should check out?

If you are a panorama addict like me, then lighthouses.

Kopu lighthouse 

was built in 1531 and is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world, so it's really worth a visit.
You might get a little claustrophobic while climbing the stairs as the ceilings are really low and the stairs are very steep.

Tahkuna lighthouse 

is the tallest lighthouse in the island and actually it was mixed up with Ristna's lighthouse (how can you build the wrong lighthouse??).
It stands next to the memorial for sunken ship "Estonia" (the one with the bell).
We used to live 5km from this lighthouse, so me and my sister decided to walk there and buy ice cream. Sadly, when we reached it, the kiosk girl told us that they were out of ice cream. Oh well.

Ristna lighthouse 

was built by the same guy who designed Eiffel tower. Yes, you heard me correctly, the Eiffel tower.
It has very narrow passage way, so you have to nearly squeeze yourself in the wall to let people pass.
You can climb right next to the light.






But Hiiumaa is not only for relaxation. If you are a fan of windsurfing, this is the place to go, they even have a place called "Surfer's Paradise" where are the perfect conditions for windsurfing.

They also have museums for history people and abandoned and haunted places for adventure hungry people. Ah, there's some more weird places I have to tell about. One of them is

The Cross Hill.

Yes, it is that creepy as it looks.
It is a tradition to go there and make a cross for you and your loved ones and if you make a cross and leave it there, you will find true love.

Random piles of boulders. Nobody knows how they got there. There's some myth that the Devil was trying to throw them at the church and tear it down. Well...he missed. By a long shot.

I just think that people from the past trolled us.

Saare tirp 

or the Tongue as we call it. So there were giants living in Hiiumaa and they wanted to reach another island called Saaremaa so they started building a road in the sea. The cool part is, the more you go, the more you think it will never end and the more it seems cooler, because there you have a path in front of you and if you go a step right or left from it you will slip into deep sea.


The thing is there are a lot of weird stuff there. You might take a wrong turn and end up in a swamp or in some ancient burial place or a town that is not on the map or you might find the perfect beach. That's just how this island is. It's wild and raw but on the other hand it's so relaxing and calm. That's why I keep going there. Cause you never know what you might find next year.