Kuressaare, Saaremaa island, Estonia
Saaremaa is the 4th largest island in the Baltic Sea and largest island in Estonia, measuring over 1000 square miles. It is located in the Baltic Sea, south of the island of Hiiumaa.
Kuressaare is a town and a municipality on Saaremaa island and it is the capital of Saare County and the westernmost town in Estonia. The population, according to the 2011 census, was 13,166.
The earliest record of Kuressaare is a document written in 1381 that mentions that the town housed the fortified residency of a local Catholic bishop and that it was the main centre for the islands of west Estonia.
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 Saaremaa island, and linn which means town.
Eventually, the town's name was shortened to Kuressaare and it became official in 1918 after Estonia had declared its independence from Russia.
Under the rule of the former Soviet Union the town was renamed Kingissepa in 1952 but the name name Kuressaare was restored in 1990.
The medieval episcopal Kuressaare Castle today houses the Saaremaa Regional Museum. The castle was originally built in wood between 1338 and 1380, although other sources claim a fortress was first built in Kuressaare as early as 1260.
Date: 12th May 2016
Location: Kuressaare Castle, Kuressaare, Saaremaa island, Estonia
Kuressaare is a town and a municipality on Saaremaa island and it is the capital of Saare County and the westernmost town in Estonia. The population, according to the 2011 census, was 13,166.
The earliest record of Kuressaare is a document written in 1381 that mentions that the town housed the fortified residency of a local Catholic bishop and that it was the main centre for the islands of west Estonia.
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 Saaremaa island, and linn which means town.
Eventually, the town's name was shortened to Kuressaare and it became official in 1918 after Estonia had declared its independence from Russia.
Under the rule of the former Soviet Union the town was renamed Kingissepa in 1952 but the name name Kuressaare was restored in 1990.
The medieval episcopal Kuressaare Castle today houses the Saaremaa Regional Museum. The castle was originally built in wood between 1338 and 1380, although other sources claim a fortress was first built in Kuressaare as early as 1260.
Date: 12th May 2016
Location: Kuressaare Castle, Kuressaare, Saaremaa island, Estonia
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Also in: Estonia
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