Photogallery of Kuressaare, Estonia

Estonia is a marvelous country that has not one but two capitals. Tallinn is the main capital of Estonia, but right now we are going to tell you about the other capital, the city of Kuressaare that has been a major city in the country for many centuries. It is situated on the picturesque island of Saaremaa. Because of such a location, the city has been the “island capital” of Estonia for a long time. An interesting fact: there are no other nearby cities on this small strip of land. Tourists from all over the world try to visit this place, see the island city with their own eyes and learn more about its unique heritage. In the past, there were wooden buildings and a market on the site of modern Kuressaare. A castle was built on the island in the 80s of the 14th century. This castle became a bishop's residence. A settlement started slowly growing around the castle. The Dutch kingdom captured the castle two hundred years later. Kuressaare officially became a town in 1563. Starting from 1645, Swedish rulers owned the town for six years. At that time, the Germans, Dutch, and Swedes made up the majority of the island’s population. However, Sweden lost this territory in 1721, and the island became a part of the Russian Empire. During the Russian reign, Kuressaare increased its importance. The island city started developing rapidly. This is when a large resort was established in Kuressaare. It quickly became popular with Russian nobles. In 1918, Kuressaare joined a … Read further