Hiiumaa County Travel Guide

One of the oldest lighthouses still in operation in the world — built in 1531, it has guided ships through the treacherous Hiiumaa shoals for nearly 500 years. The tower rises 36 metres from a hilltop surrounded by ancient pine forest. Climb to the top for 360-degree views across the Baltic and, on clear days, the Estonian mainland. The drive through Hiiumaa's pine and juniper landscape to reach it is half the experience.

A shallow bay with extensive reed beds that serves as one of the most important waterbird habitats in Estonia. Brent geese, barnacle geese, and thousands of waders stop here during spring and autumn migration. The observation tower at Käina gives views across the lagoon to the tiny island of Kassari. The Käina Bay Loop trail is 8 km through coastal meadows and reed edges.

Hiiumaa's prettiest corner — a slender peninsula-island connected by a causeway, covered in ancient juniper heathland that is among the finest in Europe. The medieval chapel ruins at Kassari stand in a grove of gnarled junipers above the bay. The tip of the peninsula has one of the best views anywhere in Estonia: two bays visible simultaneously, the sea perfectly still.

Estonia's northernmost lighthouse on Hiiumaa — a slender cast-iron tower built in 1875 that still flashes its warning over the North Estonian coast. Nearby, the 1994 Estonia ferry disaster memorial is a powerful and moving installation: a bell tower that chimes when the wind blows, dedicated to the 852 victims. The beach below the lighthouse is wild and usually completely empty.

The westernmost point of Hiiumaa — a remote cape where the open Baltic stretches to the horizon without another landmass in sight. The red-and-white striped lighthouse was built in 1874 and is still operational. The coast here is raw and elemental: smooth limestone slabs at the water's edge, sea buckthorn thickets, and constant wind. One of the most isolated places in Estonia.

Hiiumaa's small and quietly charming capital — a cluster of wooden 19th-century buildings around a central square. The town was built around a cotton mill and has an unhurried pace that feels entirely separate from mainland Estonia. The Friday market sells local produce, smoked fish, handmade crafts, and juniper berry preserves. The Hiiumaa Museum in the old power station explains the island's history.

A tiny working fishing harbour on the south coast with a genuine local smokehouse that produces some of the best smoked sprat and eel in Estonia. The harbour wall looks across Käina Bay toward the mainland. Fishing boats come and go throughout the day; if you time it right you can buy direct from the boat. The landscape here — flat meadows meeting the sea — is classic Hiiumaa.