Kuressaare is a quiet coastal town in Estonia, set on Saaremaa island. Known for its maritime atmosphere and historic streets, it makes a handy base for seeing Saaremaa and nearby islets.
For history, Kuressaare Castle is the standout: a well-preserved medieval bishop’s castle on Saaremaa island that houses Saaremaa’s main historical museum. For distinctive island landscapes, the Kaali crater is a meteorite impact crater group on Saaremaa that adds a geological stop to your visit. Nature outings are close at hand too, including Mullutu-Suurlaht, a shallow coastal lagoon near Saaremaa with birdlife, and Karujärv, a freshwater lake in Saaremaa, Estonia. To get a feel for the surrounding archipelago, Abruka is a small Estonian island with an old oak forest nature reserve.
