Viidumäe Nature Reserve

Western Estonia & the Islands

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Founded in 1957, this reserve covers an area of 26 sq km, with a 26m observation tower at Saaremaa’s highest point, Raunamägi (a vertigo-inducing 54m). The tower (about 2km along a dirt road north of Viidu) offers panoramic views of the forest and the contours of western Saaremaa, particularly memorable at sunset. There are also three short nature trails leaving from the Viidumäe Nature Centre (just beyond the tower), highlighting the different habitats of the area.

Viidumäe is a botanical reserve, its favourable climate and conditions making it home to rare plant species. You can see a small exhibition on the subject at the Nature Centre.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Kuressaare Episcopal Castle

    Kuressaare Episcopal Castle

    14.26 MILES

    Majestic Kuressaare Castle stands facing the sea at the southern end of the town, on an artificial island defended by stone-faced earth bastions and…

  • St Nicholas' Orthodox Church

    St Nicholas' Orthodox Church

    14.32 MILES

    Built by Catherine the Great in 1790, Saaremaa's oldest Orthodox church has twin steeples and an impressive dolomite and wrought-iron gate. A faint image…

  • Saaremaa Museum

    Saaremaa Museum

    14.25 MILES

    Occupying the keep of Kuressaare Castle since the late 19th century, this museum is devoted to Saaremaa’s nature and history. A large part of the fun is…

  • Angla Windmill Hill

    Angla Windmill Hill

    26.87 MILES

    Charge up those camera batteries: this is the site of the largest and most photogenic grouping of wooden windmills on the islands. By the early 16th…

  • Kaali Crater

    Kaali Crater

    21.34 MILES

    Estonia has one of the world’s highest concentrations of documented meteor craters. At Kaali, 18km north of Kuressaare, is a 100m-wide, 22m-deep,…

  • St Catherine's Lutheran Church, Karja

    St Catherine's Lutheran Church, Karja

    27.74 MILES

    The pagan and Christian meet in this fortress-like 14th-century church. Outside there’s an interesting panel about pre-Christian symbols with particular…

  • Tagamõisa Peninsula

    Tagamõisa Peninsula

    15.54 MILES

    Much of the beautiful and rarely visited western coast of the Tagamõisa Peninsula is protected as part of Vilsandi National Park, including the Harilaid…

  • St Michael’s Lutheran Church

    St Michael’s Lutheran Church

    4.91 MILES

    Kihelkonna's tall, austere, early-German church dates from before 1280. It’s dark and gloomy inside, partly due to the wooden supports holding up the roof…

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Nearby Western Estonia & the Islands attractions

1. Mihkli Farm Museum

3.67 MILES

In a pretty setting southeast of Kihelkonna, this early-18th-century farm has been preserved in its entirety, complete with thatched-roof wooden…

2. St Michael’s Lutheran Church

4.91 MILES

Kihelkonna's tall, austere, early-German church dates from before 1280. It’s dark and gloomy inside, partly due to the wooden supports holding up the roof…

3. Tehumardi Night Battle Monument

10.08 MILES

On the night of 8 October 1944 a gruesome battle took place in the coastal village of Tehumardi between retreating German troops and a Soviet Estonian…

4. Suur Töll & Piret

14.02 MILES

Kuressaare's jauntiest statue, created in 2002, features Saaremaa's legendary gigantic hero, Suur (meaning 'the great') Töll and his wife, Piret, carrying…

5. Kuressaare Beach

14.19 MILES

Although the best beaches are out of town, this small sandy bay behind Kuressaare Castle fills up with sunbathers, paddlers and volleyball players during…

6. Saaremaa Museum

14.25 MILES

Occupying the keep of Kuressaare Castle since the late 19th century, this museum is devoted to Saaremaa’s nature and history. A large part of the fun is…

7. Kuressaare Episcopal Castle

14.26 MILES

Majestic Kuressaare Castle stands facing the sea at the southern end of the town, on an artificial island defended by stone-faced earth bastions and…

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