Introduction
Town in Estonia
This article is about the town with this name. For the administrative unit, see Haapsalu (urban municipality).
Town in Lääne, EstoniaHaapsaluTownView from Haapsalu CastleHaapsaluLocation within EstoniaShow map of EstoniaHaapsaluLocation within Baltic Sea regionShow map of Baltic SeaHaapsaluLocation within EuropeShow map of EuropeCoordinates: 58°56′22″N 23°32′27″E / 58.93944°N 23.54083°E / 58.93944; 23.54083Country EstoniaCounty LääneMunicipality HaapsaluTown rights1279Area[permanent dead link] • Total11.09 km2 (4.28 sq mi)Elevation10 m (33 ft)Population (2024)[permanent dead link] • Total9,812 • Rank14th • Density884.8/km2 (2,292/sq mi)Ethnicity (2021) • Estonians83.5% • Russians11.9% • other4.6%Time zoneUTC+2 (EET) • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)Postal code90503 to 90507Area code(+372) 047Vehicle registrationS
Haapsalu (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈhɑːpsɑlu]) is a seaside resort town located on the west coast of Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Lääne County, and on 1 January 2020 it had a population of 9,375.[permanent dead link]
History
[edit]
The name Haapsalu derives from the Estonian words haab 'aspen' and salu in the archaic sense '(forested) island' (now 'grove'). Until the first half of the 20th century, in Swedish and German the town was called Hapsal. Haapsalu and the surrounding area was the center for the Estonian Swedes from the 13th century until the evacuation of almost all ethnic Swedes from Estonia prior to the Soviet invasion of Estonia during World War II in 1944.[citation needed]
The first written record of Haapsalu dates back to 1279, when the town was chartered and became the capital of the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, which it remained for the following three centuries. Buildings from those early days remain today, including an episcopal castle, which has the largest single-nave church in Estonia.[citation needed]
Neighborhoods of Haapsalu
[edit]
There are six neighborhoods of Haapsalu:
Holmi
Kesklinn
Männiku
Paralepa
Randsalu
Vanalinn.
Healing by sea mud
[edit]
The sea mud in Haapsalu is claimed to have a curative effect. A military doctor, Carl Abraham Hunnius, founded the first mud cure resort in 1825. News of the "curative mud" spread quickly amongst the wealthy customers in then capital city Saint Petersburg, and elsewhere in the former Russian Empire. The mud spas were frequented by the Russian imperial Romanov family. For almost 200 years, Haapsalu has been a popular summer destination where people from all around the world come for medical treatment. At present, there are three "mud cure" establishments in Haapsalu.
Other attractions
[edit]
The Wonder Land of Ilon Wikland (Wiklandia), a recreation centre for children, is a attraction for the younger kids. Wikland, a famous book illustrator, has had a strong bond with Haapsalu since her childhood.
The August Blues Festival is held every year in August in Haapsalu.
Since 2005, the town hosts Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, an annual film festival dedicated to genre films. In 2017, the pastors of Haapsalu made an open statement calling to end the city's financing of the festival, claiming the horror and violence depicted in the screened films were not fit to represent the resort town image. The same year the festival was held to a record-breaking attendance.
Haapsalu is well-known for its summer festivals and as a resort town it hosts many: American Beauty Summer Meet, Italian Wine Party, August Blues, The White Lady Days, amongst others.
Demographics
[edit]
Ethnic composition 1922-2021
Ethnicity
1922
1934
1941
1959
1970
1979
1989
2000
2011
2021
amount
%
amount
%
amount
%
amount
%
amount
%
amount
%
amount
%
amount
%
amount
%
amount
%
Estonians
3597
84.9
4103
88.3
3580
94.5
6819
79.6
8417
73.3
9058
69.5
9704
66.4
9587
79.5
8404
82.0
8016
83.5
Russians
178
4.20
125
2.69
57
1.50
-
-
2220
19.3
2987
22.9
3726
25.5
1841
15.3
1427
13.9
1140
11.9
Ukrainians
-
-
0
0.00
-
-
-
-
296
2.58
441
3.38
547
3.74
287
2.38
181
1.77
127
1.32
Belarusians
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
99
0.86
186
1.43
233
1.59
97
0.80
61
0.60
58
0.60
Finns
-
-
5
0.11
6
0.16
-
-
62
0.54
81
0.62
77
0.53
64
0.53
57
0.56
60
0.63
Jews
9
0.21
5
0.11
0
0.00
-
-
23
0.20
20
0.15
12
0.08
5
0.04
4
0.04
3
0.03
Latvians
-
-
10
0.22
3
0.08
-
-
44
0.38
40
0.31
32
0.22
9
0.07
12
0.12
15
0.16
Germans
304
7.17
251
5.40
-
-
-
-
-
-
46
0.35
48
0.33
16
0.13
8
0.08
6
0.06
Tatars
-
-
0
0.00
-
-
-
-
-
-
38
0.29
38
0.26
15
0.12
10
0.10
11
0.11
Poles
-
-
11
0.24
11
0.29
-
-
-
-
21
0.16
18
0.12
9
0.07
4
0.04
7
0.07
Lithuanians
-
-
0
0.00
1
0.03
-
-
26
0.23
24
0.18
27
0.18
24
0.20
18
0.18
15
0.16
unknown
0
0.00
1
0.02
0
0.00
0
0.00
0
0.00
0
0.00
0
0.00
34
0.28
13
0.13
37
0.39
other
149
3.52
138
2.97
131
3.46
1748
20.4
296
2.58
93
0.71
155
1.06
66
0.55
52
0.51
101
1.05
Total
4237
100
4649
100
3789
100
8567
100
11483
100
13035
100
14617
100
12054
100
10251
100
9595
100.01
In popular culture
[edit]
Drone video of Haapsalu promenade, peninsula of Krimmi holm, Tagalaht and Haapsalu old town in June 2022
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1867 wrote a suite of three pieces for piano during his stay in Haapsalu, titled Souvenir de Hapsal.
In the 19th century, the town became famous for its "Haapsalu shawls", a delicate craft made by local women.
Haapsalu has sometimes been called the "Venice of the Baltics" — an apparent exaggeration used mostly to promote the resort town to foreign tourists.
Haapsalu is site of a fencing school founded by Estonian fencer Endel Nelis, used as the setting of the Finnish-Estonian film The Fencer.
Gallery
[edit]
Central square
Town centre
Haapsalu castle
Haapsalu kuursaal (resort hall)
Bay of Haapsalu Tagalaht
Former train station, notable for the length of its platform canopy.
Town Hall
Train station
Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene
A pavilion by the seaside promenade
View from the promenade
Jaani Lutheran church
Notable people
[edit]
Evert Horn (1585–1615), a Swedish field marshal and governor of Narva
Carl Henrik Wrangel (1681–1755), Field marshal in the Swedish Army
Prince Alexander Gorchakov (1798–1883), a Russian diplomat and statesman
Viktor von Maydell (1838–1898), a Baltic German railway engineer and politician and mayor of Reval, 1885 to 1894.
Anna Hedvig Büll (1887–1981), a missionary who saved the lives of several thousand Armenians
Cyrillus Kreek (1889–1962), an Estonian composer, died locally.
Viive Aamisepp (1936–2023), stage and film actress
Olev Laanjärv (born 1942), lawyer and politician, Minister of the Interior, 1990 to 1992
Andres Lipstok (born 1957), chairman of the Bank of Estonia, 2005-2012 & VP of the Estonian Olympic Committee 2004-2008.
Lauri Luik (born 1982), politician, member of the 11th, 12th and 13th Riigikogu
Sport[edit]
Nikolai Vekšin (1887–1951), sailor and team bronze medallist at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Nikolai Novosjolov (born 1980), épée fencer, and four-time Olympian competitor
Rimo Hunt (born 1985), footballer, played over 320 games plus 7 for Estonia
Katrina Lehis (born 1994), an épée fencer; at the 2020 Summer Olympics, won an individual bronze and a team gold medal
