Padise

• The medieval St Bernard’s Day is held once a year at Padise Monastery.
• Padise Manor is located next to the monastery; together, they form an important historical and architectural complex in Lääne-Harjumaa.
• A section of the Padise Health Trail is part of a lit circular route.
• The health and ski trails pass through a landscape dominated mainly by pine forest.

Padise Monastery is at the centre of several cultural offerings. Its permanent exhibition, “Südame ja mõistmisega”, is dedicated to the monastery itself and the significance of the Cistercians. It thus offers a thematic introduction to the history of the monastery and the order associated with the site.

The church hall is also part of the monastery’s cultural character: thanks to its good acoustics and distinctive atmosphere, it is valued as a concert venue. Together with the exhibition, it shows two different sides of the site—engagement with history and the use of the space for concerts. Following the completion of restoration work, the monastery reopened to visitors.

Padise Manor lies directly next to the monastery. Together, the manor house and monastery are considered one of the most important historical and architectural complexes in Lääne-Harjumaa. Guided tours of the area’s history are offered at the manor house. Visitors interested in historic buildings will find another way to explore the region’s past here, alongside the monastery.

Once a year, Padise Monastery hosts St Bernard’s Day, a medieval festival. The festival includes a market, workshops and activities for the whole family.

One example of the craft activities is the “Vahast metallini” workshop. Participants create a pendant, key ring or piece of jewellery from a beeswax model. The monastery also offers an educational programme for kindergarten and school groups, combining an introduction to the medieval monastery with educational workshops. The group programme and annual festival are different ways to engage with the site.

Padise’s health and ski trails pass through a varied landscape dominated mainly by pine forest. Part of the route runs along the banks of the Kloostri jõgi. Alongside the historic buildings, the forest and riverbanks are therefore key landscape features in their own right.

When planning distances, it is important to distinguish between a section and a loop: a 1.7-kilometre section of the Padise Health Trail forms part of a 3.4-kilometre lit circular route. The lights stay on every evening until 11 pm. When planning the loop, you can distinguish the length of the entire route from the length of the individual section. The stated lighting hours provide an additional specific point of reference for planning your day.

Padise Kastell Café is located in an old stable building. Its menu is based on Estonian culinary traditions and combines them with influences from international cuisine. The café thus complements the cultural and landscape attractions with a connection to regional cuisine.

When comparing accommodation, Padise can be considered a destination with a clear cultural focus and additional nature and cuisine themes. Think about whether, on your trip, you would most like to focus on the monastery and the area’s history, trails through the pine forest, or regional cuisine. Other destination pages for comparing accommodation are Vihterpalu, Hara, Maardu, Tallinn, Saue, Laagri, Saula and Charlottenhof.

What is included in St Bernard’s Day?

The medieval festival, held once a year at Padise Monastery, includes a market, workshops and activities for the whole family.

What can participants make in the “Vahast metallini” workshop?

They can make a pendant, key ring or piece of jewellery from a beeswax model.

How long is the lit circular route?

The circular route is 3.4 kilometres long. A 1.7-kilometre section of the health trail forms part of it; the lights stay on every evening until 11 pm.

For the wider travel overview: Harju.