Viimsi between coast, culture and islands

The Viimsi Open Air Museum essentially consists of the 150-year-old Kingu coastal farm complex and is protected as a national cultural monument.

Next to the museum is a farmers' market. Estonian food products and fresh fish are sold there; the market is open year-round on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The municipality of Viimsi vald contains five state-protected natural sites covering a total area of approximately 2,325 hectares: the Prangli hoiuala, the Prangli maastikukaitseala, Naissaar Nature Park, the park of Viimsi Manor and the Haabneeme black alder grove. There are also eight locally protected landscape areas covering a total of 1,628 hectares; Viimsi vald is responsible for their management.

Haabneeme Beach is a sandy bathing beach with clean, warm water. It has lifeguards, bicycle racks, beach cabins, sun loungers, toilets and two beach volleyball courts.

Which cultural sites characterize Viimsi?

The Estonian War Museum is housed in Viimsi Manor, which belonged to General Johan Laidoner, commander-in-chief of the Estonian War of Independence. The permanent exhibition takes visitors through the wars in which Estonia and Estonians were involved – from prehistory to the foreign deployments of the Estonian armed forces. The Heavy Artillery Hall also contains an exhibition about the eleven-year deployment of the Estonian armed forces in Afghanistan.

The Viimsi Open Air Museum houses the exhibition “Spirit Carriers and Smugglers” in an underground cellar at the threshing barn. Lighthouse Alley displays true-to-scale replicas of seven Estonian lighthouses. The “May There Always Be Bread!” programme includes autumn fieldwork and bread baking.

The Estonian War Museum can organize guided tours of military history sites on the Viimsi Peninsula. Randvere St. Peter's Church was built between 1848 and 1852; the cemetery was established in 1803. The Museum of Coastal Folk is housed in an old schoolhouse and collects objects connected with the lives and activities of coastal communities – from fishing hooks to boats.

What nature experiences can be planned?

The RMK Viimsi Visitor Center is located in a renovated cowshed dating from the manor period. It houses the permanent exhibition “Metsas on väge!” – “There is strength in the forest!”

The Tädu Nature Trail is 3.1 kilometers long, lies within the Mäealuse Landscape Protection Area and provides information about forest inhabitants and natural phenomena. At the end of the trail there is a fire pit where visitors can make a fire and have a picnic. At a leisurely pace, the trail takes approximately 1.5 hours.

Due to its permanent population, Viimsi vald provides transport connections to the islands of Prangli and Naissaar. The Naissaar Visitor Center offers rides on the historic narrow-gauge railway, excursions and hikes.

On Naissaar, the 7-kilometer-long North Trail, also known as the Military Trail, runs along the coast. Military history sites along the trail include Estonian Battery No. 5 and Batteries 10A and 10B. The trail also features 10 information boards.

The Prangli hiking and sauna tour passes through fishing villages and pine forests and leads to sandy beaches, ending with a sauna session by the sea.

What facilities are available at the Museum of Coastal Folk and Atlantis H2O Aquapark?

The Museum of Coastal Folk has a maritime-themed playroom. Atlantis H2O Aquapark has a wave pool, a lazy river and eight slides; the longest is over 120 meters long.

Äigrumäe, Rohuneeme, Kelnase, Naissaare, Lääneotsa, Randvere, Muuga and Viimsi.

FAQ

How do you get to the RMK Viimsi Visitor Center by bus?

Bus 114 runs directly from central Tallinn to the RMK Viimsi Visitor Center, stopping at “Meremärgi”. Alternatively, you can take bus 1A to “Viimsi keskus” and then continue on foot or by local bus V1 to “Meremärgi”.

How far is it from the bus stop to the Tädu Nature Trail?

The Tädu Nature Trail can be reached by various buses to the “Tädu kuusk” stop. From there, it is approximately 100 meters to the start of the trail.

What should you plan for a trip to Naissaar?

Naissaar can only be reached by sea; the crossing from the mainland takes approximately one hour. On the island, people mainly travel by large trucks and on foot along forest tracks and sandy paths, as there are no paved roads there.

To the higher-level travel overview: Harju.