Discover Mustjala: Churches, Music and History

Cultural stops in Mustjala include two churches with different building histories, music and singing traditions, as well as the Mustjala Käsitöösahvri summer café with handicraft shop directly next to St. Anna Church.

The present building of Mustjala St. Anna Church was erected in 1863. The present Mustjala Church of the Prophet Elijah was completed in 1873. Its appearance is particularly distinctive: it is a cross-domed stone building with a central domed tower and four smaller corner towers. Mustjala therefore represents two different ecclesiastical building histories, which can be clearly distinguished during a culturally oriented stay.

A specific stop illustrating the connection between local culture and handicrafts is the Mustjala Käsitöösahvri summer café with handicraft shop. It is located on the northern coast of Saaremaa in the village of Mustjala, directly next to St. Anna Church. The café is directly next to St. Anna Church and can therefore be considered a thematically suitable stop.

The history of Mustjala St. Anna Church goes back further than the present building. It originated with a chapel built in 1605 near Mustjala Manor (Mustelhof). In 1646, this chapel became the church of the independent parish of Mustjala. The term parish here refers to a historical ecclesiastical administrative unit; this explains why Mustjala appears not only as an individual settlement but also as a region with its own character.

The Mustjala Church of the Prophet Elijah adds an Orthodox perspective to this historical focus. Its construction and distinctive form clearly set it apart from St. Anna Church. Those interested in regional ecclesiastical architecture will therefore find not just one historic building but several distinct themes: the development of the parish, different denominational traditions and the striking design of a cross-domed stone building.

Mustjala Church has an organ built by Gustav Terkmann in 1903 and a new altarpiece created by Rudolf Sepp in 1938. These two details complement the church’s architectural history with aspects of music and furnishings.

The older cultural history of the historic parish of Mustjala is also strongly marked by music. The tradition of competitive singing continued until the 1960s. In addition, the historic parish was particularly rich in Estonian Regilaul folk songs. Regilaul refers to a traditional Estonian form of folk singing. In Mustjala, this form of singing is part of the region’s cultural history.

In Mustjala, these themes can be combined in a manageable cultural selection without artificially linking individual sights. St. Anna Church represents the long development from a chapel site to an independent parish, while the Church of the Prophet Elijah represents its own Orthodox building and community history. The café with handicraft shop complements these religious and historical themes with local handicrafts.

For a specific service time of the Mustjala Anna congregation: services are held on Sundays at 3 p.m., alternating between its church, the vicarage and the Mustjala guesthouse. For further options in the same destination area, you can also compare Salme, Rannaküla, Haeska, Kuralase, Metsaääre, Siiksaare and Haapsu; an additional listing is Panga.

Since when has the Mustjala Music Festival been held?

The Mustjala Music Festival has been held since 1995. It presents classical music and jazz with Estonian and international guest artists.

When was the Orthodox congregation of Mustjala Prophet Elijah opened?

The Orthodox congregation of Mustjala Prophet Elijah was opened on 24 October 1848 for Estonian Orthodox believers.

To whom is Mustjala Church in Saaremaa dedicated?

Mustjala Church in Saaremaa is dedicated to the Prophet Elijah.

To the main travel overview: Saaremaa.