Ninase
Accommodation in Ninase
Ninase combines a striking cliff landscape with nature observation, commemorative culture, and a distinctive village tradition.
Key facts about Ninase
The Tagaranna or Ninase Cliff has a second, more inland-lying step made of Jaagarahu dolomite. Inland, the Ninase Peninsula reaches an elevation of up to 19 m. The historical character of the area includes a memorial on the cliff and Coastal Defence Battery No. 317.
How do the cliff, rock step, and tower location differ?
The second step is not at the actual cliff edge, but farther inland. Jaagarahu dolomite refers to the type of rock forming this step. The Ninase nature observation tower stands near the parking area at the cliff and therefore has a different spatial relation to the set-back rock step. The elevation figure is also geographically limited: the up to 19 m refers to the inland area of the Ninase Peninsula.
Which memorial sites are associated with Ninase?
A memorial on the Ninase Cliff commemorates the sinking of the ferry “Estonia”. Ninase Battery No. 317 is a 180 mm coastal defence installation and is considered one of the best-preserved World War II monuments on Saaremaa.
The two sites represent different historical contexts. The Estonia memorial commemorates a ferry disaster, while the battery relates to the history of coastal defence during World War II. The site therefore brings together civilian remembrance and military history, although the two monuments do not commemorate the same event.
What do Piret and Tõll tell us about the village tradition?
The figures Piret and Tõll stand in the village of Ninase and are also called Eit and Taat. These names refer to the same figures, not to two additional people. They were converted from former dilapidated post mills. A post mill is a windmill whose mill body stands on a trestle.
Two of the three former dilapidated post mills in Ninase were converted into figures in folk costumes in the 1970s. They were originally given the names Piret and Tõll. The historic repurposing of the mills is therefore directly part of Ninase’s documented village tradition.
Piret is also associated with a tradition: Before getting married, young women place a stone bearing their maiden name under Piret’s skirt. This is said to bring good luck in marriage later on. The custom relates to the period before marriage and is presented as a traditional belief, not as a guaranteed effect.
FAQ
What type of rock does the second step consist of?
The second, more inland-lying step of the Tagaranna or Ninase Cliff consists of Jaagarahu dolomite.
Where is the Ninase nature observation tower located?
The nature observation tower stands near the parking area at the cliff.
Are Eit and Taat figures different from Piret and Tõll?
No. Eit and Taat are additional names for Piret and Tõll and refer to the same figures in the village of Ninase.
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