Haapsalu Episcopal Castle

Haapsalu was the seat of the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, and the castle he built here in the thirteenth century still dominates the town - a long curtain wall enclosing a large grassy yard, with the cathedral standing intact inside it. It is a gentler ruin than most: the town has grown around it rather than away from it, and the yard functions as a park.

What you actually see

• The Dome Church - a severe single-nave cathedral of grey stone, one of the largest of its kind in the Baltics.
• The walls and watchtower - a circuit around the yard with a climb for the view over the bay.
• The bishop's buildings - outlines and foundations laid out around the church.
• The baptistery window - the round opening that in August throws the White Lady figure onto the inner wall.

When to go

The August full moon is the White Lady nights, with an outdoor concert and a very full town. May to September has the museum and tower open and the yard used for events. In winter the yard is open and the walls look their best under snow, but the interiors close down.

Honest expectations

The ghost effect depends on clear sky, the right date and being in the right spot - most years plenty of people go home having seen nothing. Treat the festival as the attraction and the shadow as a bonus.

The cathedral is unheated and the tower stair is steep and narrow.

Nearby

Haapsalu's wooden promenade, the old railway station with its long covered platform, and the Matsalu bird towers are all within a short drive. Ferries to Vormsi and Hiiumaa leave from Rohuküla nearby.