Koguva Village

Koguva is a fishing and farming village at the western tip of Muhu whose layout and buildings survived largely unaltered, with farmyards enclosed by drystone limestone walls, wooden dwellings and outbuildings under thatch and reed, and lanes running between the walls. Around a hundred buildings are protected. The village was the home of Juhan Smuul, the Estonian writer, and his family farm Tooma is the core of the Muhu Museum, with the house, barns, and displays on island life, textiles and the local costume. Other farmyards remain in private use. The whole village is a conservation area, and it is the standard stop for anyone who does pause on Muhu.

What you actually see

• The stone-walled farmyards - the limestone enclosures around each holding.
• Thatched buildings - the reed and straw roofs of the houses and barns.
• Tooma farm museum - the Smuul family farm and its displays.
• Muhu textiles - the embroidery and costume collections.

When to go

May to September when the museum is open; winter hours are very limited or closed. Midsummer is busiest. Morning light suits the stone walls and thatch.

Honest expectations

Only the museum farm is open; the rest of the village is private and residents live there. The museum keeps seasonal hours and closes for much of the winter. Signage is limited outside the museum. The village is small and takes two hours.

Nearby

Liiva is the island centre; Saaremaa lies across the causeway.