Naissaar Island

Naissaar lies about ten kilometres off Tallinn, some eighteen square kilometres of pine forest and sand, and its history is military: fortified from the eighteenth century, mined and gunned in both world wars, and used as a Soviet naval mine depot until 1993, which kept it closed and left the island covered in bunkers, batteries, rail lines and a mine store now open to visitors. A narrow-gauge railway laid to move ordnance still runs in part and carries visitors. The Swedish-speaking population that farmed and fished here left in 1944 and the villages are ruins. The forest has grown back over everything. Trails and the railway link the sites.

What you actually see

• The mine depot - the Soviet storage buildings open to visitors.
• Gun batteries and bunkers - the fortifications scattered through the forest.
• The narrow-gauge railway - the line still running across the island.
• Village ruins - the remains of the Swedish settlements.

When to go

June to August, when boats run regularly; services are reduced or absent outside summer. Day trips leave in the morning and return in the afternoon, so timing governs how much can be seen. Bicycles help cover the distances.

Honest expectations

Boat schedules are limited and weather-dependent. The island is large and walking between sites takes hours; bicycles or the railway are effectively necessary. Some structures are unstable and unlit. Facilities are minimal with one small cafe in season.

Nearby

Tallinn lies south across the bay; Aegna is east.