Osmussaar Island

Osmussaar lies off the northwest tip of the Estonian mainland, a low island of about five square kilometres with limestone cliffs on the northern side and shingle and boulder shores elsewhere, part of the Baltic klint. Its geology includes Neugrund breccia, rock shattered by a meteorite impact in the Cambrian and thrown up here, exposed in the cliff. A Swedish-speaking community farmed the island from the medieval period and was evacuated in 1940 when the Soviet military took it; the village and the church stand in ruins, and gun emplacements and observation towers remain in the scrub. Nature protection now covers the whole island and there are no permanent residents.

What you actually see

• The limestone cliffs - the klint face on the northern shore.
• Meteorite breccia - the shattered rock thrown up by the Neugrund impact.
• The abandoned village - the ruined Swedish settlement and church.
• Military remains - the emplacements and towers in the scrub.

When to go

June to August, when boats run from Dirhami; there is no service outside the season and crossings cancel in wind. Bird migration in spring and autumn is notable but access is harder then.

Honest expectations

Boat crossings depend entirely on sea conditions and cancel often. There are no facilities, shelter or water on the island. Nature protection restricts movement in parts during the bird breeding season. Landing is on a rough jetty.

Nearby

Dirhami is the mainland harbour; Noarootsi lies south.