ICT Kuressaare Virtsu

Sunday, June 16:

For today, we have only planned a short distance to allow enough time for Kuressaare, formerly known as Arensburg. The first route takes us through secluded parts of the island with forests and meadows, partly along the coast. After 40 km, we reach Tehumardi. There and on the subsequent peninsula of Sörve, a devastating battle took place between the Wehrmacht and the Red Army in November 1944. The Supreme Army Command had ordered the defense of this militarily insignificant place, which cost the lives of many soldiers on both sides. By the way, a general did resist this madness and withdrew his division.

We are now not far from Kuressaare. Just outside, we find a campsite where we set up our tent while battling mosquitoes. Particularly impressive in Kuressaare is the Arensburg, built in 1380 by the Teutonic Order. There, you will find the Museum of the History of the Island, which occupies almost all rooms of the castle in a somewhat antiquated presentation. The advantage of this is that you can explore the castle on your own. There are more tourists here, which is also due to the magnificent buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries and the spa opportunities. In the evening, we enjoy fish and wine in the spa house with a view of the castle.

At the campsite, we meet two young women who are on their way from Klaipeda to Tallinn, as well as a young couple who started in Bamberg and want to travel to Vietnam via Russia, Mongolia, and China. They have taken a year for this journey.

Monday, June 17:

With perfect cycling weather, we set off and when we are on the right track after two small detours, we make good progress with a light tailwind. Today it is only flat and there is nothing to see except for a lot of green until Oressaare. The attraction there is a large oak tree in the middle of the soccer field. The Russians couldn't remove the oak during construction. The field is now ideal for advancing the game on the wings.

We reach Muhu via a dam, the third largest island in Estonia. There is also a lot of nature and few people there. In just under 30 minutes, the ferry takes us back to the mainland. We soon reach our beautiful accommodation, where we even get a dinner like in the school cafeteria.