At Vabrikuväljak, Kärdla’s industrial history comes to life: the square formed the heart of the cloth factory founded in 1830. A preserved wool warehouse at the harbour is another reminder of the town’s textile history. The museum, church and cemetery complete the historical picture; the town park, beach and hiking trail reveal other sides of the town. This gives you a choice of cultural history, coastal scenery and time outdoors for your stay.
Cloth Factory, Museum and Town History
The Ungern-Sternberg barons founded a cloth factory in Kärdla in 1830. Today’s Vabrikuväljak lay at the centre of the factory complex at the time. Since 1982, a monument to the factory, designed by Mati Karmin, has stood in the middle of the square. A wool warehouse was built at the harbour in Kärdla in 1849. It was used to store large bales of wool from Australia and New Zealand; the building has been preserved.
Since 1998, Pikk Maja has been the main building of the Hiiumaa Museum. The museum offers a workshop on making pulmatuti wedding decorations, available by advance booking. Kärdla Church is also part of the town’s history: it was built in 1863 and is dedicated to John the Baptist. Its open bell tower is considered unique in Estonia.
Many former workers, master craftsmen and officials of the cloth factory are buried in Kärdla Cemetery. Among them is the factory’s first director, Baron Robert Eginhard von Ungern-Sternberg. The graves of the crew members and captain of the brig “Ellen” are also in the same cemetery. The ship was wrecked in a storm on 6 May 1884. Another date in the town’s cultural history is 1926, when Hiiumaa’s first general song festival was held in Kärdla.
Town Park, Hiking Trail and Beach
Kärdla Town Park covers 5.2 hectares and was first laid out in the 1860s. The Kärdla hiking trail passes through various forest communities and around small areas of bog. Four boardwalks help visitors cross ditches. At a leisurely pace, the trail takes about an hour. The park and trail offer different ways to spend time outdoors: in a town park or along a route through forest and bog landscapes.
Kärdla’s swimming beach is shallow and gently sloping, with a sandy seabed. On the beach, the protected Kärdla rannakivi erratic boulder bears water-level markings dated 1893 and 1967. A protected 4.3-hectare beach park lies in the southern part of the beach. The beach profile, marked erratic boulder and park each give the coastal landscape its own distinctive feature.
Culture and Practical Information
Concerts, theatre performances and other events take place at the Kärdla Cultural Centre. If a particular event date matters for your trip, check the programme for your travel dates. The Kärdla power plant complex lies on the banks of the Nuutri River and can be viewed from the outside by anyone interested. Check the current conditions on site before your visit.
The Hiiumaa Tourist Information Centre provides information about sights, accommodation, restaurants and cafés, active holiday opportunities, cultural events and transport. A regional bus runs from the Kärdla bus station to the airport before flights. As bus times may be coordinated with flight schedules, check the connection that suits your travel date.
Discover more destinations: Emmaste, Jõeranna, Tubala, Orjaku, Kassari Village.
For the overview of the wider region: Hiiumaa.
