About 10,000 years ago, continental glaciers transported erratic boulders from Finland and Sweden to Käsmu. The erratic boulder field there is considered the largest in Northern Europe. This landscape history meets the history of a fishing settlement and the town’s maritime past.

The lake and trails around Käsmu

Lake Käsmu is one of the largest lakes in Lahemaa National Park. It became separated from the sea about 1,500 years ago. Its water is comparatively clean; plants that grow there include the rare sharp-leaved water-pepper. The lake lies along a hiking and cycling trail from Käsmu and is considered a unique natural and cultural heritage site. It is also among the attractions listed on the 15-kilometre Käsmu hiking trail.

Non-motorised watercraft are permitted on Lake Käsmu. As the rules for using the water may change, it is best to check them before setting out. This helps you distinguish planning a trip on the water from routes on land, for which specific distances and markings are provided.

The 4.2-kilometre Käsmu Nature and Cultural History Trail starts at the cemetery and chapel. The trail can be reached via the Tallinn–Narva road, the Liiapeksi–Loksa, Võsu–Kotka and Haljala–Käsmu roads, and Neeme tee. Another way to get your bearings is the 15-kilometre Käsmu hiking trail, which is signposted with direction markers and coloured blazes on the trees. These two distances give you a specific way to choose between a shorter and a longer hike.

The Käsmu hiking and cycling route starts at the chapel, goes around the peninsula and returns to the starting point. The Käsmu cycling route is listed as having options of 11.6 or 16 kilometres. This gives you different activity and distance details to consider when choosing a route, without implying a walking or cycling time from the distances.

Traces of maritime history

The first records of Käsmu as a fishing settlement date from 1453. The Käsmu School of Navigation later operated from 1884 to 1931. The nearby lighthouse was built in 1892 and is one of two surviving wooden lighthouses in Estonia. Together, these dates trace the story from the earliest record of the fishing settlement, through the school, to the construction of the lighthouse.

The cemetery and chapel are also landmarks along the 4.2-kilometre trail. The cemetery is protected as a historical and architectural monument. Käsmu Chapel was built in 1863 as a wooden chapel with money raised by the villagers. It houses one of Estonia’s oldest organs, probably built by Johann Andreas Stein in the late 18th century.

Since 1993, the Käsmu Sea Museum has been housed in a former Tsarist border guard building and has presented the history of the captain’s village of Käsmu. Its exhibition topics include seafaring, fishing and smuggling, as well as the sea as part of nature, photography and visual art. Maritime history, culture and nature come together in Käsmu, from the erratic boulder field and lake to the historic sites along the trails.

Discover more destinations: Käsmu, Tamsalu, Vihula, Väike-Maarja, Haljala Parish, Sagadi, Kunda linn, Vainupea

For the broader travel overview: Lääne-Viru.