Discover Kärdla: Textile factory history and the coast

Kärdla brings together textile history, cultural sites and coastal landscapes. As you plan your trip, choose from traces of the former textile factory, a museum, historic buildings, a beach and a hiking trail.

Textile history and cultural sites

Kärdla’s textile factory history is connected with several specific places. In 1830, the Barons Ungern-Sternberg founded a textile factory in Kärdla; today’s Vabrikuväljak was the centre of the factory complex. In the middle of the square, a monument to the textile factory, designed by Mati Karmin, has stood since 1982. A wool warehouse that still stands was built at the harbour in 1849 to store large bales of wool from Australia and New Zealand.

Since 1998, Pikk Maja has been the main building of the Hiiumaa Museum. The museum offers a workshop on making Pulmatuti wedding decorations, which can be booked in advance. Kärdla Church was built in 1863 and dedicated to John the Baptist. Its open bell tower is considered unique in Estonia.

Many former textile factory workers, foremen and officials are buried in the cemetery, including its first director, Baron Robert Eginhard von Ungern-Sternberg. The graves of the crew members and captain of the brig “Ellen”, which was wrecked in a storm on 6 May 1884, are also located there. Hiiumaa’s first general song festival was held in Kärdla in 1926.

Beach, parks and hiking trail

Kärdla’s swimming beach is shallow and gently sloping, with a sandy seabed. A protected 4.3-hectare beach park lies at the southern end of the beach. At the beach, the protected Kärdla rannakivi bears water-level markings dated 1893 and 1967. The town park is a separate point of interest: it 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 cross ditches along the way. The trail takes about an hour at a relaxed pace. This approximate duration can help you fit the route into your day’s plans.

Events and visitor information

Concerts, theatre performances and other events take place at the Kärdla Cultural Centre. Individual dates may change, so check the event listings if a particular programme is important to your trip.

A regional bus runs from the bus station in Kärdla to the airport before flights. As bus times may be coordinated with flight schedules, check the timetable for your flight. The Hiiumaa Tourist Information Centre provides information about sights, accommodation, restaurants and cafés, active holidays, cultural events and transport.

The Kärdla power plant complex is on the banks of the Nuutri River and can be viewed from the outside by anyone interested. If you plan to view it from the outside, check the conditions on site before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Emmaste, Tubala, Jõeranna, Orjaku, Kassari Village

Return to the main travel overview: Hiiumaa.