Kuressaare is the capital of Saaremaa, the largest of Estonia's islands.

Understand

A tower of Kuressaare's castle

The earliest records of Kuressaare is a document written in 1381 that mentions that the town housed the fortified residency of a local Catholic bishop and that it was the main center for the islands of western Estonia. Kuressaare used to be known as Arensburg, and it received city status in 1563. The town has a population of around 13,000 (2018).

• Tourist Information Centre, Tallinna 2, ☏ +372 45 33 766, +372 453 31 20, fax: +372 453 31 20, kuressaare@visitestonia.com. 

Get in

By plane

• 1 Kuressaare Airport (URE  ^IATA) (3 km from the town). Offers regular flights to Tallinn. (updated Sep 2019)

By bus

Several buses run daily between Kuressaare and Tallinn's main bus station. The trip takes 4 hours and traverses the strait between the mainland and the islands by means of a 30-minute ferry.

Bus schedules are easily available online – read more under Estonia#Get around.

See

• 1 Saaremaa Museum / Castle (Kuressaare Episcopal Castle). May–Aug daily 10:00–19:00, Sep–Apr W–Su 11:00–18:00. The fortress is well preserved and located in the city center. €6. 

Do

• Health spas. The city has a large number of spas.

Buy

There are several malls around town as well as some smaller shops in the town centre.

• Saaremaa Kaubamaja, Raekoja 1. Has a sports shop, a department store and several other smaller shops.
• Auriga Center, Tallinna 88. The biggest mall in Kuressaare, located at the edge of the town. Offers clothes shops, restaurants and a cinema.
• In the city center, next to the tourist office, is a brown building. There are some clothes shops, a bookstore and a kiosk.

Eat

• Restaurant La Perla, Lossi 3, ☏ +372 453 6910. M-F 12:00-23:00, Sa Su 13-23:00. Italian restaurant. 
• Cafe Kessu, Tallinna 16, kohvik@kessu.ee. M-F 08:00-19:00, Sa 09:00-19:00, Su 10:00-18:00. 
• Hesburger, Tallinna 88, Kudjape, Lääne-Saaremaa vald, saaremaa@hesburger.fi. Daily 10:00–21:00. Finnish fast food chain (updated Nov 2015)
• Kuressaare Kuursaal, Lossipark 1, ☏ +327 453 9749. Only open in summer. (updated Sep 2019)

Drink

• Bar Kodulinna, Tallinna 11. 
• Club Diva, Raekoja 8. 
• Nightclub Privilege, Tallinna 10a. 

Sleep

Budget

• 1 Server Backpackers, Tolli 7, ☏ +372 5050409. Dorm from €15. (updated Oct 2017)
• 2 Guesthouse Laurits, Kauba 5, ☏ +372 56499227. Excellent ratings. From €17. (updated Oct 2017)

Mid-range and splurge

• Arensburg Boutique Hotel & Spa, Lossi 15, ☏ +372 452 4700, arensburg@arensburg.ee. 
• Georg Ots Spa, Tori 2, ☏ +372 45 50 000, +372 45 50 101, info@gospa.ee. 
• Grand Rose Spa, Tallinna 15, ☏ +372 666 7000, info@grandrose.ee. 
• Johan Spa, Kauba 13, ☏ +372 45 40000, fax: +372 45 40012, info@johan.ee. 
• Linnahotell, Lasteaia 7, ☏ +372 45 31 888, fax: +372 45 33 688, kuressaare@linnahotell.ee. 
• Saaremaa Spa Hotels: Meri, Ruutli & Saaremaa Valss. Three spa hotels in the town. 

Go next

• Pärnu – Estonia's 4th largest city and the summer capital of Estonia, popular for its balneo-therapy complexes and spa centres, surrounded by numerous beaches.
• Hiiumaa – Estonia's second largest island.