Kuressaare Castle

Kuressaare Castle on the Estonian island of Saaremaa is one of the best-preserved medieval episcopal fortresses in the Baltic region. Built in the 14th century, it served as the administrative and defensive seat of the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, one of the last Baltic ecclesiastical territories under the influence of the Teutonic Order. The castle is constructed from locally quarried dolerite, a dark volcanic rock that gives the walls their distinctively near-black appearance. Over subsequent centuries the fortress passed through Swedish and Russian administration before serving as a prison in the 19th century. It now houses the Saaremaa Regional Museum, with permanent exhibits on the island's history and medieval architecture, surrounded by a landscaped park and intact moat that reward a leisurely walk.