Leg 2: Paldiski to Haapsalu

Distance: 61 mi/98 km
Climb: 1,317 ft/401 m

Breakfast at the B&B

Ridewithgps course is located here.

After a nice night's rest at The Paldiski Tuule B&B, we awoke to a nice, local breakfast and two Finnish cyclists who were cycling the same route as us.  In fact, we would see them again in Haapsalu and on the ferry to Hiiuma Island.

The landscape west of Paldiski

The route we chose mostly followed Estonian Bike Route 1 which can be found here.  The route was fairly traffic-free and just where the route turns south on approach to Happsalu, you can choose to take some parallel dirt roads which will take you through farmland and some wind farms as well.  In Haapsalu, we stayed at a homestay which was basically a family's second house which they rented out to travelers or temporary residents.  Though Haapsalu is known for its mud baths and spas, we arrived a little late in the day to take advantage of them.  Instead, we walked into town and enjoyed a very nice dinner at one of the restaurants surrounding the Episcopal Castle, which was in the center of the old city and truly memorable.

One of the many churches that dot the countryside

Inn at the Padise Monastery.  I would have loved to stay here

One of the numerous bike lanes in Estonia

A typical Estonian farm

Tiring of the main road, we elected to take some dirt roads

Dirt road payoff: windmills we could ride up to

Dirt road panorama

Some of the excellent signage

Inside the Episcopal Castle in Haapsalu

Haapsalu Bay:  a birder's paradise