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Approaching KURESSAARE , Saaremaa's main town, don't be put off by the ugly Soviet-era industrial zone that surrounds it - the centre remains much as it was before World War II and is home to one of the finest castles in the Baltic region. From the bus station on Pihtla turn left onto Tallinna in order to reach the central Square (Kesk valjak). Here you'll find Kuressaare's oldest building (after the castle), the yellow-painted Town Hall (Raekoda) dating from 1670, its door guarded by stone lions, and, facing it, the Weigh House (Vaekoda), another yellow building with a stepped gable. From the square Lossi runs south past a monument to the dead of the 1918-20 War of Independence, when the Estonians beat off Soviet and German forces, recently restored to pride of place after a lengthy Soviet-era absence. Continuing, the street runs past the eighteenth-century Nikolai kirik , a white Orthodox church with green onion domes. The church has an Estonian rather than Russian congregation, a reminder of the fact that an estimated twenty percent of Estonia's population joined the Orthodox Church when the country belonged to the Russian Empire. The interior, with icons set in white-painted frames, is noticeably plainer than in Orthodox churches with predominantly Russian congregations. Lossi leads to the magnificent Kuressaare Castle (Kuressaare Kindlus), a vast fortress built from locally quarried dolomite. Set on an artificial island surrounded by a moat, the castle was founded during the 1260s as a stronghold for the bishop of Osel-Wiek who controlled western Estonia from his base on mainland Haapsalu. The castle as it stands today dates largely from the fourteenth century and is a formidable structure, protected by huge seventeenth-century ramparts. The labyrinthine keep houses the Saaremaa Regional Museum (Saaremaa Koduloomuuseum; Wed-Sun 11am-6pm; 30EEK), an interesting but confusingly laid-out collection that covers the history and culture of the island from prehistoric times to date. The various sections are summarized in English but detailed labelling is in Estonian and Russian only. It's also possible to view the spartan living quarters of the bishops on the ground floor and climb the watchtowers. Pikk Hermann , the eastern (and thinner) corner tower is linked to the rest of the keep only by a wooden drawbridge. In the park surrounding the castle moat you'll find the wooden Kuursaal building from 1889, which makes a decent place for a drink or meal. The tourist office (mid-May to mid-Sept daily 9am-7pm; mid-Sept to mid-May Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; tel 245/33120) is in the town hall on Kesk valjak, and can give details on bike rental and book private rooms in Kuressaare and across the island for around 150EEK per person. About the cheapest hotel in town is the Hotel Mardi , Vallimaa 5a (tel 245/33285; GBP5-10/$8-16/?9-18), which is actually part-hotel and part-hostel - it has a cheap but excellent restaurant too; hostel beds are only available May to August. For a bit more comfort head for Repo , Vallimaa 1a (tel 245/55111; GBP10-15/$16-24/?18-27), a friendly, pension-type establishment that's about the best in town, though it's often fully booked. Nearest campsite is the Mandjala (tel 245/75193; May-Sept), 11km west of town just beyond the village of Nasva (Kuressaare-Jarve buses pass by), which also has places in cabins (150EEK per person, including breakfast). The smartest restaurant in town is the Vannallin , Kauba 8, while the next-door Vannalinna Kohvipood cafe is the best place for pastries, sandwiches and salads. Veski , Parna 19, dishes up pork and potato variations in an old windmill. Another atmospheric venue is the Kohvik Kuursaal in the Kuursaal building in the castle park, offering soup, sandwiches and fish dishes - open daily until 10pm with terrace seating. Budweiser Pub , Kauba 6, has Czech and German beers on tap, a pool table and pub grub Estonian-style. Nimeta , in the old weigh house at Tallinna 3, is a convivial bar which also offers rather stylish food, featuring plenty of local fish. While in town don't forget to try Saaremaa-brewed beer, which packs a bit more of a punch than Saku .
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