Amidst the lovely junipers and wonderful quiet of Hiiumaa, we proudly announce that we have completed an impressive and unique experience centre called the Windtower. And we are not joking this time!
The island of Hiiumaa, that came with the wind, is an opportunity for each of our new and old friends to sense the magic. Be quiet, listen for a moment and notice: the winds of Hiiumaa will share their secrets with you. Our tower will speak to you in the real wind language, wishing to show you the best of Hiiumaa, all in one, and to send you on a journey to discover the island further.
Our tower is quite monumental and with a hot shape, so that its flashing beauty could be seen from far away by the Hiiumaa islanders as well as mainlanders. It is 29 metres high, as we have heard that important buildings must be visible from a distance.
Just as the island of Hiiumaa is quite versatile with its colourful nature, culture and maritime traditions, the Windtower, too, is partly a museum, somewhat a research centre and a bit of a play world. Here you will notice entirely novel opportunities for discovering our small and quiet island.
Here with us, hustle and bustle are not going to get you. Instead, you can take a moment for yourself to behold the mysterious underwater Hiiumaa and enjoy the flight through the inspiring nature of the island with all your senses. The guest should be prepared, though, as Hiiumaa jokes are no joke: you will certainly hear and experience some peculiar humour here.
And that is not all. The Windtower features the highest indoor climbing wall in the Baltic countries, with 11 tracks. Everyone who wants can conquer the (so to say) mountains of Hiiumaa and test their courage here.
In order to make you enjoy your stay in the Windtower, with family, friends or on your own, we made our tower spacious enough to accommodate seminars and conferences, receptions and birthdays. We have exciting programmes and options to see our exhibitions with a spirited guide. Children are encouraged to bring their parents to play in the Windtower, to prevent life from seeming too serious. You can sample the cuisine of Hiiumaa in the cafeteria and find lovely souvenirs in the gift shop that will help you to remember the Windtower experience back home.
You can come by ferry or by plane. Or on a surfboard or your own boat. We will be waiting here, as nothing can displace this island. Not even a tornado.
The sea is Hiiumaa islanders’ life and destiny, dining table and horizon, work and route of connection. The sea brings winds and storms, love and tragic. You will be able to see a lot under the waters of Hiiumaa. Walk on the muddy seabed and discover how Hiiumaa was created. Admire ancient wrecks of ships or stand face to face with a NATO submarine. You can also see how we net fish and how we relate to seals. The little guests can second crabs in a fencing duel and become acquainted with the fishes of Hiiumaa. There will be bottomless amounts of fresh experience.
Hiiumaa begins and ends with the sea. Come and walk on the UNESCO-recognised pebbled coast, feel the tugging force of the wind and discover Hiiumaa with all your senses. It is here that you will learn the smell of wild thyme, tarred rope and wild strawberries. You can touch sealskin and take a closer look at rocks that have been rounded by the autumn storms and winter winds in Ristna. Compare the life-sized plants in the herbarium with a Hiiumaa that will fit in the palm of your hand. There is plenty to discover here.
For little pirates, we have the Hiiu breakwater, where one can actually pull start a boat motor and put on a pair of wellingtons to almost literally walk in the shoes of a Hiiumaa fisherman.
Indeed! You will find our miraculous stories about island life unfolding here in front of your very eyes. These stories originate from the daily lives, from the kitchen, shop or even sauna. Whether the fine art of storytelling is inherited by the islanders or transmitted through the sea air, is not known.
Hiiumaa islanders love words and stories. It is part of the island’s mystery. Words can be honed and tossed up into the air, caught and knocked up. And of course, words can also be eaten, even though we usually prefer smoked fish. Here you can learn about the language of Hiiumaa and test your sense of humour. But beware, Hiiumaa jokes are no joke.
Take time out and give yourself some decent relaxation with the finest moments and views of Hiiumaa. What emotions are in fact caused by the wind, rain, sunshine, vastness, roar of the sea and quiet of the forest?
Look inside yourself but keep your ears open. You will hear then how the feel of Hiiumaa is described by our well-known composers, actors, athletes and other public figures.
Here you can lie in a hammock and meditate with a video slowly gliding over Hiiumaa’s charming nature. Every moment is full of poetry, and the walls are decorated with poems by Paul-Eerik Rummo, Ernst Enno, Ave Alavainu and other much-loved poets, inspired by Hiiumaa.
Rise up into the sky and experience Hiiumaa from a bird’s-eye view. You will need a bit of imagination and dreams. Sometimes, dreams can turn into clouds, scattered by winds and shaken by gusts of rain. Some unfulfilled dream, though, may plop down from the sky and unexpectedly come true.
Let us suppose that you have dreamed about jumping on the clouds. You can do it in real life here.
Children can put themselves to the test on a thrilling net wall that can even be used for climbing to the next floor. If that is not enough, there is a surprising Tahkuna lighthouse in our building, awaiting to be discovered.
Or, perhaps, you have dreamed about controlling the weather? Be our guest! Sitting behind our Hiiumaa weather control panel, you will be able to conjure up rain, storm, thunder or northern lights. It will not be possible, though, to directly verify the old local saying ‘thunder and lightning means Our Lord eating herring’. But from the interactive game about migratory birds you will learn what the common buzzard feeds on. Or whether the Pied avocet has its tail up or down. Or whether the black-headed gull, also known as the ‘laughing gull’ in Latin, laughs at the jokes of Hiiumaa islanders.
Come to embrace the wind! Up the spiral stairs to face the real breath of Hiiumaa. This island is not gone with the wind but it definitely came with the wind. Wind cleans the world. Wind gives birth to storms and makes ships move, breaks trees and wheels windmills.
Despite everything, you may start to like the wind in its waywardness – especially here, on the roof of our tower. It will sing you a genuine wind song, play in your hair and blow away any sadness. From this wuthering height, you can cast an eye at Käina bay and wave hello to the neighbouring Saaremaa islanders across the sea.
And when your eyes are finally adapted to looking at the distance, play a wind symphony with the wind chimes.
Who said Estonia is so flat that you cannot do mountain climbing here? Hiiumaa islanders lent a hand and built an indoor climbing wall of dimensions unexampled in the Baltic countries. Not to mention the neighboring island of Saaremaa.
Our climbing wall begins from the lower ground floor of the Windtower and stretches nearly 20 meters up. The indoor wall has 11-13 routes, which should be enough for even the most passionate adrenaline lover. Be a professional climber or just about to discover the fascination of climbing – under the direction of an instructor, you will be able to safely test your abilities in conquering new heights.
You can use the indoor climbing wall individually or in good company, celebrating a birthday, or some other event here. School groups are cordially invited and we can also host corporate events. Training is available for all adults interested in developing their climbing skills.
Our experience shows that first-time visitors spend around one hour on our wall. Based on this, we also make reservations for an hour. We make exceptions for groups and experienced climbers.
We allow climbers on the wall from the age of 7. The age restriction comes from the difficulty of our routes, the nature of the service, and the equipment we use.
When planning a visit, please note that we accept reservations at least 24 hours in advance tuuletorn@hiiumaa.ee or +372 53 50 50 28. When planning a climb for the same day, a lively queue must be taken into account.
Due to the regulations, we do ask you to book time through us for your visit.
Please read the Rules, Liability Sheet and Registration Form.
Keep your eye on our climbing wall schedule here.
Hold a meeting, seminar or reception in the Windtower.
For a memorable experience, the event can be organised in the Underwater World, which can accommodate up to 50 persons.
Larger receptions or conferences can be held in the large and well-lighted seminar area on Floor 2.
By booking seminar rooms for an entire day, you will get a discount for the main exhibition area.
Catering for the events in Windtower is provided by Cafe Ruudi located on the first floor of the centre.
Further information and booking: tuuletorn@hiiumaa.ee.
Exhibition “Unerännakud” (Dream Travel)
Everyone is welcome to visit new exhibition of photos by Kristiina Gilts.
The idea for my series of photos came from one trip to New York. I stayed in ”Dream Hotel” and a lot of emotions and the noise of the city didn´t let me sleep at night. The dreams I saw were so strange and intense, but at the same time extremely realistic. What I saw during the day, my brain was synthesising at night. Being in the middle of the crowd in Times Square, suddenly I found myself on empty seashore of Hiiumaa. Languages and people got blended. It was possible to get on the subway from Kärdla and get off on the 5th Avenue. Quite naturally. In a Dream Hotel…
One morning sitting on my bed and looking out from the window, I got the idea that I should try to visualize my dreams with my photos.
My home is in Stockholm, my summer home is on Hiiumaa. I am an extremely urban person, I like the smell of asphalt and the noise of the city, but paradoxically I can feel an irresistible longing for the lethargy of Hiiumaa. Silence and peace, the sound of trees, the birdsong…
Living abroad, which is my voluntary choice, creates always a longing for Estonia and especially for Hiiumaa – for its language, its cultural environment and family. Dreamtravel is the best part of the world, where my brain chooses environments that blend smoothly, where there are no borders, no barriers, no language barriers, where there are only great journeys.
That is how I started, with my photos where I mixed New York with Hiiumaa. I love to travel. As an architect, I like to photograph urban architectural motifs. That is how my thoughts went to the different places I have photographed on my travels. As a humanist, I also like to portray people – so my favorite models came into my dreams. Some of the people are not among us today, but they have left a colorful mark on my life. Putting it all together, I discovered, with some surprise, that I am a complete romantic… All my dreamy photomontages take me from New York, Stockholm, Madrid, Milano, Reunion, North Sea back to Hiiumaa – to nature, to my garden. My longing and love for Hiiumaa is reflected in the delicate and hazy details. I need both sides: bustle and peace, asphalt and grassland, engine noise and birdsong in order to be balanced myself.
The charm of the dreams is that not everything is clear, but everything is possible. I have tried to convert this feeling by assembling different photos, where even I have to take some time to discover the smallest details. Each picture is one sequency from my nightly dream journey.
Short stories between photos are written by my sister Ingrid Gilts-Nittim.
HAVE A NICE YOURNEY!
Kristiina Gilts Stenhardt
We are always happy to welcome large groups to our centre, which is why we offer a 10% discount on the Tuuletorn exhibition and climbing wall tickets for groups of 10 people or more.
Teachers accompanying the group (one adult for every 6 preschoolers and every 10 schoolchildren) can enter the centre free of charge during their visit. The school group discount does not apply to the climbing wall.
Send us your group visit request here:
Birthdays offering discovery and educative content will be memorable. In the Windtower, birthday events can be organised for children or adults, with fun and discovery for all ages.
Further information and booking: tuuletorn@hiiumaa.ee.
There is a fun café in the new Tuuletorn experience centre. Our dishes are simple yet delicious, and a little mysterious, our ingredients are local, and our people are awesome. Very nice play area for children.
RUUDI is a truly lovely place to spend time at.
Opening times:
15 May to 31 August
Mon–Sun 11–21
1 September to 14 May
Mon–Fri 15–21
Sat–Sun 12–21
Information and reservations:
E-mail: tuuletorn@hiiumaa.ee
Phone: +372 53 50 50 28
Follow us on Facebook and check the menu via our page Kohvik Ruudi
Would you like a memento of Hiiumaa or a special gift for someone? On Floor 1 there is a gift shop with an interesting selection of items, including local handicrafts and authentic tastes of Hiiumaa.
On June 23 and 24 we are open from 11 am to 6 pm. We are looking forward seeing you!
Address: Mäe 4, Käina, Hiiu maakond, Eesti
Phone: +372 53 50 50 28;
Cafe RUUDI: +372 58 70 00 19;
Group visits: +372 53 05 3412
E-mail: tuuletorn@hiiumaa.ee
Register code: 75039451
Swedbank (IBAN): EE412200221064452224
© 2020 - All rights reserved Elamuskeskus Tuuletorn
