We spent to fantastic days on Estonian Saaremaa island. On the way back there was one more place we wanted to visit: we heard that Koguva village has retained much of its ancient authentic flavor. Koguva is located on the Western side of Muhu, just a few kilometers from the causeway linking the island with Saaremaa so the detour will not be long and it for sure is worth it.
We left the car on the parking lot (the rest of the village is closed for motorized vehicles) and walked towards the sea. In the port we saw something reminding of carcass of an Indian wigwam or Saami skin tent.
Soon we understood why this wigwam was here, in port: the wooden sticks are used to stretch and dry traditional fishing net called mõrd - fyke.
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| Drying fyke |
Mõrd represents a series of concentrating wooden circles with nets forming cones inserted into each other. After a fish swims in through its wide side and then through the narrow tip it cannot swim out. It can only enter the wide side of the next cone and so forth. We were able to see how mõrd is is intended to work: there were two birds trapped in it and we helped them find their way out.
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| Traditional wooden boat - no plastic! - and still sails. |
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| Another victim of fyke - trapped dragonfly |
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| Snacks for the long winter |
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| At Koguva port |
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| At Koguva port |
Then we returned to village. It was evening and golden evening light was pouring over Koguva streets with traditional Saaremaan fences made of rocks collected on the fields.
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| On Koguva streets |
The reason that this particular village has preserved its appearance, could be due to the fact that as early as 1532, while serfdom prevailed elsewhere as late as 19th century, in Koguva, lived yeomen - free men, who were freed from serfdom. This could have made Koguva such a remarkable place.
This is not a museum of wooden architecture, nor it is a movie set: all the houses are alive. Just look at the thatched roofs made of dried water reed and neatly stored firewood drying for the winter.
In Koguva, there are many buildings that are centuries old, dating back to the times when the islands were under Swedish rule, and are still in use today.
Unlike the boat we saw at port, this one does not sail anymore and is only used for decoration.
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| Even the moss seems to be centuries old |
Koguva textures: thatched roofs, wooden walls, neatly piled firewood and mossy fences made of rocks.
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| This one is old, but not yet ancient |
They say Muhu is an "island were time rests" - and rightfully so. Here, the time seems not to fly but rather to float.
In Koguva you can still see how the roofs were made back in the days.
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| Outside layer of moss and lichen growing on thatch. |
Even though summer days are long in Estonia, two days were simply not enough to see everything Saaremaa and Muhu had to offer (Saaremaa and Muhu Tourism associations showcase more attractions on their sites). We had to hurry to the ferry and then drive back to Tallinn.
If you happen to spend a few days in Estonia, take your time to visit the islands. The best advise we can give is 'avoid weekends'. When driving from the port of Virtsu on Saturday there will barely be any passing cars, but a lot of oncoming traffic. If you are lucky to come here during the weekdays, you will be lucky to see Saaremaa and Muhu at their best - quiet, peaceful islands where the time sleeps.
Of course, if anyone if planning to visit Estonia, please, let us know, ask any questions, we are happy to help!
