Palaces, manors and town halls in Estonia
Alatskivi Manor
The Alatskivi Manor (Allatskiwwi in German) was first mentioned in 1601. In 1628 Swedish king Gustav Adolf II donated it as a gift to his secretary Johan Adler Salviusele. In 1642 the manor was further passed into the possession of Hans Dettermann Cronmann and in 1753 it was bought by Otto Heinrich von Stackelberg. The present huge castle manor was designed by the land owner Arved von Nolcken. He had travelled in Scotlan ...
Founded: 1880-1885 |
Location:
Alatskivi, Estonia
Muuga Manor
The estate belonged to Pirita (St. Brigitta) Nunnery in medieval times. It was elaborated in the 1860s while in possession of Carl Timoleon von Neff. The two-storey Neo-Renaissance castle was projected by von Neff himself - an artist of the Russian Czarist court and also a portrait painter known all over the world. The inner marble staircase is a present from Emperor Alexander II of Russia. The building now houses a schoo ...
Founded: 1860's |
Location:
Laekvere, Estonia
Rägavere Manor
The manor, which was first mentioned in 1540, has changed hands a number of times. The two-storey Early-Classicist main building, established in the 1770-80s, was restored in the 1970s (now privately owned). A couple of kilometres away there is the family cemetery of the estate owners with a chapel. Reference: Estonian Manors
Founded: 1770-1780's |
Location:
Rägavere, Estonia
Kiltsi Manor
The estate was first mentioned in 1466. It has been associated with the Gilsens, von Rosens, von Zoeges, von Benckendorffs, von Krusensterns and von Uexküll-Güldenbandts. The ruins of a vassal castle destroyed during the Livonian War were reconstructed as a stately castle in the 17th to 18th centuries, which received its present form in 1790. For many years, the manor was the home of a world famous explorer and mariner ...
Founded: 1784-1790 |
Location:
Väike-Maarja, Estonia
Hummuli Manor
The manor was first mentioned in 1470 and was later associated with the noble family von Samson-Himmelstjerna for a long time. The eight-storied historic main building was made of bricks in the 1860s. It is characterized by a octahedral turret. Today there is a school operating in the building.
Founded: 1860's |
Location:
Valgamaa, Estonia
Väimela Manor
The Väimela manor originates from the 16th century and belonged to von Richters and von Loewens for a long time. The stylish Classicist manor complex originates from the beginning of the 19th century. Now it belongs to a vocational school. The originally one-storey main building was turned into a two-storey one in the 20th century. A kilometre from the centre of the estate, there is the cemetery chapel of the von Lo ...
Founded: 19th century |
Location:
Võru, Estonia
Ahja Manor
The manor of Ahja was first mentioned in 1553. The current two-storey, Baroque style main building was erected in 1749 by Guillemot de Villebois. Later, the manor belonged to the von Lipharts, von Löwis of Menars and von Brasches. In 1929-97, the building housed a local school. About a kilometre from the manor's centre is a chapel (with a beautiful Neo-Renaissance portal) and family graveyard of the von Brasche&# ...
Founded: 1749 |
Location:
Ahja, Estonia
Alu Manor
The earliest records about the Alu manor date back to 1409. The present grand Neo-Gothic main building was erected in 1862-1875, when the manor was owned by the von Lilienfelds. With its balustrade and corner tower, it bears similarities to a medieval castle. The building was renovated at the beginning of 2000s and now serves as a training centre of the National Defence League.
Founded: 1862-1875 |
Location:
Alu, Estonia
Aaspere Manor
Aaspere manor (Kattentack) was mentioned for the first time in 1583. The current building received its appearance around 1800. The manor is one of the finest examples in Estonia of neoclassical manor house architecture. The manor was damaged in a fire in 1966. The manor is surrounded by a grandly designed park. The last owner before the Estonian land reform in 1919 was Eduard von Dellingshausen, ...
Founded: ca. 1800 |
Location:
Aaspere, Estonia
Aruküla Manor
Aruküla manor (Arroküll) evolved into an independent estate in the 17th century. The manor house seen today was built in 1782-1789, but suffered damage in a fire around 1800 and was subsequently rebuilt in a typical St. Petersburg-style Neoclassicism, with details such as decorative stucco laurel wreaths and a wrought-iron fence surrounding the manor park. Russian general Karl Wilhelm von Toll, mentioned by Tolstoy in ...
Founded: 1782-1789 |
Location:
Koeru, Estonia
Avanduse Manor
Avanduse manor (Awandus) was first mentioned in 1494. The origins of the present-day building was a building that was erected in 1679-1684 by Tallinn master builder Gerd Vorberg at the initiative of the landowner at the time, Gideon von Fock. The building has however been heavily rebuilt since, with final changes being made by architect Rudolf von Engelhardt in 1890. Russian geographer F ...
Founded: 19th century |
Location:
Simuna, Estonia
Ervita Manor
The Ervita manor was first mentioned in 1663 and the main building has probably been built based on the earlier edifices in the beginning of the 19th century. The manor was long inhabited by the noble family of von Wredes. Later it was used as a school. Today, the building is in private hands and is being renovated.
Founded: early 19th century |
Location:
Ervita, Estonia
Härgla Manor
First mentioned in 1519, Härgla manor belonged to the von Maydell family in the Middle Ages. Later it had many owners, till the von Wetter-Rosenthal family obtained it for a longer period in the 19th century. The two-storied main building has been built in several parts during 17-19th centuries. The building has one of the most beautiful Classicistic pillar porches of the beginning of the 19th century in Estonia. Fro ...
Founded: 18-19th centuries |
Location:
Raplamaa, Estonia
Imastu Manor
Imastu (Mönnikorb) was first mentioned in written records in 1447. The present-day building was built in the 1882 by master builder Friedrich Modi from Rakvere. It is an eclectic, irregular building with neo-Romanesque details. Ornamental painted ceilings and tiled stoves have been preserved. In the 20th century, the building housed a nursing home for a long time, which ha ...
Founded: 1882 |
Location:
Tapa, Estonia
Inju Manor
The history of Inju manor (Innis) goes back to at least 1520. In 1894 the current building was erected, probably designed by architect Rudolf von Engelhardt. It is one of the most characteristic examples of neo-Renaissance manor house architecture in Estonia. Starting in 1920, the manor house accommodates a orphanage.
Founded: 1894 |
Location:
Vinni, Estonia
Kabala Manor
Kabala (Kabbal) became an independent manorial estate in 1638. It has belonged to several different Baltic German families. The present house was erected around 1770 when Hans Georg von Uexküll was the landowner, in a late baroque style. Later on, the estate belonged to the von Lipharts and von Vietinghoffs, with the latter established their burial site and Neo-Gothic funeral chapel (in ruins ...
Founded: ca. 1770 |
Location:
Kabala, Estonia
Kose-Uuemõisa Manor
The Kose-Uuemõisa village has been the location for a manor house since the 1340s, although the medieval building burned down in the Livonian War. The current building, in neo-Renaissance style, dates from the 1850s and was erected by the Baltic German family von Uexküll. In the park adjacent to the manor house the von Uexküll family burial chapel, built in 1905, still stands. It is bu ...
Founded: 1850s |
Location:
Kose-Uuemõisa, Estonia
Kumna Manor
Kumna manor, founded in the 1620s, has belonged to the Knopiuses, Lübkens, von Koskülls and also to the von Meyendorffs. The wooden main building dating from the 18th century was reconstructed in the 19th century (was used as apartments, currently dilapidated). The new two-storey Neo-Classical main building (built in 1913-1920) is in private possession and is being restored.
Founded: 1913-1920 |
Location:
Kumna, Estonia
Kukruse Manor
Kukruse (Kuckers) manor was first mentioned in 1453. The present building received its appearance in the 19th century when a second floor was added to the left wing of the originally baroque house. Several prominent members of the Baltic German family von Toll has lived at Kukruse, namely genealogist Friedrich Ludwig von Toll (1781-1841), historian Robert von Toll (1802-1876) and geologist and Arctic explorer Eduard ...
Founded: 19th century |
Location:
Ida-Virumaa, Estonia
Käru Manor
Käru (Kerro) was established as an estate in the mid-18th century. The present building was built in 1878 and designed by Riga architect Robert Pflug. It is an eclectic building with mainly neo-Renaissance elements. It was damaged during the Revolution of 1905 and also during World War II. The manor house ensemble has several well-preserved and unusual outbuildings and annexes. Explorer Karl von Ditmar was the landow ...
Founded: 1878 |
Location:
Käru, Estonia