Loona Manor, Saaremaa, Estonia - SpottingHistory.com

Small Loona manor-house in Kihelkonna is a vivid example of a long and complex story of reaching it's present form. Oldest parts of the building date back to Middle Ages, the cellar uses battlements of an old vassal-castle built in the 16th century. Next major stage of building took place in 1785-1786, when the building was given most of it's present appearance.

Today Loona manor hosts a guesthouse, café and restaurant. The surrounding beautiful park is ideal for daily walks.

Reference: Visit Estonia

User Reviews

Simas Balčiūnas (9 months ago)
Wonderful place, very delicious food, big portions. The host is very friendly and nice. Absolutely recommend it.

Didzis Balodis (9 months ago)
Food is delicious, but the choice is limited only to few dishes in every category. For a Main course we had a choice between Meat stew, Fish of the day and a Wild boar dish. No separate children menu. Overall a good choice if you happen to be in that region, as there are not much alternatives.

Zane S (9 months ago)
Excellent food and great prices. Location isoff thebeaten track but very fitting. The host/server was really gentle and accommodating. Ordered large fish soup, it came in a extra large bowl aka about 1L. The taste was excellent. Dessert was berry merengue pie, again excellent. They take card too.

Dmitri (9 months ago)
Super welcoming hostess and great food, vegetarian wishes were accommodated too by offering something not on the menu. The atmosphere of the place is very relaxing. We genuinely loved every moment we spent here.

Bartosz Walenda (2 years ago)
We didn’t feel very welcomed. Just as we finished our coffee and cake, the waitress asked us if we wanted anything more. When we said ‘not for the moment’ (as we would have liked to sit through the rain and decide later on) she asked us how we wanted to pay. All in all we spent 30 minutes there and felt a bit thrown out. Note, we were not there in sporty fashion and dirty hiking boots, just casual wear. Maybe this Manor thinks a bit more highly of itself or the way of making conversation is just awkward.. On the plus side, coffee was good, prices on the menu reasonable.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Historic Site of the week

Heraclea Lyncestis

Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.

Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon"s border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road.

The Roman emperor Hadrian built a theatre in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the Roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Inside the theatre there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theatre went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.

Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods

In the early Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. A small and a great basilica, the bishop"s residence, and a funerary basilica and the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three naves in the Great Basilica are covered with mosaics of very rich floral and figurative iconography; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early Christian art period.

The city was sacked by Ostrogoth/Visigoth forces, commanded by Theodoric the Great in 472 AD and again in 479 AD. It was restored in the late 5th and early 6th century. When an earthquake struck in 518 AD, the inhabitants of Heraclea gradually abandoned the city. Subsequently, at the eve of the 7th century, the Dragovites, a Slavic tribe pushed down from the north by the Avars, settled in the area. The last coin issue dates from ca. 585, which suggests that the city was finally captured by the Slavs. As result, in place of the deserted city theatre several huts were built.

The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970 and 1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th rooms all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th rooms there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century.

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