Decades ago, in Sõrve on the southernmost peninsula of Saaremaa, an active community, decided that instead of having a regular bus stop, they would build something unique. In the past, it even had a stove or a fireplace inside.

The community in Laimjala, on the other hand, transformed its bus stop into a decorated local information point, with the help of EU funds.

In the village of Lümanda, the local community also decided to decorate their concrete bus shelter.

"It all came about because talented artists came to live in our village and they wanted to contribute to the community – to make our village a bit more colorful and expressive. As well as having another wall painted and typical of us, we might well have the most beautiful bus stop in Estonia," said Anni Roost, Mayor of Lümanda.

While Saaremaa's bus traffic has changed over the years, the role of the roadside booths or pavilions have also been adapted, with many now becoming meeting places for the locals – sometimes even for the entire village. These same well-kept pavilions are also proud symbols of the communities in the nearby area.

"People go to work here in the morning, come back in the evening, and it has become a gathering place for people of all ages – whether older and younger. It's still important," Roost added.

"A bus stop is a sign of the functionality of a village or a region, and the municipality does not object if the local people decide to personalize it," said Raino Sepp, head of Saaremaa Municipality's administrative department.

In locations where the local community is not so active, here are bus stops that Saaremaa Municipality wants to contribute toward improving in the coming years.

"We currently have 179 pavilions running through the town, and their upkeep or condition is quite good. A hundred of them are pretty decent and there are 20-30 of them that will definitely have to be repaired in the next few years," Sepp added.

In May this year, Ukrainian artist Hanna Davidova created her first ever mural at one of the island's bus stops in Mändija, close to the beach. The work was made as part of the 2025 Rural Urban Art Festival and inspired by the local surroundings.

This time round, painter, illustrator and author Hanna Davidova from Kyiv will create her first ever mural –also on a on a bus stop – near the beach in Mändjala.

The video report about Saaremaa's local bus stops can be viewed (in Estonian) here.

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