Only 15 of Saaremaa's historic manors remain
Only about a tenth of Saaremaa's historic manors still survive, with just 15 of the island's nearly 150 remaining as various restoration efforts struggle to keep up.
At one point, as many as 141 manor estates dotted Estonia's largest island. Today, that number has dwindled to just over a dozen surviving complexes.
According to Saaremaa heritage protection adviser Liis Koppel, only about a third are in good or satisfactory condition, while another third are currently under renovation.
The rest, she said, are in poor shape, often standing vacant and under monitoring due to preservation obligations.
Just outside Kuressaare, the wooden Sikassaare Manor was still in ruins just a few years ago. It has since been given a new lease on life, with construction firm Arens restoring it as a passion and prestige project and converting it into their business office.
"We only have a handful of wooden manors like this under heritage protection, and the Sikassaare Manor house is one of them," Koppel said.
She noted that such buildings stand out for their detailed craftsmanship and decorative elements, which differ significantly from their stone counterparts.
From million-euro budget to volunteer-only
Saaremaa Municipality is also playing a major role. Its largest investment this year — more than €3.5 million — is going toward restoring the 18th-century Laimjala Manor.
The project highlights the complexity of manor restoration efforts, combining delicate conservation work, such as restoring historic murals, with large-scale construction.
According to municipal construction engineer Mehis Kallas, Laimjala Manor will serve four functions, simultaneously housing a school, a kindergarten, a library and a public service center.
Elsewhere, restoration efforts are being driven by private initiative. Pihtla Manor, which was never under heritage protection, is now being overhauled by a young local family.
Owner Priit Sepp described the project as a labor of love as much as construction, noting it's still unclear whether the manor will be restored exactly as it once was. Progress depends on time and resources.
"We want to save this building," Sepp said. "We don't have huge sums of money, so we're trying to do this ourselves, with help from volunteers."
The Sepp family hopes to see Pihtla Manor fully restored in about 15 years.
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Editor: Märten Hallismaa, Aili Vahtla
