Haapsalu shows value of heritage investment

 HAAPSALU - On 4th July, Haapsalu Episcopal Castle reopened after the completion of extensive renovation work. But this was more than a case of a bit of rendering and repoitning - the purpose of the reconstruction was to maximise the site's tourism potential by ceating a visitors' center and a variety of new activities.

"Haapsalu castle, the most famous sight in Lääne County built in the 13th century, had problems with arranging large scale events and offering tourist services," said Monica Hankov, Director of the Business Environment Division at Enterprise Estonia.

In short, thousands of tourists every year were arriving at the castle hoping to catch a glimpse of the 'White lady', Estonia's most famous ghost, but had little else to keep them occupied while they waited for her to put in an appearance despite the castle's spectacular appearance.

"The open-air stage was depreciated, there were not enough parking places and the castle was poorly illuminated. Nor were there any tourist services offering activities and there was no compact information system presenting the castle," added Hankov.

The project had to tackle all those problems in order to increase the number of tourists visiting the city, to extend their visiting time and stimulate entrepreneurship in the region. As of today, guests visiting Haapsalu will find a fully maintained castle area where it is comfortable to look around and where a lot of exciting activities can be found.

In order to improve the infrastructure of the castle, the dilapidated open-air stage was reconstructed, a car park was created and security systems and lighting installed, and the wall area and the moat were tidied up. With a view to offering activities, medieval attractions may not be the most original things but always play well with the visiting hordes. A handicraft workshop, a bow-track and a giant, interactive chessboard were also built.

An interactive website in Estonian and English on the castle was created (www.haapsalulinnus.ee), information signs and stands were installed and an audio guide service was launched for better information.

The total cost of the project was EEK 17.1m of which MEEK 13.7 was support from the Regional Competitiveness Improvement Programme of Enterprise Estonia, which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

The objective of the Regional Competitiveness Improvement Programme is to make different regions more attractive for businesses, investors, skilled workers and visitors. Local governments and non-profit associations may apply for aid for the implementation of projects aimed at promoting the local tourism industry and recreational management.

Applications for the development of visiting centres, hiking tracks, study trails and small ports, for exhibiting natural values and developing the supporting infrastructure of tourist sites are particularly welcome, Enterprise Estonia says.

Using the support from the programme, local governments can also develop the infrastructure of the local business environment, for example to build access roads, renovate sewage systems and reutilise former military, industrial or agricultural sites.