Festival of the White Lady in Haapsalu

Text Stewart Johnson
Photo Rivo Veber / Visit Estonia

Probably the main tourist draw for the small city of Haapsalu on Estonia’s northwestern coast is the cathedral and castle ruins, which are partially preserved. In August, when there is a full moon, a trick of light causes the white reflection of a female silhouette to appear in one of the large windows of the cathedral. This time is known as the Time of the White Lady, and is symbolic for Haapsalu as a celebration of the town’s culture and history.

The Old Town during the festival will be full of fun and interesting vendors selling food, beverages, handicrafts, and other wares. There are live performances of music and theatre throughout the days, and also in the evenings. One of these performances includes a re-enactment of the Legend of the White Lady.

The legend is that one of the members of the clergy fell in love with a local Estonian woman. Women, however, were not allowed in the cathedral. The clergyman dressed her up in boys’ clothing, and brought her inside. She was discovered, however, and the clergyman was thrown into the dungeon to starve to death, and the woman was sealed alive inside the wall of the cathedral. It is her spirit that appears each August, mourning her lost love.

In Estonian, this festival is called “Valge daami aeg”. In years past, the city of Haapsalu made the unfortunate mistake of translating this directly to English, word for word. “White Lady Time” was the official name, visible on all social media, and throughout the town banners and posters proudly displayed the name as well. No one knows the White Lady’s real name, but it’s most likely not Karen.

The full programme for the Festival of the White Lady is available here. Not surprisingly, there is no longer information available in English. Probably just to be safe.

To learn more about this and similar topics
Events In Haapsalu Fair Festival of the White Lady Haapsalu Valge daami aeg