Hiiumaa’s Tireless Workhorse

Text Timo Raussi

Photo TS Laevad / Tallinna sadam

The Leiger, a modern ferry operating on the route between mainland Estonia and Hiiumaa, reached an impressive milestone just before the turn of the year. The car ferry, which entered service in December 2016, has completed 25,000 crossings between the ports of Rohuküla and Heltermaa in nine years.

The distance between the ports is just over 22 kilometres, meaning that through its route the ferry has covered a total of 556,000 kilometres—equivalent to almost 14 laps around the Earth. Leiger, named after a giant said in folklore to have lived on Kassari Island in Hiiumaa, has over its years of service carried 2.84 million passengers, and 1.31 million vehicles.

At the time of its introduction, Leiger was the first of four new ferries operating year-round routes from the mainland to Estonia’s large islands. It is 114 metres long, and can carry up to 700 passengers and 150 vehicles at a time. Under normal conditions the vessel travels at a speed of 15 knots, with the crossing taking one hour and 15 minutes. Ferry tickets can, and in summer should, be purchased online in advance.

But why travel from Tallinn to Hiiumaa instead of, for example, Saaremaa? Lighthouses, nature, summer stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking from one of the island’s many beaches, events such as Kärdla’s Home Cafés Day, and culinary experiences—which you can read about here through the experiences of our journalist, American-born Stewart Johnson, who settled in Estonia many years ago.

You can listen to stories about Hiiumaa’s lighthouses and sights via an English-language audio guide, complemented by a map application that guides you on a lighthouse tour. Those travelling without a car may be pleased to know that the €13 bus ticket between Tallinn and Kärdla also includes the ferry crossing. There is also a daily flight connection from Tallinn to Kärdla.

To learn more about this and similar topics
Car Ferry Estonian Islands Heltermaa Hiiumaa Kärdla Leiger lighthouses Rohuküla