{"id":161755,"date":"2026-08-22T00:14:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T21:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/balticguide.ee\/?p=161755"},"modified":"2026-08-21T14:26:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T11:26:27","slug":"festival-of-the-lady-in-white","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/balticguide.ee\/en\/festival-of-the-lady-in-white\/","title":{"rendered":"Festival of the Lady in White"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Haapsalu\u2019s annual Festival of the Lady in White takes place this year on 28\u201330 August in the Old Town area and in and around the bishop\u2019s castle. Featuring a marketplace selling handicrafts and other goods, as well as a wide selection of food and drink, this year\u2019s event promises to be the best yet. This is the optimum time to explore this hidden gem of Estonia, in the northwest corner of the country by the seaside.<\/p>\n

Before we explain the name, let\u2019s explore the tale of the Lady in White. Hundreds of years ago, in Medieval Haapsalu, then called Hapsal or Hapsel, the bishop\u2019s castle, which still stands today, did not allow women to enter. A clergyman who resided there, known as a \u201ccathedral canon\u201d, was essentially expected to live the chaste life of a monk, although he was no monk. He fell in love with a local Estonian woman, and the two had a passionate affair.<\/p>\n

Of course they were discovered, and the punishment was harsh. The canon was thrown into the castle dungeon, allowed to leave only when starvation had separated his life from his body. The woman, however, was given a morsel of bread and some water, and then sealed into the unfinished wall of the chapel, left for eternity. Her soul reappears to tell her tale each August during the full moon, her likeness haunting the chapel window. Oh, and she\u2019s dressed entirely in white.<\/p>\n

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Which leads us to the name. In Estonian, the festival is called \u201cValge Daami Aeg<\/i>\u201d, or translated directly as \u201cWhite Lady Time\u201d. Although naturally there is no racial undertone intended, in today\u2019s polarised world we have to be careful with old names involving colours. Officially in English called \u201cThe Festival of the White Lady\u201d, meh\u2026still not good enough. Here at The Baltic Guide<\/i>, we respect all people, regardless of colour, religion, whether you\u2019re living or dead, or any other pointless labels that cause division. That said, enjoy \u201cThe Festival of the Lady in White\u201d. This is an excellent opportunity to explore Haapsalu, as well.<\/p>\n

The complete programme is available in Estonian here<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Haapsalu\u2019s annual Festival of the Lady in White takes place this year on 28\u201330 August in the Old Town area … Read more<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":161756,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[334,13233,13300,13566,14404,15449,17921,20561,21890,25779,25855,28133],"class_list":["post-161755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-market","tag-concert-2","tag-culture","tag-haapsalu-2","tag-festival","tag-history","tag-fair","tag-family-event","tag-events-in-haapsalu","tag-bishops-castle","tag-valge-daami-aeg-2","tag-festival-of-the-lady-in-white"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t