13. KASSARI PENINSULA


This place has been an popular place for tourists for many years. The peninsula is heavily forested with junipers and there are many secluded places next to the sea to camp, swim or just relax. The land extends like a tail far out into the sea until it is just a few meters wide and finally it disappears under the waves. You can drive about halfway out on the peninsula but you must hike the last two kilometers if you want to go all the way to the tip. There is a good chance you will see swans, geese, and ducks resting on the water. There are many places along the road that provide beautiful views of the sea. You may even run into one of Hiiumaa's giant rabbits so keep a close eye on your vegetables.

Local legend says that this peninsula is actually what remains of an attempt by the giant Leiger to build a bridge between Hiiumaa and Saaremaa. Leiger went to Saaremaa a few times a year to visit his older brother Suur Tőll. He had to walk through the sea but this was no problem because there were only a few places where the water was so deep he had to swim a little ways. Leiger was always trying to get his brother to come visit him on Hiiumaa but Suur Tőll was afraid of the deep places in the sea. He told Leiger that the only way he would come to Hiiumaa would be if all the deep places in the sea were filled in with rocks. Leiger told him that he would do better than that, he would build a land bridge between the two islands. Suur Tőll just laughed and told him that was the stupidest idea he had ever heard. Leiger got angry and left for Hiiumaa saying that the next time he came back, it would be on dry land. Once he returned to Hiiumaa he immediately set about building the land bridge with his younger son. They tossed huge rocks out into the water and then covered them with gravel. At first, work progressed quickly and it looked like Leiger would prove his brother wrong. However, the sea proved to be too great a foe, even for two giants; the farther the bridge went out into the sea, the more the sea eroded it away. Sometimes, Leiger would wake up the morning after a storm to find that all of the previous day's work had been washed away. Finally, he gave up in frustration and for the rest of his days he had to listen to his brother tease him about his big plans for a bridge between the two islands.