People speak in superlatives about Käsmu, an appealing ensemble of pastel-coloured houses and neat gardens that meets expectations of what a traditional Estonian village ought to look like.

The place owes its prosperous, white-picket-fence appearance to a brief period in the seafaring limelight just before World War I, when Käsmu Bay – not as prone to thick ice as some of the other spots along the northern coast – became a popular winter anchorage for sailing ships. A maritime school was opened here in 1884, many of whose graduates chose to settle down in the village once their ocean-going days were over, earning Käsmu the nickname of “Captains’ Village”.

The development of deep-hulled steamships put paid to Käsmu’s importance, however, and it’s now a pleasant summer-holiday village, offering plenty of B&B accommodation and excellent walking opportunities in the forests of the Käsmu peninsula.

Maritime Museum