Padise Manor is an 18th century historic mansion housing a boutique hotel and restaurant in the countryside of Estonia. The manor house sits just 25 meters away from the extraordinary 14th century Padise monastery ruins.
The history of the von Ramm family and this estate begins in 1622 when King Gustav Adolf II of Sweden granted the Padise monastery ruins and surrounding land to Thomas von Ramm as a gift. The manor house, itself, was built in 1780 when the von Ramm dwelling inside the Padise Monastery burned. The von Ramm family bought back Padise Manor in the late 1990’s and currently soley owns and manages the property.
The Padise Manor Restaurant features Estonian cuisine and seating is available inside the manor’s halls or outside on a large terrace which faces the Padise Monastery ruins. The Padise Manor Hotel features 20 hotel rooms for anyone seeking a truly luxurious manor experience in the Estonian countryside.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.