Ungru Linden

Count Ungern-Sternberg began building a castle near Haapsalu that, according to legend, was to be an almost exact copy of Germany’s Merseburg Castle — a promise to the woman he loved. When she suddenly fell ill and died, the work stopped.

Built / first recorded

late 19th century

Style

Castle (unfinished)

Condition

Never finished

County

Lääne County

German name

Linden

Owners

• von Ungern-Sternberg1620. a–1919

Good to know

• Its gables and window frames copy Merseburg Castle in Germany; the spire is a scaled-down copy of Tallinn’s St Nicholas tower.
• Ewald von Ungern-Sternberg ran out of money: windows, doors and interiors were never finished.
• In 1968 the airfield commander began hauling the ruins away as runway fill; a third of the walls were gone before it was stopped.

Photos through time

Nearby