Haeska: History, Landscape and Songs

Haeska brings together traces of a long local history, landscape imagery and musical heritage. The manor, a 1937 map, a meadow from a local landscape story and recorded songs offer different ways to discover the place. This combination makes Haeska an interesting destination if you want your trip to introduce you not just to a single theme, but also to historical changes and regional culture. When choosing your destination, a practical question arises: Are you more interested in history, landscape or music? The answer can also guide your search for holiday accommodation in Haeska.

Traces of local history

Haeska Manor was established in the third quarter of the 16th century. A 1937 map shows Haeska as a village formed from the former village of Taki and the Selja and Kordi farmsteads; as a result, Taki disappeared from the map. The two traces tell different stories: the manor represents a historic estate with a clearly specified period of origin, while the map records the merging of several settlements and Taki’s disappearance from the map. For anyone who enjoys tracing local history through concrete changes, this offers a vivid contrast between the history of the manor and the development of the settlement.

Landscape as a story

A local tradition describes Haeska Hiiepaju as a meadow, not a tree, and mentions islands and hills all around it. This traditional image draws attention to a landscape made up of several elements rather than a single grove. Pajumägi in Haeska was described as particularly picturesque in a 2025 cultural heritage survey. Another historical trace in the landscape is the former route through the Haeska bog to Lööne: it was once still visible, but later became completely overgrown. Together, these references range from a traditional description of the landscape and a more recent tribute to its beauty to the trace of an old route.

Songs and local traditions

Music history, too, introduces specific names. August Trei, Mihkel Trei’s nephew, sang several songs composed by his uncle in Haeska; the recording dates from 1961. Recordings from 1961 also note that songs by local songwriter Mihkel Trei were popular in the Valjala area. The two accounts differ in geographic scope: one describes August Trei’s singing in Haeska, while the other refers to the popularity of the songs in the wider Valjala area. Juhan Lätt from Haeska was also recorded performing songs and instrumental pieces.

Another local tradition links Haeska to the construction history of Valjala Church: the building stones are said to have come from the Haeska forest near Nõmme and from Samlik farm. The same tradition says that limestone quarries were still visible there. The story about the church complements local and musical history with an account of where the building materials came from.

Haeska as a travel focus

For planning your trip, it is helpful to distinguish between settlement development and oral tradition: the map records a specific change, while landscape and church stories have been passed down as local traditions. Music recordings, in turn, bring individual people and works into focus. If you are looking for holiday accommodation in Haeska, you can choose the place based on what matters most for your stay—historical development, landscape stories or music. This way, you can tailor your search to a clear idea of what you would most like to discover about Haeska.

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For the broader travel overview: Saaremaa.