Kuressaare - City of Estonia

Kuressaare is a town and a municipality on Saaremaa island in Estonia. It is the capital of Saare County. The current population is about 15,300.

The town is situated on the coast of Gulf of Riga and is served by Kuressaare Airport.

Kuressaare, first mentioned in 1422, developed around a bishop's castle , first mentioned in 1381. Kuressaare was formerly known by the German and Swedish name of Arensburg. Kuressaare was burnt to the ground by Russian troops in 1710 during the Great Northern War. With the Treaty of Nystad of 1721 the town passed to Russian control. During the 18th century Kuressaare became a popular resort. Its historic German name of Arensburg was replaced by Kuressaare in 1918 when Estonia declared its independence during World War I. From 1952-1988 it was called Kingissepa after the Bolshevik Kuressaare-native Viktor Kingissepp .

In October 1990, Kuressaare was the first town in Estonia to regain its self-governing status. Today, Kuressaare is a safe and healthy town, open for international cooperation and communication. It also hosts the FC Kuressaare football club.