Kuressaare Episcopal Castle

Saaremaa · Estonia · Castle

When a bricked-up cellar in Kuressaare was opened in 1785, a skeleton sat at a table – the knight walled up alive, as the legend tells.

The episcopal castle of Kuressaare on Saaremaa holds the notorious "walled-in knight's cellar". Legend has it a Spanish knight and inquisitor was sent to the bishopric, but local nobles tested his virtue with a beautiful maiden – and when he broke his vow of celibacy, the bishop had him walled up alive. When surveyors broke open a sealed cellar in 1785 they reportedly found a human skeleton that crumbled at a touch; a drawing master managed to sketch the remains before they fell apart. The room is still shown in the castle today, and visitors tell of the knight's restless spirit in the vaults.

FAQ

Where is Kuressaare Episcopal Castle located?

Kuressaare Episcopal Castle is in Saaremaa, Estonia.

More haunted places in Saaremaa

• The Merman and the Fall of Busby Läänemaa · Natural site
• The Devil's Smithy at Pyhalepa on Dagö Hiiumaa · Natural site
• The Nix and the Bridal Train of Busby Läänemaa · Natural site
• The Devil's Stone at Pyhalepa Church Hiiumaa · Natural site
• The Dark One Who Heaped Sand in the Sea, Ormsö Läänemaa · Natural site

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.