There is an unwritten code in Estonia: if you want to see something weird, go to the islands. It is on these isolated and remote from civilization plots of land that the country’s strangest and most mysterious landmarks are located. Ancient manors and enigmatic stone passes, said to be homes for ancient spirits and ghosts; abandoned villages, frozen in time... You can be listing the unusual places of the Estonian islands for hours! One of these curiosities is the Kaali meteorite craters site on the largest island in the country, Saaremaa, which appeared about seven and a half thousand years ago.

The story of how Kaali appeared can fit a plot trigger of a Hollywood blockbuster. A massive rock from space was rushing to the surface of the earth. While still flying, it split into several large pieces, which crashed into Saaremaa Island. Their impact was comparable to that of the bomb in Hiroshima. At that time, Estonia was at the Nordic Bronze Age. Forests and small settlements occupied the area around where the celestial bodies fell. Within a radius of six kilometers, all was instantly killed by the impact of the space-borne rocks. Today, only nine craters, known as Kaali, remind us of this terrible event.

Most of the depressions left by the impact of the meteorite are small: the smallest of them barely reaches one meter in width and depth. But the largest has a diameter of 110 meters and a depth of 22 meters. It is surrounded by a scenic forest and filled with water, which is why it was named Lake Kaali.

Annually, this meteorite craters group attracts thousands of curious visitors. However, there is also something to see in the vicinity. Estonian archaeologists have discovered an ancient stone wall surrounding the crater lake and animal remains near Kaali. Many agree that several centuries ago, this place was used for sacrifices.

After exploring the Kaali Lake and craters, visitors are welcome to see the local museum of meteoritic astronomy and flagstone, where they can learn details on these topics and recharge with powerful cosmic energy by touching a 96-kilogram meteorite piece from the Sikhote-Alin.