An amazing day among wonderful rocks

Memorial stone of missionary Österblöm

In the southern part of churchyard there is a monument from 1936 dedicated to missionary Lars Johan Österblom. Österblom came to Vormsi in 1873. For the next 13 years he managed to leave important steps to locals’ education and life. He established three schools and several houses of prayer. In 1887 Österblom was forced to leave the island.

The memorial stone of Hans Pöhl, the foreman of Coastal Swedes

In Hullo village there is a memorial stone dedicated to Hans Pöhl. Pöhl was one of the first intellectuals and ringleaders of National Awakening of Estonian Swedes. In the 1920s he represented Estonian Swedes in the government of the Republic of Estonia and he was a teacher in Noarootsi and in Tallinn.

Baron stone

The memorial stone or Baron stone dedicated to Otto Friedrick Fromhold von Stackelberg, the last baron of Vormsi. It locates in Hullo villages in the woods. The diameter of the stone is 20.6 metres, height is 2.4 metres and the cubage is 40 cubic meteres (H. Viiding, 1986). There is also a sign next to the clubhouse on the big road that points out to the stone. According to folktales the last baron of Vormsi liked to walk to the stone. There’s a text carved on the stone: “To father from loving sons””.

Slate knoll of Huitberg

On of the most attractive places in Vormsi is the slate knoll of Huitberg that locates in spruce wood in the middle of the island. Over 400 million years old coral reef, polished sleek by the ice, has been formed out of the lime shells of little animals that lived in the tropical low sea of Ordovician. On the calcaerous outcrop free from moss you can see fossils. Ferns, that are under protection, grow in the limestone grooves.

Vargstein or the Wolf stone

In the forest near Kerslet village there is the Wolf stone thats diameter is 18.7 metres with the height of 2.5 metres. The boulder has a quadrangular plan and a flat ceiling and it is sporadically covered with lichen. Big horizontal cleft passes through the stone.

Smen

Smen or Blacksmith stone is the biggest boulder of the centre of the island. The rock locates in Knuters farm of Borrby village, in a place that used to be hayfield and has a diameter of 22.6 metres and the height of 4.2 metres. The granite boulder has the shape of a brick and reminds of anvil with cragged sides Its ceiling is obliquely flat and climbs down in the South Western direction. There are a lot of lichens growing on the stone. The North Eastern part of the stone has stayed on the ground, but the South Western part is probably 1.5 metres in the ground. According to folktale some of the farmers had saved themselves during the attack of the Tatars in 1575 by sitting on the stone and throwing hot water and rocks on the enemies.

Church stone

A boulder in Norrby village. The length of the stone is 7.8 metres, it is 7.3 metres wide, 5.6 metres high and its diameter is 25-30 metres. The granite stone is in the sea water of the Northern part of Kerkgrunne island and it is easily find. The stone is on the conservation area of Väinameri Sea. A character feature of the boulder is a stripe that marks the water level of 1851. The stone was used as a nesting place by an eagle (Eibefolke, 1851), that’s why it is called Eernstain or Eagle stone.

Vormsi