Haapsalu Episcopal Castle (Haapsalu Bishop's Castle)

Haapsalu Episcopal Castle (Haapsalu Bishop's Castle; Estonian: Haapsalu piiskopilinnus) is a medieval episcopal stronghold and cathedral complex in the seaside town of Haapsalu in western Estonia. Founded in the 13th century as the seat of the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, the complex served as the prince-bishops' domain and the diocese's main church. In later medieval centuries administrative shifts in the bishopric are recorded (for example, the bishop's move to Kuressaare in the late fourteenth century), but Haapsalu retained its cathedral and fortress architecture and later became a historic monument and focal point for tourism and local ritual life. The castle and cathedral remain in public use for cultural and ecclesiastical events; contemporary news sources record activities such as Good Friday Stations of the Cross processions held at the Episcopal Castle with participation by the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. The site is presented in heritage and travel guides as a large and well-preserved medieval complex at the heart of Haapsalu's Old Town. The site's principal supernatural association in the provided sources is a local legend: according to tradition, during full moons in August an image or apparition called the 'White Lady' appears on the inner wall of the castle chapel. The sources treat this claim as legend rather than as documented contemporary sightings; no named witnesses, dates of specific modern observations, or investigative reports are provided in the material reviewed.