Kurevere is characterised by a partly open cultural landscape that preserves traces of earlier land use: historic farmsteads, sacred stones and a stone burial ground. The geological outcrop near Jaagarahu is another distinctive feature of the area. For spatial orientation, it is important to note that only part of the village lies within Vilsandi National Park; the seven sacred stones are outside this part of the park.

Landscape and Historic Land Use

Kurevere’s partly open landscape is classified as a representative cultural landscape. Historic woodland areas have been preserved within the national park. A 2014 land-cover analysis classified these woodland areas as historic landscape features; vegetation conditions may change. Spring fens are also found in the part of Kurevere within the national park. The landscape therefore reveals a variety of features: open areas, historically shaped woodland and wetland areas.

Within the national park, stone walls are found mainly around historic farmsteads and in their fields. Many walls have fallen into disrepair because the farmsteads and fields were abandoned. Three historic farmsteads remain. The larger barn on the Harila cadastral parcel was assessed as particularly valuable. Alongside its natural features, this landscape also visibly reflects its agricultural history.

A historically significant section of path from the lands of the Ossi farmstead to the Harila farmstead has been preserved and can be walked. Check local conditions before visiting, as they may change. Smaller paths to farmsteads that have since been destroyed are difficult or impossible to drive on; do not plan to use them as driving routes without checking in advance.

Sacred Stones and Archaeological Traces

The seven Kurevere sacred stones lie outside the part of the village within the national park. Most have one or two hollows; one stone has 62. In the 1st millennium BC, the stones were used as cult objects. It is believed that they were moved there from the village’s old fields to the east of their present location. This origin is an interpretation, not an established fact.

Old stone heaps in Kurevere are also considered evidence of the earliest agriculture. The Kurevere stone burial ground was used as a burial site over a very long period. Finds dating from the 7th to the 12th century were recovered there during investigations in 1874, 1877 and 1965. Taken together, these traces represent different aspects of the past: early agriculture, cult practices and burials.

At the beginning of the Jaagarahu jetty, a memorial stone to the deportees stands among junipers. It was erected on 17 June 1989. The stone adds another specific historical reference point in the area to the older archaeological evidence.

Geology near Jaagarahu

The Jaagarahu quarries lie between Jaagarahu Harbour and the village of Kurevere. The lower part of the Jaagarahu Formation is exposed on the wall rising above the water. The limestone exposed there contains stromatoporoid remains. As well as traces of human use, the site offers a glimpse into the geology of the area.

The geological outcrop is permanently preserved. Trees and shrubs grow there, and the vegetation may change. There is also an abandoned, water-filled limestone quarry near Jaagarahu. Its water level may vary, so its appearance may change.

Discover more destinations: Mäebe, Abula, Undva, Tammese, Kihelkonna, Rootsiküla

Return to the main travel overview: Kihelkonna.