Ungru Manor

Ungru Manor is an amazing hidden gem in open countryside just outside Haapsalu. This manor was never quite finished and now sits as an empty shell slowly falling into ruin. The count who started it in the 1890s set out to copy Merseburg Castle in Germany almost stone for stone, but never managed to complete it. Even unfinished and roofless it is a striking with its intricate architecture rising straight out of the grass. The ruin gives you plenty to work with. Empty window openings frame the sky and let light pour right through the building, the bare stone takes on lovely texture in low sun, and there is enough scale here to pull the surrounding lawn into your foreground. Try it straight on to feel imposing size of the ruins, or move around the sides for moodier angles shooting through the openings. Soft overcast days suit the stone and the haunted mood of the manor, while early morning or evening light stretches out across the front and brings out all the detail. This area is also the perfect spot to experiment with drone photography to really capture the scale of the manor. After World War II the manor fell into the hands of Soviet troops, in 1968 the chief of the airport decided to use the ruins of the manor to fill in the holes in the runway. The long abandoned airfield still sits behind the manor with its flat concrete and slow decay make the perfect background to the imposing manor. The site is out in the open and free to wander year round, so you can take your time. This amazing gem is well worth the short trip from Haapsalu. (Kiltsi, Lääne County, Estonia)