Käsmu – The Captains' Village

Käsmu was first mentioned in 1453 as Kesemo, a beach belonging to the Aaspere Manor. Later in 1524 it is affirmed that Käsmu exists as a village. 1884–1931 a maritime school operated in Käsmu.
Altogether 1664 students studied in Käsmu, 107 came from Käsmu village itself. There used to be so many captains living here - acknowledged by the flagpoles in their gardens - that people started to call Käsmu "the Captains' village". The summering in Käsmu started in 1840 after the owner of Aaspere Manor General Nikolai von Dellingshausen built his family summer manor there. Since then, many intellectuals and artists have stayed in Käsmu. Those celebrities include Edmund Russow, Anastasia Tsvetaeva, Peter Ustinov, Romulus Tiitus, Igor Vsevoloþski (buried in Käsmu), Nikolai Rakov, Ülo Vinter (buried in Käsmu), Arvo Pärt and Gustav Ernesaks.