Väinatamm is the name of the largest

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

on the

Estonian national road 10 National Road 10 (also known as ''Risti-Virtsu-Kuivastu-Kuressaare maantee''; Risti-Virtsu-Kuivastu-Kuressaare highway) begins from Risti and branches off from the T9. The Risti-Virtsu-Kuivastu-Kuressaare highway is the only national route to i ...

. The causeway, opened in 1896, connects the island of

Muhu Muhu (also called Muhumaa in Estonian), is an island in the West Estonian archipelago of the Baltic Sea. With an area of it is the third largest island belonging to Estonia, after Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. Together with neighbouring smaller isl ...

, located between

Saaremaa Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring . The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island and west of Muhu island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago. The capital of the island i ...

and the

continent A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...

, with Saaremaa. Construction of the causeway cut the sea crossing between the continent and Saaremaa by about half, and transit time even further. In 1917, the causeway was the site of heavy fighting during

Operation Albion Operation Albion was a World War I German air, land and naval operation against the Russian forces in October 1917 to occupy the West Estonian Archipelago. The land campaign opened with German landings at the Tagalaht bay on the island of ...

, as German

bicycle troops Bicycle infantry are infantry soldiers who maneuver on (or, more often, between) battlefields using military bicycles. The term dates from the late 19th century, when the "safety bicycle" became popular in Europe, the United States, and Austra ...

attempted to cut off and encircle retreating Russian forces, while securing the route to Muhu.

References

Causeways in Europe Transport infrastructure completed in 1896 Muhu Parish Saaremaa Parish Buildings and structures in Saare County Tourist attractions in Saare County {{Estonia-stub