Not many have ever heard of Kilingi-Nõmme, the capital of Saarde in Estonia, but this year, the town dresses up again in its Sunday clothes, to celebrate the Schilling – a festival of “beautiful music” – at its fifth edition. The whole idea of the festival is to show the harmony between agriculture and music.
Kilingi-Nõmme is not your usual tourist location – in fact, the place is rather blunt. But it holds value in authenticity: this is the true Estonia celebrating. If you ever wanted to discover Estonia off the beaten path, this is your chance. The Schilling festival, pretty much like the place, has nothing really spectacular to it, if you don’t enjoy raw, unchiseled talent. There will be, of course, a few popular local bands, but the gross of the festival is made by indie artists – and there’s a lot to discover here.
The Schilling festival takes place July 2, 2011, beginning with 3pm, at the Summer Garden in the heart of Kilingi-Nõmme. There will be eight bands performing on stage, and two bands and DJs at the after party, that is usually held in the town’s club. This year, a special stage for children, with wooden instruments, will entertain the young. In addition, children can enjoy a mini petting zoo, with sheep and goats. Souvenir hunters have a lot to explore: there will be festival shirts, as well as CDs by the performing artists, in addition to local crafts.
If you don’t make it at the festival, Kilingi-Nõmme doesn’t have much to offer, aside silence and nature. The town is surrounded by large forests and marshes, where you can pick berries in the summer, and mushrooms in the rainy season.
Nearby attractions include the Allikukivi caves (image), Nigula National Nature Reserve and Soomaa National Park.