#Estonia, Gulf of Riga, #Kihnu. February 2026.

For the first time in 13 years, the ice road connecting Kihnu to the Estonian mainland was officially opened. The ferry had been stranded by heavy ice and record-low water levels, leaving the island’s residents cut off. Locals began crossing on their own before authorities acted.

The delay sparked public debate: for Kihnu people, crossing the frozen Gulf of Riga is not an emergency measure only, it's intangible cultural heritage.

#kihnujaatee