Keila

Keila is loved for the wide range of sports and exercise opportunities it offers, with something for everyone: health tracks with a skiing and sledding slope; running, mountain-biking, skiing, rollerblading and hiking tracks; a football field with both artificial and natural grass; a children’s adventure park; and two 18-hole disc golf courses. The town is also home to a pool with a gym and water park that hosts a variety of dance, aerobics and ball game classes for children and adults. The cultural centre, church, museum, youth centre and library in the town cater for intellectual, spiritual and creative pursuits. There are plans to set up a creative hub in the town, which is also earmarked for the construction of a shopping centre with a cinema and concert hall in the near future.

Steeped in history, the verdant town of Keila is the perfect place to live for anyone who enjoys an active lifestyle. It is situated in Harju County and is well connected to the capital, Tallinn.

Keila was first mentioned as far back as 1241. The life of the town in the Middle Ages was shaped by its church, which was rather prosperous at the time. St Michael’s remains one of the symbols of Keila today, but is was something altogether more mundane which led to the town truly flourishing: the advent of railway. In an era when travelling by train is comfortable, convenient, fast, efficient and environmentally friendly, buying a home close to a railway station is a growing trend. There are already almost 40 trains a day between Keila and Tallinn, and an extension to the line which will make train travel even more convenient is due for completion within the next few years.

With its youthful vibe, Keila charms people for the active recreation opportunities it affords both within the town itself and in the surrounding area: health tracks with a skiing and sledding slope; running, mountain-biking, skiing, rollerblading and hiking tracks; a football field with both artificial and natural grass; a children’s adventure park; and two 18-hole disc golf courses. The town is also home to a pool with a gym and water park that hosts a variety of dance, aerobics and ball game classes for children and adults.

The cultural centre (which regularly hosts exhibitions and plays), St Michael’s church, the exciting Harju County museum, the town’s youth centre and its innovative library cater for intellectual, spiritual and creative pursuits. According to plans, the town will also soon be home to a creative hub as well as a shopping centre with a cinema and concert hall.

Other interesting places worth spending time in are a short drive away – dive into the bright blue waters of the former Rummu quarry, take a stroll in Keila-Joa park, enjoy the singing sand dunes and beaches in Laulasmaa and make your way through the blueberry bushes to discover the Arvo Pärt Centre tucked away in their midst.

On the whole, residents of Keila boast a higher level of education than the Harju County and Estonian average. Contributing to this are the town’s school, which caters to all 12 grades, and the hobby education opportunities on offer. Also playing their part are the large companies operating in Keila that require tertiary-educated staff.

Good people deserve a nice place to live, and in the case of Keila it can be said that it is a true pearl both inside and out. Last year it became one of the few places in Estonia to boast a visitor-attracting fountain whose colourful display lights up the darkness. Soon it will also boast a full network of walking and cycling tracks and a shiny new town square that is certain to become one of its most enchanting sights.