In a nutshell
- Rummu quarry is an unofficial and unguarded place for swimming or diving, and locals usually come to swim in summer.[1]
- The maximum depth of the lake at Rummu quarry is 14 metres.[2] Rummu Diving & WaterSports organizes weekly dives for certified divers.[3]
- Rummu Quarry is open all year round every day from 10:00 to 20:00.[4]
- The summer water temperature at Rummu Quarry is 15.0-20.0 °C, which is bracing rather than balmy.[5]
- FlixBus runs 2 rides each day between Tallinn and Rummu.[6] Daytrip lists the transfer from Rummu Quarry & Prison to Tallinn at 45 km and 50 min.[7]
| By car | By bus | Guided tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | 45 km from Tallinn by road[7] | FlixBus, 2 rides each day[6] | Guided day trips from Tallinn |
| Travel time | Estimated 50 min[7] | Check the timetable before you travel | 6 hours[8] |
| Cost | Your own fuel and driving | Check current fares with the operator | from US$144[8] |
| Flexibility | Go and stop when you like | Depends on the timetable | Fixed route with a guide |
| Suits | Early starts and quiet mornings | Travellers without a car | Coast, cliffs and falls in one loop |
Max Lake Depth: 14 m (but you’re usually diving at around 5 -7 m)
Can you swim in Rummu Quarry? The verdict
Know before you leave
- Check the wind and weather forecast for the coast on the day you plan to visit
- Look at the bus timetable in advance if you are travelling without a car
- Pack sunscreen, a hat and water, the quarry rim has very little shade
- Expect cold water even in high summer, and pack a warm layer for afterwards
In the water
- Swim with a partner and keep young children within arm's reach
- Wear swimming shoes for the concrete and rubble underfoot
- Plan your swim so you are out and dry well before the site closes
- Stay near the shallow edges unless you are a confident open water swimmer
Is It Safe to Swim in Rummu Quarry?
The short answer is that people swim here, but nothing about it is official. Rummu quarry is an unofficial and unguarded place for swimming or diving, and locals usually come to swim in summer.[1] You are stepping into a flooded former quarry ringed by the ruins of a Soviet-era prison and the pale limestone walls cut around it. The look of the place is why people come: milky white rock, water that shifts between turquoise and deep green as the clouds pass, and concrete buildings standing half-submerged among the trees.
Treat it like any other wild lake. Swim with someone, keep young children within arm's reach, and look at the surface before you commit to a long crossing. Rummu Quarry is open all year round every day from 10:00 to 20:00.[4] An early morning or late afternoon visit fits neatly around a day in Tallinn. Summer is when the water feels most inviting. The summer water temperature at Rummu Quarry is 15.0-20.0 °C, bracing on a hot day and genuinely cold when the wind picks up.[5] Bring a towel and a warm layer for afterwards; the quarry sits in flat, open country where the breeze finds you.
How Deep Is Rummu Quarry?
The maximum depth of the lake at Rummu quarry is 14 metres.[2] That is the deepest point, out in the middle of the flooded pit where the old workings went down furthest. Knowing the Rummu quarry depth is useful: you can wade and paddle near the edges, while the middle of the lake is a long way down. How deep is Rummu quarry at the exact spot you choose depends on where you stand, so read the colour of the water and the slope of the shore before you walk in. Rubble and concrete underfoot are leftovers from the quarrying and the prison that once stood here.
Depth is the reason divers like the site. Cold, still water over sunken structures makes for a very different dive from anything on the Estonian coast, and the lake is small enough to explore in a single outing. If you are swimming rather than diving, staying near the shore is the sensible choice. Visibility shifts with the weather and the season, so a lake that looks milky one week can look clearer the next. Ask locally on the day if you want a current picture, and never assume the calm surface tells you what is underneath.
The flooded quarry, the prison ruins and the pale limestone terraces cut around the lake
Why the Quarry Filled With Water
The Rummu quarry began to fill with water after the nearby prison closed after 1991 and pumps that kept the quarry dry were shut down.[9] Before that, groundwater had to be pumped out continuously so that digging could continue below the water table. Once the pumps stopped, the pit did what any hole in wet ground does: the water crept up around the walls, the buildings and the machinery left behind. What you see today is a working landscape that quietly turned into a lake, with terraces and ruins still reading like a map of the old operation.
The stone quarried here is Vasalemma limestone, a detritic limestone with a marble-like structure and texture that is locally known as Vasalemma marble.[10] It is pale and comparatively easy to cut and shape, and it gives the quarry its whitish-grey colour where fresh rock is exposed. Walking the rim, you can read the site like a staircase: each level marks a period when the digging went deeper, until the water made going further impossible.
Getting to Rummu Quarry From Tallinn
The quarry lies west of Tallinn, out towards Paldiski, in flat coastal country of pine, juniper and limestone. Daytrip lists the transfer between Rummu Quarry & Prison and Tallinn at a total distance of 45 km and an estimated time of 50 min.[7] By car that is an easy run out of the city, and the route is straightforward once you clear the suburbs. Leave early if you want the lake to yourself, and keep an eye on the weather, because the coast can be breezier than Tallinn.
Without a car, the bus still works. FlixBus runs 2 rides each day between Tallinn and Rummu.[6] With so few departures, plan the return as carefully as the outward trip and check the timetable before you commit to a late afternoon swim. A guided day trip takes the whole problem away: you are driven between the stops and dropped back in the city, and you never have to think about parking or connections.
from US$144
Six hours from Tallinn in a small group of up to seven, with Keila Waterfall, Paldiski and Rummu Quarry among the stops.[8]
Diving, Snorkelling and Winter Skating
Rummu has become a small diving destination in its own right. Rummu Diving & WaterSports organizes weekly dives for certified divers, open water dives for those whose courses are incomplete, and full OWD courses.[3] If you have never dived, a quarry lake is a calmer place to learn than the open sea. Snorkelling along the near edge is a gentler way to see the submerged walls and the shapes below the surface, and it needs nothing more than a mask and a sense of curiosity.
In winter the same water freezes and the site changes character completely. A ticket to the Rummu skating rink is €10 per person or €20 per family, and it includes access to the Rummu quarry in winter along with the skating rink, the prison and an audio guide.[11] Skating on a frozen quarry lake with the prison ruins around you is a very different outing from a summer swim, and the cold months make the ruins and the ice the main event.
What to Bring and When to Go
Pack for a lake rather than a resort: swimming shoes for the rough bottom, a towel, a dry bag, drinking water and a windproof layer for afterwards. Whatever you need comes with you. If you would rather stay overnight than rush back to the city, Rummu Caravan Park, located in Rummu Quarry, offers overnight accommodation for motorhomes, caravans and tents.[12] If you want to warm up after a cold dip, sauna rituals are offered at Paekalda Holiday Center.[13]
Summer is the obvious season for swimming, with the warmest water and the longest evenings. Spring and autumn suit walking the rim and photographing the ruins without a crowd, and the quarry is open all year round every day from 10:00 to 20:00, with the light changing through the seasons long after the swimming season ends.[4] Take a rain jacket whatever the forecast says, and shoes with grip for the loose stone.
Seeing Rummu on a Day Tour From Tallinn
A guided day trip from Tallinn is an easy way to see the quarry, and one strong option ties it to the coast. Tallinn: Rummu Quarry, Coastal Cliffs & Keila Waterfall runs 6 hours, is limited to 7 participants and has a live guide in English. It starts from US$144, you can reserve now and pay later, and free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[8]
The route strings together several stops in a single loop: Suurupi, Keila Waterfall, Paldiski, Pakri Lighthouse and Rummu Quarry.[8] Keila waterfall is 6 metres high, and it is an easy place to stop on the way past.[14] If you want a longer day with more Soviet-era history, From Tallinn: Paldiski Soviet Era Sights and Rummu Quarry runs 7 hours in a group of up to 8 and starts from US$127.[15] A private alternative, Tallinn: Pakri landscape conservation park and coast 5h, is from US$167 and includes Keila Waterfall among its stops.[16]
How long these Rummu day tours last
Durations as listed on GetYourGuide for these three tours.[8][15][16]
What a Rummu day costs
From-prices in US dollars from these GetYourGuide listings.[8][15][16][17]
When to plan your Rummu swim
How to plan a Rummu swim
Pick your season
Summer for a swim, winter for ice and skating, spring and autumn for quiet walks around the rim.
Plan your transport
Drive, take the bus (FlixBus runs 2 rides each day between Tallinn and Rummu), or join a guided day tour.[6]
Check the hours
Rummu Quarry is open all year round every day from 10:00 to 20:00, which leaves room for an early or a late visit.[4]
Choose your activity
Wade and swim near the edge, snorkel the shallows, or join a weekly dive if you hold a certificate.[3]
Go prepared
Bring shoes for the rough bottom, a towel, water and a warm layer, and swim with someone rather than alone.
Rummu Quarry, the cliffs and Keila Waterfall in one day trip
from US$144Reserve now & pay later
