At the courtyard of the Estonian Swedes Museum, there’s a small log house with a thatched roof that catches the eye, with a sign “Bastabacka.” This is a typical Estonian Swedes barn – spikar, in the local Swedish dialect, which in turn comes from German – Speicher. The barn was used to store various products such as fish, meat, clothes, and grain. Often, several barns were built together, forming a long row.

This barn was brought here from Läänemaa, Noarootsi, from the forest ranger’s farm belonging to Riguldi Manor, near Höbring village, called Bastaback or Saunamäe. After the nationalization of Riguldi Manor’s forests, it became a state forest ranger’s place. In the 1930s, a new residential house was built, but the barn and the barn remained the same. In 2001, the dilapidated barn was purchased for the museum and brought to Haapsalu. The transportation was assisted by Ragn-Sells AS, and the first thatched roof was made by sponsorship from OÜ Branta from Lihula. Bastabacka got a new thatched roof in February 2020, this time the thatchers came from Hiiumaa, OÜ Rooproff.

Since the summer of 2020, the net shed houses a maritime-themed exhibition. Prominently displayed in the middle is the Vormsi lighthouse light.