▁the ▁" V en ice ▁of ▁the ▁Balt ics ", ▁although ▁this ▁claim ▁has ▁been ▁critic ized ▁as ▁an ▁ex agger ation . ▁The ▁name ▁" Ha aps alu " ▁is ▁from ▁Est onian ▁ha ab ▁' as pen ' ▁and ▁sal u ▁' gro ve .' ▁In ▁Swedish ▁and ▁German , ▁the ▁town ▁is ▁called ▁H aps al , ▁and ▁in ▁Russian ▁it ▁is ▁Га ́ п са ль ▁( G aps al ). ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁town ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁ 1 2 7 9 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁char tered ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁Bishop ric ▁of ▁Ö sel - W iek , ▁which ▁it ▁remained ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁ 3 0 0 ▁years . ▁Build ings ▁from ▁those ▁early ▁days ▁remain ▁today , ▁including ▁an ▁epis cop al ▁castle ▁which ▁has ▁the ▁largest ▁single - na ve ▁c athedral ▁in ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁states , ▁Ha aps alu ▁Castle . ▁ ▁Ha aps alu ▁and ▁the ▁surrounding ▁area ▁was ▁the ▁center ▁for ▁the ▁Est onian ▁Sw edes ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ▁until ▁the ▁ev acu ation ▁of ▁almost ▁all ▁eth nic ▁Sw edes ▁from ▁Est onia ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁Ne igh bor hood s ▁of ▁Ha aps alu ▁There ▁are ▁six ▁neighborhood s ▁of ▁Ha aps alu : ▁Hol mi ▁K esk lin n ▁M än nik u ▁Par ale pa ▁R ands alu ▁Van al inn . ▁ ▁He aling ▁sp as ▁For ▁many ▁years , ▁loc