Estonia

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Quick Facts

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Local name

Eesti

Capital

Tallinn

Government

Parliamentary Republic

Nationality

Estonian

Population

1 340 935^[1]

Languages

Estonian, Russian

Religions

Christianity (Protestant, Orthodox)

Currency

Estonian Kroon (EEK)

Calling Code

+372

Time Zone

EET (UTC+2)

Summer (DST)

EEST (UTC+3)

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Introduction

Lovely Church in Tallinn

© All Rights Reserved StephenJen

Estonia is a small nation, but a proud one. When it achieved its independence from the Soviets in 1991, seven centuries of foreign domination drew to a close. Now, the country busily endeavours to adapt to modern society; while for other Western states this has come to mean a loss of heritage, Estonia has kept its traditional look. This is nowhere more obvious than at Tallinn, the capital, where architectural designs from six centuries ago survive proudly, as people stroll down cobbled streets, with spires shooting upwards overhead.

Estonians also take considerable care of their environment, making this one of Europe's most interesting places for nature lovers. Whilst geographically unspectacular, this is more than made up for by extensive forestation, a lengthy coastline and numerous islands. These provide a home for several species of protected eagles, as well as the quirky flying squirrel.

Brief History

Geography

Estonia shares international borders with Russia and Latvia. There is also regular ferries to Finland and Sweden.

Regions

Estonia is divided into 15 counties.

• Harju County (Harjumaa)
• Hiiu County (Hiiumaa)
• Ida-Viru County (Ida-Virumaa)
• Järva County (Järvamaa)
• Jõgeva County (Jõgevamaa)
• Lääne County (Läänemaa)
• Lääne-Viru County (Lääne-Virumaa)
• Pärnu County (Pärnumaa)
• Põlva County (Põlvamaa)
• Rapla County (Raplamaa)
• Saare County (Saaremaa)
• Tartu County (Tartumaa)
• Valga County (Valgamaa)
• Viljandi County (Viljandimaa)
• Võru County (Võrumaa)

Cities

• Tallinn
• Tartu
• Narva
• Pärnu
• Kohtla-Järve

Sights and Activities

Kuressaare Castle

Kuressaare Castle is a magnificent castle on the island of Saaermaa off the coast of Estonia. Located on a strategic spot this castle has changed hands many times. Originally it was first mentioned in written texts in the 14th century. Denmark bought the island with the castle in 1559 and it continued to jump from country to country until the Russians took control of the it in 1710. Today the castle is a very popular tourist sight.

Lake Peipsi

Lake Peipsi is the largest lake in Estonia and located on the border with Russia. Although heavily polluted during Russian times the lake has started to return back to its state of natural beauty again. This lake is a great place to spend a few days boating or hiking in the around area it.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the largest orthodox church in Tallinn old town. It is built in a typical Russian Revival style between 1894 to 1900. After Estonia declared independence from the Russian Empire the government talked about destroying it but never did it. After separating from Russia the Estonia's faithfully restored the church. The church is located on the top of Toompea Hill.

Old Town of Tallinn

Tallinn has one of the best old towns in the world. The maundering streets and ancient buildings mix together to make for a charming and picturesque place. Remember to explore the upper and lower towns to see the old divided city. The pest parts to see are the medieval town hall with in tack stocks out front, Viru Gate, Toompea Hill and St Catherine's Passage.

Lahemaa

Estonia's most famous national park is Lahemaa, and it is the most popular day trip from Tallinn.

Other Sights and Activities

• National History Musuem - Located in Tallinn this museum gives a great description of Estonia history with good English translations. There is also an awesome model of the old town in the lobby.
• Sauna - Sit back and relax in an Estonia sauna.
• Kadriorg Palace - Visit this amazing former palace of Peter Great. Part of this palace now houses the Art Museum of Estonia.

Events and Festivals

Song Festival

First held in 1869 when Estonia was still part of the Russian Empire, The song festival was a key part of the emergence of the Estonian Nation and the resulting independence in 1918. It also served as an inspirational force during soviet times. It is now held every four years, with the next one being in July 2009. http://www.laulupidu.ee/eng

Weather

Estonia is not known for the great weather. Summers, though warm, are not particularly inviting. Although temperatures of over 30 degrees are possible, they are around 20 degrees during the day on average. Winters are cold with snowfall. Average maximum temperatures are around -5 degrees Celsius while nights average around -10 degrees. Occasionally, when the winds blow east from Siberia, temperatures can plummit way below -20 degrees. Precipitation is fairly even throughout the year, but winters and spring tend to be a bit drier. On average, there are between 10 and 15 wet days with around 50 mm of rain or snow a month.

Getting There

By Plane

Estonian Air is the national airline of Estonia with its base at Tallinn Airport (TLL). It operates flights throughout Europe with main destinations being Paris, London and Brussels. Other airlines, among others, serving Tallinn are Air Baltic, KLM to Amsterdam, Lufthansa to Frankfurt and Berlin, and LOT to Warsaw.

Low-cost airline easyJet flies from Berlin and London to TLL.

By Train

There are trains to Russia, including trains to Moscow. Check Go Rail for more information regarding schedules and prices.

By Car

You can travel by car to Estonia relatively straightforward. On most ferries (see below) you can also bring your car, for example from Finland. Border crossings with Latvia are easy, with Russia you need to have some more documentation like visa etc. Be sure to have your car papers and insurance (green card) in order and don't forget an international driving permit.

By Bus

Eurolines has buses to Riga and Vilnius. There are more buses further away as well, including to cities in Germany and Poland.

By Boat

Getting to and from Estonia by boat is very easy. Most ferry companies service Tallinn but some of the smaller towns also have boat service. Remember to book online for cheaper tickets and ahead during busy times of the year.

Finland and Sweden

• Nordic Jet - Has boats running between Helsinki and Tallinn, 1 about every 2 hours starting at 8 am and ending at 7:30 pm. A one way super economy ticket is 28 € but you have to book your tickets online.
• Tallink Silja - Also has regular service between Helsinki and Tallinn starting at 7:30 am but also has service to several other Scandinavia cities, like Stockholm.
• Viking Line - One of this companies larger boats makes its first or last stop in Tallinn before going to Helsinki then on to Sweden.

Germany

• Silja Line has ferries between Tallinn and Rostock.

Getting Around

By Plane

Airest and Avies have a limited number of domestic flights, for example between Tallinn and Kuressaare. As distances are small, there is no real need and it's relatively expensive as well.

By Train

Edelarautee is the national railway of Estonia. It has services between Tallinn and dozens of other cities and towns, including Parnu, Viljandi, Valga, Tapa and Tartu.

By Car

The road network in Estonia is in a fairly good shape, but there are only a few highways and as a result travelling times can add up quickly when driving along the secondary roads. You can rent cars at airports, major hotels and the bigger cities and you need a national driver's licence (EU citizens) or international permit (other citizens). You can also bring your own car and make sure to have sufficient third party insurance (green card EU). Traffic drives on the right side of the road.

By Bus

There are lots of companies, with GoBus having one of the best networks with frequent, reliable and comfortable buses travelling almost to any city and rural towns and villages.

By Boat

There are frequent ferries travelling between the mainland and some islands off the coast with the operator Saaremaa. There are also boats operating on Lake Peipsi and the Emajogi River.

Red Tape

If you are a European Union (EU) citizen, you may enter without any restriction as per your EU citizenship rights. If you are not an EU citizen and Estonia is the first stop on your visit, you will need to obtain a Schengen Visa. This visa is valid for any country in the Schengen zone.

Money

See also: Money Matters

The official currency is the Estonian Kroon (ISO code: EEK). One kroon (plural: krooni) is divided into 100 senti (singular: sent). Banknotes come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500 krooni. Coins are in 5 senti, 10 senti, 20 senti, 50 senti, 1 kroon and 5 krooni.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also: Travel Health

Safety

See also: Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

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