Discover Estonia
Fun at Every Turn
www.visitestonia.com
Discover Estonia
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Võiste
MÕISAKÜLA
Ülenurme Roiu
Võnnu Mehikoorma
Nõo Kambja
Ahja VastseKuuste
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© Regio 2009
Estonia in brief
FINLAND
NORWAY
SWEDEN ESTONIA
RUSSIA
LATVIA
Official name:
Republic of Estonia (Eesti Vabariik in Estonian)
Area
45,227 km2
Inhabitants
1.36 million
Capital
Tallinn (405,000 inhabitants)
Official language
Estonian
Form of government:
parliamentary democracy
National holiday
24 February (Independence Day)
Currency:
the Estonian kroon (EEK) (1 EUR =15.6466 EEK)
National bird:
barn swallow
National flower:
cornflower
LITHUANIA DENMARK BELARUS
GERMANY
POLAND
UKRAINE
The Republic of Estonia is a member of the European Union; Schengen area and NATO. Estonia is in the East European time zone (GMT/BST +02:00). Estonia’s country code is +372. To place an International call start by dialling 00.
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Õisu Halliste
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Ilmatsalu Ulila Puhja Tõrvandi
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Paikuse
Varnja
Lähte
Tori Soomaa National Park
Valjala
Estonia lies on n the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, south of Finland, bordering Russia to the east and Latvia to the south. It is a country of many facets with a rich history and diverse culture, rooted in centuries of tradition, much of which is still in evidence today.
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DISCOVER ESTONIA
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Keava Kehtna Lelle
Avinurme
Rakke
Koeru
Kuusiku
Tudulinna
Laekvere
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Iisaku
Simuna
Kaiu
RAPLA
Risti Palivere
Taebla Paralepa
Mäetaguse Roela Tudu
Väike-Maarja
Roosna- JÄRVA-JAANI Alliku
Matsalu National Park
Tauksi
Nootamaa
Juuru
Käina Heinlaid
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Toila NARVA Voka KOHTLASinimäe Uhtna KIVIÕLI SILLAMÄE JÄRVE Sõmeru JÕHVI KOHTLARAKVERE Sonda PÜSSINÕMME SOMPA AHTME VIIVIKONNA
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Despite its compact size each region of Estonia has its own distinctive character. Visitors will find fens and forests, virgin bogs, over 1,400 lakes, 3,794 kilometres of coastline marked by bays and straits. The country has around 1,500 islands and islets, numerous rivers and streams and an unspoilt landscape characterised by colourful cities, historic villages and towns, dotted with manor houses, castles and traditional thatched dwellings.
To the west is the juniper-clad j p coa coastline ast stliline and the numerous islands of Estonia’s archipelago, characterised by wooden windmills and traditional log buildings with thatched roofs that practically brush the ground. Estonia’s best known seaside resort is its “summer capital” Pärnu on the southwest coast, popular for its beautiful sandy beach, vibrant nightlife and curative health spas. This guide is your passport to finding out about what to see and where to go in Estonia and is planned to offer you two, three and five day tours, to optimise your stay and enjoy the many attractions in the different regions of Estonia. Welcome!
Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, is also Europe’s oldest capital and its Old Town is one of Europe’s best-preserved walled medieval cities. The northern coastline, on which Tallinn is located, is characterised by high limestone cliffs, spouting numerous waterfalls, and white sandy beaches nestled in dense pine forests. Tartu is the country’s second city, a university town located in southern Estonia. It is a pleasant place to visit, tranquil and with a unique spirit, bisected by a river, with leafy parks and streets lined with 19th century wooden houses. The countryside surrounding Tartu has distinctive rounded hills, undulating green countryside, river valleys, lakes, nature reserves, old manors and stately castles. Estonian’s eastern border is mainly marked by the vast shoreline of Lake Peipus (Europe’s fifth largest lake), studded with a string of villages known for their smoked fish, cucumbers and the best onions in the country.
New and old Tallinn
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TALLIN TALLINN NN A AND NORTHERN ESTONIA N ORTHERN E ESTO Vaindloo
Day 1 and 2 LLahemaa h N National ti lP Park k Mohni Pärispea
Prangli Juminda
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Padise
Vasalemma Laitse
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Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, is the oldest capital in northern Europe and the European Capital of Culture in 2011. The city was first recorded by the Arab cartographer al-Idrisi back in 1154. Tallinn’s subsequent 800 years of history has created a city of colourful buildings, slender spires, ancient hostelries and pleasant squares. Tallinn’s Old Town is one of Europe’s best preserved medieval cities and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Town Hall Square provides a good starting point for any tour of Tallinn and is headed up by late gothic Town Hall which dates back to the early 13th century. The building has 64-metre high octagonal spire, topped by the landmark ‘Vana Toomas’ (‘Old Thomas’) weathervane. In summer visitors can climb to the top of the spire for a commanding view of the city. Old Thomas, with his big moustache, is also a symbol of Tallinn city. Just off Town Hall Square is the Town Hall Phar-
Discover Estonia
Palmse
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Altja
Loobu
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Vainupea Eisma
Vihula
Võsupere Viitna Aaspere
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KEHRA Lehtse
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Tallinn
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Kiiu Kuusalu
Saku
Ääsmäe
Vergi
Vihasoo
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Valkla
Jägala Falls
Tabasalu
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Kaberneeme
Loo Kostivere Lagedi Jõelähtme Vääna Harku PALDISKI Assaku Raasiku Keila-Joa Jüri Pakri Laagri Kangru Aruküla SAUE Luige KIILI Klooga Väike-Pakri Lehola Vaida Nabala Vihterpalu
Sala
Käsmu Suurpea Käsmu Kasispea
Kolga-Aabla
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Muraste
Türisalu
Leesi
Aksi
Aegna
Naissaar
Uhtju
Viinistu
Pajusti
Assamalla 390 km ~7 h Porkuni 30 min
ViruJaagup
Sääse
macy (‘Raeapteek’), one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe, which sells modern medicines alongside those created from medieval recipes. The most significant churches in Tallinn’s Old Town are also the largest. St. Nicholas Church has the oldest known decorative portal in Tallinn. The church currently serves as a museum and concert hall and its biggest attraction is a work by one of the bestknown artists of the Middle Ages, Bernt Notke. St. Olaf’s Church is the highest house of worship in Estonia and between 1549 and 1625 was the tallest building in the world, its spire rising to 123.7 metres. Not surprisingly the viewing platform offers the best view of virtually the entire city. Toompea Hill is another of Tallinn’s important landmarks and also the seat of Estonia’s government buildings, including Stenbock House, where the prime minister’s offices are located. The hill’s Toompea Castle now houses the Estonian Parliament. The castle’s 45-metre high corner tower is
Tallinn panorama called Tall Hermann and flies Estonia’s blue black and white national flag. Opposite Toompea Castle are the characteristic onion domes of the beautiful St. Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral, Tallinn’s largest and grandest orthodox cupola cathedral, built in 1900. A short distance away from the cathedral is the central Lutheran cathedral, known as the Dome Church, the onetime residence of Tallinn’s bishops and the country’s highest clergymen. Toompea is also the site of the Patkuli and Kohtuotsa viewing platforms which offer magnificent views of the Old Town and the Gulf of Finland behind.
fices and apartments and a colourful farmer’s market where locals and tourists can buy fresh produce from Estonia’s farms and gardens. The baroque Kadriorg Palace with its beautiful landscaped park, built by the Russian Tsar Peter the Great in the 18th century, is the most outstanding landscaped park in Estonia and is a short walk (around 2.5 kilometres) from the Rotermann Quarter. On display in the palace are examples of Western European and Russian art from the 1620th centuries.
Tallinn’s enclosing city wall originally had a length of 2.35 kilometres and comprised 46 wall and gate towers. Large sections of it still stand today including 26 of the defensive towers, each with its own name. The ancient city walls can be seen in their most authentic form along the narrow and wellshaded Müürivahe Street, where traditional lamb’s wool handicrafts can also be found. Between the Old Town and the port is the Rotermann Quarter, which has attracted much attention for its contemporary architecture. This is an area of formerly industrial buildings right in the heart of Tallinn, now rebuilt along sleek modern lines. The Quarter houses shops, boutiques, restaurants, of-
Town Hall Square
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Day 2 - Cliff and Lahemaa Leave Tallinn’s towers and spires behind a second day touring the north coastline provides a pleasant contrast with the city The first must-see stop along the coast is the 31-metre high Türisalu cliff, a promontory into the Gulf of Finland that provides an incomparable view of the sea. Its limestone cliffs were sculpted by the ancient Neva River that is thought to have flowed millions of years ago through what it is now the Gulf of Finland This stretch of coast is highly characteristic of northern Estonia.
Song Festival Grounds during the Song Festival Close by is Tallinn’s striking new KUMU Art Museum, the largest multifunctional art centre in Scandinavia and the Baltic’s. Its permanent exhibition traces the history of Estonian art since the 18th century, while temporary exhibits comprise of both foreign and Estonian modern and contemporary art. From Kadriorg Park it’s a short walk to the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds where the Estonian Song Festival, is held every five years. Up to 25,000 singers gather to sing beneath the modern Tallinn Song Stage, built in 1959. The venue recently
hosted over 70,000 Madonna fans and has also provided a stage for Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Tina Turner etc. From the Song Festival Grounds it’s a pleasant stroll to the seafront to visit the ruins of the original Pirita Convent, first consecrated in the 15th century and situated next to a modern convent building, opened in 2001. The view back from the Pirita road towards the Old Town, harbour and modern Tallinn is spectacular.
The road follows the cliff for some distance on its way to Keila-Joa, named after a six-metre high waterfall on the Keila River. The falls are among Estonia’s most imposing and can be up to 70 metres wide during high water in spring and autumn. Upstream from the waterfall are two pedestrian bridges where Russian newlyweds fasten padlocks engraved with their names then throw the key into the river as a symbol of their everlasting matrimony. Military enthusiasts will enjoy the former military garrison town of Paldiski with its classic Soviet
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Eestimaa reisijuht
Continuing along the coast are the fortified stone ruins of Padise Monastery, originally established in the 14th century and the only one of its kind in the Nordic countries.
Tuhala, Estonia’s largest area of karst, is the next stop, with its world famous "Tuhala Witch’s Well", one of the most unique natural phenomenons in Europe. When underground rivers fill after heavy rain the 2.4-metre deep Witch’s Well starts “boiling”, spouting a gusher of water above ground at 100 litres/second. Legend says that it happens when the witches down in the well are flailing themselves with branches.
Tallinn is an ideal place for museum connoisseurs the city is full of them. Besides the KUMU, the pride of Kadriorg, Estonia’s past is showcased at the History Museum and the Museum of Occupations. The city also has Natural History Museum, Maritime Museum and Health Museum etc.
KUMU Art Museum
architecture, which had its glory days during the post-war Soviet era. Nature’s attractions include the Pakri limestone bank, soon to be the site of one of Estonia’s biggest wind farms. A short hop over the sea are the Pakri islands accessible in a day trip by boat and offering pleasant walks and hikes.
From the monks to Estonia’s biggest and oldest brewery at Saku. The old brewing facility houses a museum featuring antique equipment used for making beer. Samples of the company’s beers are available for tasting.
Pirita is also the site of Estonia’s largest marina, which hosted the yachting competitions for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and Pirita beach is Tallinn’s premier sunbathing paradise. Practically the entire north coast of Estonia is endowed with similar sandy strips of beach bordered with pines.
Tallinn’s Open Air Museum, located in the Rocca al Mare area, takes a trip back in time into reconstructed homes of Estonian peasants from the 17th to the 20th century. The Tallinn Zoo, noted internationally for its mountain goats and bighorn sheep, is home over 2,000 animals around five hundred species.
The “Witch’s Well” in Tuhala
Jägala Falls
En-route to Lahemaa, Estonia’s largest national park, are Estonia’s oldest stone barrows, part of a burial site thought to date back to the 8th or 7th century BC and now on the shoulder of the busy highway. The route also passes close to Estonia’s
Eestimaa reisijuht
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Vaindloo
Day 3 - Kõrvemaa and Virumaa Lahemaa National Park Mohni
Pärispea Juminda
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Leesi
Aksi
Rammu
Uhtju Sala
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Kostivere Raasiku
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highest natural waterfall, Jägala Falls. I More M A I U than H 50 metres across, the water drops eight metres into a limestone ‘bowl’, eroded over thousands of years. Mid way between Tallinn and Narva are the seaside ruins of Toolse castle. Estonia’s northernmost medieval fort was established in 1417 to protect the
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local port from pirates. Also at Toolse is the Toolse Ostrich Farm, with guided tours of the farm to see the ostriches, rabbits and reindeer. Lahemaa National Park (‘land of bays’), established in 1971, is made up of four peninsulas and numerous islets, jutting into the Gulf of Finland. Lahemaa’s forests, marshlands and coastal areas are home to around 200 bird species and approximately 900 different plants. A number of interesting and historic manor houses can also be found in this region. 500 years after it was first founded Vihula Manor re-opened as Vihula Manor Country Club & Spa. Sagadi Manor has both a manor house and forest museum and the 18th Century Palmse Manor offers tours through the restored mansion. Visitors can also enjoy its wooded park, swan lake and garden. The Lahemaa area also features idyllic fishing villages. One of these, Altja village, is a typically traditional coastal settlement. Another local attraction, Käsmu, the “captains’ village”, was once the site of a nautical school and is now home to a maritime museum. The traditional fishing village of Viinistu has its own Art Museum, housed in a former fish processing plant, with a permanent exhibition of classical and modern Estonian art.
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Haljala
Ardu
Jäneda
TAPA
Arkna
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Aseri Purtse
Uhtna KIVIÕLI Sõmeru Viru-Kabala Sonda Savala
RAKVERE Vinni
Lepna
Moe Lasila
Pajusti Assamalla
Day 3 - Kõrvemaa and Virumaa From Estonia’s coast, to one of its many natural bogs, the Kakerdaja bog in the forests of Kõrvemaa, far from major roads and settlements. The Kakerdaja bog track is one of Estonia’s most famous bog trails and one of its oldest and has been recently renewed to provide a 3,2 km walk on a boardwalk over the bog to arrive at a lake.
Ontika Valaste Toila KUKRUSE
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Kakerdaja bog Porkuni Käravete Ambla Sääse Albu Aravete TAMSALU Väike-Maarja Albu Roosna Vao Rahkla Triigi Järva-Madise Vajangu Ahula Kiltsi Kaalepi Avanduse Roosna- JÄRVA-JAANI
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Kadrina
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Vihula Manor
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Kolga-Aabla
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Roela Tudu Muuga Paasvere
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Illuka Raudi VäikeKuremäe Pungerja Kuningakü Jõuga
Oonurme
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Alajõe
Further to the east is the striking white walled, red-roofed Purtse castle, built in the middle of the 16th century as a fortified home with walls over two metres thick, which inside the castle produces a fascinating echo chamber effect. The route from Purtse traverses into Estonia’s largest industrial region, Ida-Viru County. Here oil shale
Kõrvemaa is the birthplace of one of Estonia’s best-known writers, Anton Hansen Tammsaare. His former home includes an exhibit of the writer’s life and work and displays how life was during the events described in his „Truth and Justice“, one of the most important Estonian literary works. The property comprises of the original house, a granary, traditional barn, cowshed and smaller outbuildings. It hosts cultural events and open-air theatre performances throughout the summer months. From the forests of Kõrvemaa, the route continues northeast to another medieval fortress. The 700 year old Rakvere Castle now houses a weaponry exhibit, a medieval chamber of horrors and archery range. Adjacent to the fort is a 7-metre long, 4-metre high bronze of an aurach, the largest animal sculpture in the Baltics.
The Tarvas staue in Rakvere
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mines and giant ash hills, a symbol of the region, rub shoulders with unspoiled nature. Just outside the town of Kiviõli is the site of two of the largest artificial hills in the Baltics. The older, grassier hill is open to the public and offers skiing in the winter. The Kohtla mining park and museum in Ida-Viru offers a chance to discover the underground world of the miner and visit its mine shafts and passageways. Visitors can ride in the railway cars used to transport oil shale out of the earth, try out mining tools and eat a miner’s lunch. A short distance past the Kohtla-Järve ash hills is the Ontika Landscape Reserve with its virtually uninterrupted 20-kilometre stretch of limestone cliff on the Gulf of Finland, rising up to 56 metres above the waves. At 30 metres high, Valaste Falls are Estonia’s highest, and are located between the settlements of Saka and Toila. To marvel at it more comfortably, a viewing platform has been erected. It offers a crosssection view of 470-570 million years of geology. The site is most impressive in winter when the frozen water creates impressive ice sculptures.
Day 4 - Narva and Eastern-Estonia NARVA-JÕESUU
KOHTLA-N a r v Aa JÄRVE Toila Toila Purtse la
NARVA Sinimäe
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Kurtna Kurtna
Pagari
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Illuka Raudi VäikeKuremäe Kuremäe Pungerja Kuningaküla Jõuga
Oonurme
dulinna
104 km SLANTSÕ ~1 h 50 min
Iisaku Jaama
Day 4 - Narva and Eastern-Estonia The delightful Toila Park surrounds the Estonian president’s former summer residence. The palace itself was destroyed in World War II. Today numerous summer concerts are held in the park. Ida-Viru County has the greatest concentration of lakes in Estonia at Kurtna. About 40 larger or smaller bodies of water are nestled in the gently rolling pine-clad terrain. The water is warmer than average in Estonia, tempting summer bathers.
Continuing east, the next coastal town of NarvaJõesuu is located alongside Estonia’s longest bathing beach, backed by dunes and pines. This former spa town, frequented at one time by Russian nobility is now increasingly popular with summer tourists. Narva-Jõesuu is the north-eastern end of the E9 European Coastal Path, which runs for 5,000 km (3,125 miles) from Cabo de São Vicente in Portugal. The city of Narva, the third largest city in Estonia, is located on the eastern extreme point of the country, right by the Russian border, on the Narva River. Once known as the baroque pearl of the Baltic Sea, Narva was practically reduced to rubble in 1944 by Soviet bombing raids. However, what remains of Narva’s Old Town make a pleasant stroll. On the banks of the Narva River is the Hermann fortress which tower offers a glimpse of Russia and the imposing Ivangorod fortress on the Russian side of the river. Several kilometres upstream alongside a double tier waterfall is the famous Kreenholm Textile Factory, the largest factory in the Russian Empire in 19th century. The vast Romanesque style Narva Alexander cathedral, built for Kreenholm’s Lutheran employees makes up a part of the factory complex. It
Kuremäe Convent suffered serious damage in World War II, but has since been restored and today has an active congregation.
A short drive away from Kurtna is Pühtitsa Convent, Estonia’s only Orthodox convent, open to both tourists and pilgrims. A small Orthodox Christian church was built in Pühtitsa in the 16th century and the convent was founded in 1891. It now houses six churches. The site is claimed to be where a shepherdess witnessed a divine revelation near a spring of water. This water is claimed to have healing powers, it can be bottled and taken away.
Northern Estonia's Limestone Cliffs
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Back to the north, to the town of Sillamäe, which during the Soviet regime in Estonia was closed to the public because of its chemical factory which produced nuclear materials for Soviet nuclear power plants and weapon facilities. Now Sillamäe offers a classic example of Stalinist city planning, its grand boulevard leading from the central square to the sea offers an atmospheric trip back to the 1950s.
Hermanni fortress in Narva
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Pedestrian paths follow the crest of the hill to the red brick ruins of the Dome Church, once the largest cathedral and brick structure in Eastern Europe, now housing Tartu’s Museum of History in the renovated part of the church.
TAR TARTU RTU A AND SOUTHERN ESTONIA SOUTHERN E ESTO Day 1 and 2
Taali
Vastemõisa Karula Metsküla Jämejala
SINDI
Paikuse
Puiatu
Silla
Kõpu
Ramsi Surju
ksaare Tali
Tänassilma
Paistu
Holstre
Õisu Halliste
Jäärja
ABJAPALUOJA
Veelikse
Tuhalaane
Suislepa
Ala
Tõravere
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Mammaste Krootuse Saverna Tännassilma Põlgaste
Sangaste
Sangaste
Õru
Urvaste
Kuldre
Vana-Antsla Tagula
Tsirguliina
VALGA Kaagjärve
Sulbi
Osula
Nursi Sänna
Lüllemäe Tsooru Ähijärv
368 km ~6 h 50 min
ALU
VOLMARI
The youthful university city of Tartu in southern Estonia is also the birthplace of the national song festival tradition, which started in 1869. An important symbol of the town is a fountain with a statue of students kissing under an umbrella, located in Tartu’s Town Hall Square. On one side of the historical late 18th century square stands a building that has been called Estonia’s leaning tower of Pisa, built partly on the city wall, partly on wooden piles
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Leevi
Tsolgo
Väimela
Navi Kääpa
Lasva
Tartu’s Antonius Courtyard is a handicraft and art centre where visitors can watch craftsmen working with leather, glass, porcelain, fabric and other materials. Tartu is also a city of museums. The Toy Museum displays the different kinds of toys Estonian children have played with over two centuries. The Estonian National Museum displays historical and ethnological artefacts connected to Estonian folk culture. The University of Tartu Botanical Gardens has over 6,500 plant species from all of the world’s climatic zones of the world. The Gardens’ greenhouse is the biggest in the Baltics.
The University of Tartu
Tartu’s other sites of interest include the former KGB cells near the city centre and the Aviation Mu-
Tartu’s 19th century wooden houses district of Supilinn (Soup Town) is a sight unto itself.
seum on the outskirts of Tartu with its displays lifesize helicopters, fighter aircraft and smaller planes.
Otsa
Kose
Loosi Tootsi Kape
Puiga
Rõuge
Vastseliina
Haanja
Luutsniku
Mõniste Krabi
Naha
Day 1 - Tartu
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Saru
Kuutsi Vastse-Roosa
VALMIERA
Peri
Big Egg Hill Hargla
Ruu
Vana-Koiola
VÕRU
ANTSLA
KarulaLaanemetsa National Varstu Park
AŽI
Himmaste
Sõmerpalu
Koikküla
STRENÈI
RÄ
Leevaku
PÕLVA
Tilsi
Kanepi Urvaste Parksepa
Vidrike Kooraste Keeni
Mooste
Taevaskoja
Sihva
Kääriku
Sooru
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Maaritsa
Pühajärv
Helme
Me Rasina
Ahja VastseKuuste
Nõuni
Palupera
TÕRVA
VALKA
Melliste
Ülenurme Poka Roiu Võnnu Lääniste Mehiko Tatra Vana-Kuuste
Hellenurme
Puka
Hummuli
RUHJA
TARTU Luunja
Praaga Meerapalu
Kavastu
Reola
Nõo Kambja
Aakre
Koorküla
RŪJIENA
VÄIKE-SALATSI
Kõrveküla
Valguta
Rõngu
Patküla
MAZSALACA
Tammistu Vahi
ELVA
Konguta
Lapetukme
Linna
Taagepera Taagepera
assiaru
Kivilõppe
Barclay de Tolly Kärstna Karksi mausoleum Pikasilla Riidaja KARKSINUIA
Kamara
MÕISAKÜLA
Mustla
Nõgiaru Meeri
Sangla
Kureküla Rannu
Porsa Soe
Vorbuse
Ilmatsalu Rämsi Ulila Puhja Tõrvandi
Oiu Valma Väike-Rakke
VanaVõidu
Sultsi
Tihemetsa
Saarde
Saarepeedi
V õrts j ä r v VILJANDIVäluste Kaarlijärve
Loodi
KILINGINÕMME
Kärevere
Viiratsi
Päri Heimtali
Kanaküla
Laeva
Lalsi
Sürgavere
Jõesuu
Tori Soomaa National Park
Bisecting the city is the river Emajõgi, a navigable waterway with a functioning replica of a traditional trading vessel, a Hanseatic lodi, that sailed Estonia’s inland waters long ago.
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Ruusmäe
Misso
Forest bothers APE farm HOPA
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that collapsed, now the site of an art museum. The city’s most important structures are close by, the main building of the University of Tartu, founded in 1632, and the recently restored St. John’s Church, which contains over 1,000 well-preserved terracotta sculptures. A key geographical feature of the city is Toomemägi, the site of an ancient citadel. It is now an English-style park and a popular place for students who congregate near its Angel’s and Devil’s Bridge.
The Kissing sculpture at Tartu Town Hall Square
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Southern Estonia’s idyllic hilly landscape
Day 2 - Otepää, Võrumaa and Valgamaa Southern Estonia’s idyllic hilly landscape, the area around Haanja, Otepää and Karula, features rounded hills and river valleys in the country’s most extensive upland region, alternating with blue lakes and dotted with castles, manor houses and ancient villages.
Big Egg Hill (Suur Munamägi), rising 318 metres above sea level, is the highest point in the Baltics. On the world scale, it is not very high, but by Estonian standards it’s almost a mountain! The 30-metre high observation tower at the top has an amazing view stretching 50 kilometres in all directions.
The beautiful late 19th century castle of Sangaste is considered one of Estonia’s most elegant manors and is similar in style to Britain’s Windsor Castle. The majestic mansion consists of 1.5 million locally made bricks and now houses a hotel. In the same county is found the mausoleum of military leader Barclay de Tolly, a famous figure from the Napoleonic Wars, which emanates an atmosphere of royalty, and Taagepera castle, Estonia’s most outstanding piece of Art Nouveau architecture Back to South to Karula National Park, Estonia’s smallest national park. It’s a region of fens, lakes, bogs, meadows, flora and fauna, offering a choice of hiking trails. Information can be found at the Ahijärv visitor centre.
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Pala
KALLASTE Nina
Alatskivi Alatskivi
Kolkja Kolkja
Pataste Koosa Vara Vedu Vasula
Varnja Tammistu
Vahi
di
OUDOV
Kodavere
muse Kudina MaarjaMagdaleena
GDOV
Kõrveküla
TARTU Luunja
Praaga
Kavastu
Meerapalu
Piirissaar
Piiri Tooni
Melliste
Ülenurme Poka Roiu Võnnu Lääniste Mehikoorma Tatra Vana-Kuuste
ola
a
Meeksi Rasina
Ahja VastseKuuste
Maaritsa
Mooste
Leevaku
Valgjärve
Mammaste Krootuse Saverna Tännassilma
PÄÄ
Põlgaste oraste te
Tilsi
Osula
Nursi
ru
Niitsiku Leevi Ilumetsa
Tsolgo
Väimela Navi Kääpa
Puiga
k
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Lüübnitsa
Mikitamäe
Veriora
Vana-Koiola
Värska
Treski
Orava
Lasva
Kose VÕRU 242 km Tootsi
Otsa
Saatse
Piusa Võmmorski
Obinitsa Loosi Obinitsa PETSERI Kapera Meremäe
~4 hRõuge 30 min Vastseliina
Sänna
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Ruusa
õmerpalu
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Ristipalo
Võõpsu
Himmaste
Peri PÕLVA
Kanepi Parksepa
Sulbi
Linte
RÄPINA
Taevaskoja
Vana-Vastseliina
Less than two kilometres from the Latvian border is a farm, formerly owned by members of the renowned freedom fighters known as the ‘Forest Brothers’, a group of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian guerrillas who waged warfare against Soviet rule during and after World War II. The farm offers a look at how they lived in hidden bunkers and offers the option to spend a night underground
Estonia’s ‘winter capital’ is the small town of Otepää, 44 kilometres south of Tartu, home to the Estonian Winter Olympic gold medallists Kristina Šmigun and Andrus Veerpalu. Winter activities include cross-country skiing on marked trails and in the summer the area is popular for hiking, biking and swimming. For a fun couple of hours the Otepää Adventure Park, located at Tehvandi sports centre has five routes of varying height and difficulty comprising of suspended log walks, rope ladders, tightropes and suspension bridges. A stone’s throw from Otepää is Pühajärv lake, which many consider to be Estonia’s most beautiful, notably for its charming small wooded islands.
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Estonia’s biggest tree, the Tamme-Lauri oak, grows in Urvaste. Estimated to be 680 years old, the giant’s trunk measures about 8.5 metres in circumference. It takes six adults to join hands around the tree.
Day 3 - Setos and Old Believers
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The same county is the site of Estonia’s deepest lake, Rõuge Suurjärv. Small in size, but with a depth of 38 metres.
MUSTVEE Võtikvere u
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The most scenic valley in the Haanja area is Ööbikuorg (‘Nightingale Valley’). In the spring this natural echo chamber comes to life with the incessant calls of nightingales.
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Day 3 - Setos and Old Believers
The World Cup of cross-country skiing near Otepää
Seto women in their traditional clothing
In the south easternmost corner of Estonia, a small fragment of people known as the Setos have clung to their own customs, traditional costumes and language to this day. The Setos are also known for their singing traditions. Their songs, following a thousand year old tradition, are called leelos.
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According to legend, these “graves” are a direct route to hell. Southern Estonia is known for its orangey/red Devonian sandstone outcrops, such as in the picturesque Ahja river valley. At Taevaskoda on the river Ahja the sandstone cliffs rise to a height of 24 metres above the river. A
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Piusa sandstone caves The Seto Farm Museum, with its re-created 19thcentury farmhouse complex, and the Obinitsa museum provide an opportunity to discover the traditional Seto way of life, handicrafts and everyday items used by this Slavic-influenced people. In Seto Tsäimaja is a restaurant where Seto cuisine is served.
M JustA
a of kilometres before the shore of Lake Peipus in Tartu County is the fairy-tale Alatskivi castle. Built between 1880 and 1885 is it the most beautiful neo-Gothic style building in the Baltics with its snow-white towers. The mansion was modelled after Balmoral in Scotland
A feel for the strictly religious community, where electricity is disallowed, can be found in Raja villa church, lit only by beeswax candles.
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Eidapere
Retla Imavere Kabala
Pajusi
Kalana
VÄNDRA Pärnjõe Vihtra
Kurgja
Kahala
VÕHMA
Suurejõe
Reegoldi
Kaansoo
SUURESelja JAANI Soomaa National Park Sürgavere Jõesuu
Suigu
SINDI
Puiatu
Kõpu
Päri Heimtali
Ramsi
Väike-Kamari Pikknurme
Tänassilma VanaVõidu
Oiu Valma Väike-Rakke
Viiratsi VILJANDI V õrtsjärv Paistu
Väluste Kaarlijärve
Alatskivi
Puurmani Tabivere
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Pataste Koosa Äksi
Laeva
Lähte
Kärevere
Vorbuse
Vara Vedu Vasula Tammistu Vahi
Nõgiaru Meeri
Tõravere
Kõrveküla
TARTU Luunja
Ilmatsalu Rämsi Ulila Puhja Tõrvandi Sangla
Pala
Luua
Kudina Elistvere Maarja-Animal Park Magdaleena
Kolga-Jaani
Saarepeedi
Kääpa
Palamuse
Saduküla Kaarepere
Lalsi
Lüma
Voore
PÕLTSAMAA Kamari
Tääksi
Vastemõisa Karula Metsküla Jämejala
Paikuse
Võisiku
Olustvere
Tori Taali
Esku
Kõo Koksvere
Kuremaa Painküla
Siimusti
Lustivere
Kergu
Silla
Pisisaare
Day 4 - Viljandi and SoomaaAdavere
UPI TOOTSI
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JÕGEVA
Oisu
Laupa
Kava
Melliste 149 km Ülenurme Poka Roiu Võnn ~2 h 50 min
Reola
Nõo
Tatra Vana Kuuste
Day 4 - Viljandi and Soomaa
for Naïve Art with its exhibitions and workshops, the Traditional Music Centre barn is a special treat for all devotees of folk music.
Turning inland from Lake Peipsi is a region called Vooremaa with its very distinct landscape formation created by glacial accumulation and erosion. Long hills, (‘drumlins’), running north-south give the terrain a striped effect, resembling a field ploughed by giants. Long finger lakes in the valleys add even more beauty to the Vooremaa countryside.
From Viljandi County to the expansive Estonian wetland area, the Soomaa National Park, with over 537 known species of bog plants, 185 kinds of birds and 43 mammals. This is a tranquil place of primal beauty with ancient forests and boardwalk hikes through the virgin bogs. Way-marked routes include a walk on the beaver trail that starts by the national park visitor centre.
25 kilometres from Tartu in Vooremaa is Elistvere Animal Park. It was originally an animal sanctuary for injured animals. Here practically all species of wild animals native to Estonia can be seen, including elk, brown bear, wild deer, fallow deer, wild boar, lynx, fox, raccoon dog, pine marten, mink, pheasant and squirrel. The town of Viljandi is ancient town in southern Estonia situated on hills above a picturesque lake. The town’s many church spires and its famous Water Tower, with its viewing platform, are reflected in the lake, adding to the beauty of Viljandi’s natural setting. Beside the lake is a hiking path, tennis courts, diving tower, playgrounds, boat hire and catamaran trips. The most famous legends of the region, celebrated in local song, surround the Viljandi boatman who rows the lake and longs for his beautiful-eyed girl.
The town of Värska is known for its picturesque stone church, its curative mud and its mineral rich water which is sold all over Estonia. Visitors can also bathe in the mineral water at the spa a couple kilometres down the road. Estonia is the most meteorite-cratered place on earth. One of the six known areas of meteorite craters in the county can be seen near Ilumetsa. Estimated to have landed about 6,600 years ago, the asteroid created a total of five craters here. The largest and best-known is the 80-metre wide, 12-metre deep Põrguhaud (Hell's grave). A couple of hundred metres away are two other craters.
Kaisma
Acouple
The route alongside the Shore of Peipsi Lake follows the old Russian tradition of having only one street, which means villages blend organically with each other. Here can be found some of the world’s few villages still populated by the ‘Old Believers’. These are the descendents of a highly religious, ethnic Russian minority who came across the lake in the 17th and 18th centuries to seek sanctuary from persecution after they resisted reforms in the Orthodox Church. The area is known for smoked and dried fish, cucumbers, golden onions and pickles sold by the local villagers.
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Alatskivi Castle
The ruins of the 13th century Viljandi castle are another must see stop, including a stroll across the deep moat on another one of the city’s symbols, the suspension bridge. Besides the Kondas Centre
Soomaa National Park
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WESTERN W ESTERN E ESTO ESTONIA ISLANDS AND IISLA Päärdu
Laiküla
HULA
Kaisma
Libatse Kõima
Mihkli Lõpe
Kurgja Pärnjõe Vihtra
Koonga Suigu
LAVASSAARE
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Ahaste
Sauga
Papsaare
Tõstamaa
Lindi
PÄRNU
Seliste Pootsi Lao Manija Manilaid
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Pärnu Bay
Kaansoo
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Jõesuu
Jõõpre
Audru Kõima
Suurejõe
Selja
Are
Lemmetsa
Tõhela
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VÄNDRA
Kergu
PÄRNU-JAAGUPI TOOTSI
Kalli
Day 1 - Pärnu
Eidapere
Day 1 and 2
Kirbla
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JÄRVAKANDI Ojaäärse
Tõnumaa Kivi-Vigala
Tori Soomaa Nationa Tori
Taali
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Paikuse Silla
Kõpu
Reiu Uulu Kanaküla
Tahkuranna Surju
Võiste
KILINGINÕMME
Tihemetsa
küla
158 km Kamara ~2 h 40 min MÕISAKÜLA Tali Saarde
Kihnu
Laiksaare
Lemsi
Häädemeeste
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Pärnu, Estonia’s ‘summer capital’, is a highly acclaimed holiday destination and resort on the southwest coast of Estonia. Shadowy parks, attractive white sandy beaches and quality restaurants, spas and nightlife are a draw for summer visitors. And if the main beach gets too busy, the white sands and warm waters of Valgeranna, Kabli or Lemme beach are a nearby alternative. Various cultural festivals, numerous art galleries, exhibitions, a contemporary art museum, the Endla Theatre and the Pärnu Concert Hall offer yearround entertainment. As with most large cities in Estonia, Pärnu has a pleasant Old Town.
Ammende Villa in Pärnu For children, the biggest magnets are the water centre, the Mini zoo, noted for its reptile and amphibian collection and Pärnu’s beautiful beach with its many attractions. Pärnu is also the setting for Estonia’s most stylish and perfectly preserved Art Nouveau villa, the Ammende Villa, built in 1904 by a wealthy German merchant for his daughter’s wedding reception now the site of a hotel and restaurant.
dress in folk costume every day and the unique handicrafts of the oldest generation are still practiced. Local women express these traditions most vividly; they still wear skirts with striped folk patterns – even when riding motorcycles. The islanders’ way of life is so unique and traditional that the Kihnu culture today has UNESCO World Heritage status.
Outside Pärnu is the Hell of Tori, an 8.5-metre deep cave eroded into the sandstone by natural springs, which has been linked to the devil and the underworld. Also nearby is the Kurgja Farmstead Museum, the former home and work of Estonian Carl Robert Jakobson, a farmer, politician and leading figure in the Estonian national movement. The farm was created as a model farm and today the farming and rearing of animals, including Estonian breeds of cattle, is managed just as it was a century ago.
Day 2 - Kihnu Pärnu beach
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Due to its relative isolation, the island of Kihnu in is a place where local culture and centuries old traditions are practised to this day. Local people still
Girls in Kihnu wedding
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Dirhami
Day 3, 4 and 5
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Lehtma Tahkuna
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Ristna Kõrgessaare Kalana
Lauka
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Sääre tirp
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Koguva
Triigi Metsküla
Leisi
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Tagaranna
Tagamõisa
Võhma
Nootamaa
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Mihkli Sauvere Kõljala Kaisvere farm museum Kaali Aste Kärla Pähkla
Lümanda
KURESSAARE Nasva
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Kihelkonna
Pöide
Virtsu Pädaste Tornimäe
Kõiguste Sakla
Turja
Pihtla
Muratsi
Sandla Kailuka Suure-Rootsi
Lõmala
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Day 3 - Muhu and Saaremaa islands Muhu Island is Estonia’s third largest island and one of few locations in the country where traditional windmills can still be found in full working order. The island’s St. Catherine’s church, one of the oldest in Estonia is notable for its historical frescoes and trapezium-shaped tombstones with pagan symbols. The most intricate tombstone depicts the pagan Tree of Life.
Discover Estonia
Vatla
Koonga
Kalli
LAVASSAARE
Tõusi Helmküla Varbla
Ahaste Lem
Tõhela
Audru Pap Kõima
Matsi Vaiste
Tõstamaa
Lindi
Seliste
802 km ~16 h 20 min
Pootsi Lao Manija Manilaid
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Angla windmills in Saaremaa
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visitor centre, with a meteorite and limestone museum. Saaremaa’s famous windmills can be seen at Angla. There are four typical wooden windmills and a slightly taller Dutch-style windmill. The capital, Kuressaare, with its beautiful, well-preserved old town, is the only town on the island. The town’s most important site is the 14th century citadel, the best-preserved medieval fort in the Baltics. It exhibits provide an overview of the history of the island as well as that of Estonia. In summer handicraft shops, events, concerts and song festivals take place in the courtyard.
Day 4 - Hiiumaa and Vormsi The second largest island in Estonia, Hiiumaa, creates a landscape of swampy thickets and juniper shrubbery, coastal meadows and dunes, peat moors and bogs. On arrival on the island, visitors are greeted by the sculpture of a woman standing in the sea, locally known as Ranna-Ella (Beach-Ella).
On the north coast of Saaremaa the Panga cliffs rise up to 21 metres in height, giving fantastic views over the Baltic Sea. An ancient sacrificial site is located at the highest point. Mihkli farm museum on Saaremaa’s west coast is worth a short detour to learn more about historical farms and everyday items hand-crafted over the centuries. Almost all of the items on display have been made by the six generations of the family who lived here.
Koguva village is the best preserved 19th century village in Estonia. All of the buildings are architectural landmarks, most date from the 19th century though some from the 18th century can be found in the middle of the village.
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Kõima
Mihkli Lõpe
As said before, Estonia has more crater sites than anywhere in the world. The best known site is the Kaali meteorite crater on Saaremaa, measuring 110 metres across. Less than 3,000 years old, it is considered the most recent meteorite crater in Europe, although the ancients considered it to be the tomb of the son of Apollo. Near the crater is the Kaali
At the southernmost tip of Muhu is Pädaste manor, a luxurious hotel, spa and restaurant which has received international acclaim.
Saaremaa, a land of nature, tradition and windmills, is Estonia’s largest island and is only accessible by ferry. The first stop on the itinerary is the nearly 800-year-old Valjala church, the oldest stone church on Estonian soil.
Paatsalu
Valjala Valjala
Tahula
Penijõe LIHULA Oidrema
Laimjala
Kaarma
Kudjape
Tuudi Karuse
Tõnumaa Kivi-Vi
Hanila
Kõrkvere
Küdema
Mustjala
MUHU Liiva Hellamaa Piiri Kuivastu
Orissaare
Tagavere Pärsama
Veere
Vilsandi Vilsandi Vilsandi National Park Papisaare
Angla Karja
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Laiküla Matsalu National Saastna Matsalu Park Metsküla Kirbla
Kõmsi
Sip
MÄRJA
Teenuse Üdruma Vana-Vigala
Rõude
Nõmmküla
Panga
Koluvere Kullamaa Liivi
Tauksi
A M I N V Ä
Harju
Emmaste
Laukna Kirna
Heinlaid
Jausa Orjaku
Sõru
Palivere
Martna
Panga
Salinõmme Kassari
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Rohuküla
Käina
Nurste
Nigula
Taebla Paralepa
Vohilaid
Heltermaa
Risti
Linnamäe
Pürksi
Sviby
Pühalepa Heltermaa
Suuremõisa Männamaa
Noarootsi
Hullo
Hellamaa
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Kuijõe Turba Ellamaa Piirsalu Lehetu
Sutlepa
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Tubala
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Saxby
KÄRDLA
Reigi
Riisipere
Variku
Noarootsi peninsula
Kuressaare Castle Days
The entire Vilsandi Island, a naturalist’s paradise, is located within a national park. The island’s distinct and unspoiled environment is a water bird protection site of international significance.
Kõpu lighthouse in Hiiumaa
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On Kassari peninsula a statue of the island’s ancient hero Leiger extends his own welcome. Legend has it that the long and narrow piece of land jutting out at the tip of the island was formed when Leiger began building a road across the water to Saaremaa. It is customary for every visitor to leave a stone at the tip of the peninsula to finish the task. Hiiumaa is the island of lighthouses. On the north coast of Hiiumaa is the Tahkuna peninsula lighthouse. At 43 metres it is the tallest cast-iron tower in Estonia. The 36-metre high Kõpu lighthouse is the third oldest operating lighthouse in the world, having been in continuous use since its completion in 1531. Visitors may climb up the stairs for spectacular views. 9 kilometres west of Kõpu is a third lighthouse at Ristna, built in 1874 on a peninsula that is considered to have the best waves in Estonia, attracting surfers, sailboats and windsurfers. The way through the island’s capital Kärdla passes right by Ristimägi. The story of this dense thicket of crosses is attributed to a number of legends. Supposedly two wedding processions collided here, resulting in the death of the bride in one party and the bridegroom in the other. The survivors married and the first cross was erected to remember the other “couple”.
Vormsi
During the tsarist era, Haapsalu was the western terminus of the St. Petersburg line. Even though trains don’t stop in here anymore, the city still has a tsarist era railway station, now a railway museum. At over 200-metres long, the covered platform is the longest of its kind in Europe and was built to be the same length as the train so that the Tsar could leave the train on rainy days without getting wet.
The island of Vormsi, Estonia’s fourth largest, has been inhabited since the 13th century and is one of a number of places settled by Swedish immigrants, hence the use of Estonian and Swedish for place names. St. Olaf’s Church in Hullo, the central settlement, is the primary historical and cultural monument on the island. The Vormsi cemetery is one of the most unusual in Estonia due to its circular solar crosses. A tour of the island’s villages can be combined with a swim, especially in the warm water of the bay of Hullo and Saxby beach.
Day 5 - Haapsalu and Matsalu Known as the ‘Venice of the North’, Haapsalu is a wonderful seaside spa town on the west coast of Estonia with warm waters and an abundance of curative mud. The first Haapsalu mud spa opened its doors in 1825 and Russian aristocracy were among the first guests.
A detour out of Haapsalu takes the Noarootsi peninsula, an early settlement for Estonian Swedes and still bearing bilingual place names. Naorootsi has a beautiful sandy beach, pine forests and is considered one of the best places for bird watching in Estonia.
The Dome Church of Haapsalu stop and enjoy the composer’s music. The worldfamous Russian composer stayed in Haapsalu in 1867 and the first notes of his famous VI Symphony (adapted from the Estonian folk song, ‘Dear Mary’) are carved into the stone bench.
Matsalu National Park is the biggest and most bio diverse migratory bird stop and nesting area in the Baltic Sea region and is a wetland of international note. Observation towers for bird watching are located at Keemu, Suitsu, Penijõe, Kloostri and Haeska. The national park visitor centre at Penijõe offers an overview of the natural treasures and park history.
The town’s narrow streets, miniature town hall and romantic wooden dwelling houses line routes that seem to always take visitors back to the sea. One of the most beautiful wooden buildings in Estonia, the Kuursaal, stands on the seaside promenade and now houses a fine restaurant. The Dome Church of Haapsalu is the biggest single-naved church in the Baltic States and the most important historical and cultural monument of the town. In the baptistery window of the church Estonia’s most famous ghost, the White Lady, is said to appear each August when there’s a full moon. Legend says that she is the ghost of an Estonian girl, the illicit lover of a Canon, who was entombed in the wall. A small yellow house in Linda Street is the childhood home of Ilon Wikland, who later illustrated children’s books by the world famous Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren. Ilon’s Wonderland has original copies of her drawings on display.
Vormsi circular solar cross
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Along Haapsalu’s seafront promenade can be found the Tchaikovsky bench where visitors can
Matsalu National Park
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ENG
Looking forward to meeting You!
TRAVEL INFORMATION
DESTINATIONS
CULTURE
www.visitestonia.com
www.tourism.tallinn.ee
www.einst.ee
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www.tallinn.ee/eng
www.festivals.ee
www.vm.ee
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www.laulupidu.ee
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www.visitparnu.ee
www.estoniantheatre.info
www.turismiweb.ee
www.southestonia.info
www.estmusic.com
www.regio.ee
www.saaremaa.ee
www.kunstikeskus.ee
www.balticsworldwide.com
www.rakvere.ee
www.estlit.ee
www.inyourpocket.com/estonia
www.viljandi.ee
www.piletilevi.ee
www.tallinn-airport.ee
tourism.narva.ee
www.opera.ee
www.bussireisid.ee
www.haapsalu.ee
www.concert.ee
www.peatus.ee
www.lahemaa.ee
www.ts.ee
www.soomaa.ee
www.edel.ee
www.setomaa.ee
www.maaturism.ee
www.mulgi.karksi.ee
www.estonianspas.com
www.northestonia.eu
Discover Estonia 24 www.gorail.ee
www.mois.ee
Enterprise Estonia, Estonian Tourist Board © 2010 Text by Ulvar Käärt. Data as of January 2010.
www.visitestonia.com