Estonia

Estonia, or officially the Republic of Estonia, is a small country located in northern Europe on the eastern side of the Baltic Sea. It is the most northern of the Baltic States, bordering Latvia to the south and Russia to the east.  Finland lies across the Gulf of Finland to the north and Sweden is to the west across the Baltic Sea.  Estonia gained its independence from Russia in 1991 and has since grown enormously and attracts many tourists.  Estonia joined the EU and NATO in 2004. 
The country has over two thousand miles of coastline with many picturesque fishing villages, and over one thousand lakes, the major one being Lake Peipus.  There are several rivers, the main ones being the Parnu, Poltsamaa and Vohandu.  Several islands lie off the coast with two major ones which are worth a visit.  The country is otherwise generally fairly flat and forested with wetlands and lakes. 

The spoken language of Estonian resembles Finnish, although many inhabitants speak English, and Russian is spoken in some parts, including the capital Tallinn.  Currency is the Kroon, although there are plans to adopt the Euro.  Because of invasions by other countries throughout the ages there is a rich history to be explored and many of the influences from those times are still in existence.

Useful Website:  www.visitestonia.com

Tallinn

Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia and a beautiful medieval old city located on the central-northern coast of the country on the Gulf of Finland.  It is an important port city and industrial and political centre. 

It has become a popular destination for tourists.  Sights include the Russian Cathedral and the UNESCO World Heritage listed Old Town and Toompea Castle.  Toompea Castle is the location of Estonia’s seat of Parliament.  The largest building in the city is St. Olav’s Church with its tall Gothic spire.  The entrance to the Old Town is through the remaining Viru Gate which forms part of the old city wall.  The Lower Town is also a must-see, and most of the city can be explored on foot.  Other popular sights include the Town Hall square and marketplace.  

Just a short drive from Tallinn is the port city of Parnu, which has lovely beaches and is also famous for its health resorts. Lake Ulemiste is the major lake in Tallinn with Lake Harku being the next largest.  A large population of Russian descendants live in Tallinn and still speak the Russian language.  As well as the Estonian language, Finnish and English are also spoken.

A short distance by bus or tram is Kadriorg Palace, the former palace of Peter the Great.  It now houses part of the Estonia art museum with formal gardens. Tallinn has plenty of transportation, with buses, trams and a trolley-bus.  The airport is located close to Tallinn and is served by many budget and other airlines.  For those wishing to see more of this part of the world, or backpacking, the train and bus services give access to all the major cities in Estonia, as well as to Riga, the capital of Latvia, and St. Petersburg in Russia.  There are also ferry services to places such as Stockholm and Helsinki. 

Useful website:  www.tourism.tallinn.ee

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