Discover Tailor-Made Estonia Vacations

Snowshoeing is a favourite way to connect with nature, offering a quiet journey across frozen bogs and forests. In Konnu Wetlands, you can tread between pine trees shaped like bonsai, hearing only the crunch of snow underfoot or the muffled hush of a passing storm. These moments reveal the stark serenity of Estonia’s wintry wilderness.

Nature here is vast and protected, with five national parks and countless reserves. Lahemaa National Park, on the northern coast, is a landscape of bays and peninsulas, while Soomaa National Park preserves a wilder heartland where elk, wolves, lynx, and even brown bears still roam. Estonia is also dotted with over a thousand lakes and fifteen hundred islands, each offering its own perspective on the country’s elemental character.

Among the islands, Saaremaa is especially captivating. Its wooden windmills, meteorite craters, and sweeping beaches create a unique charm, crowned by Kuressaare Castle. Built in 1260, this fortress stands as the best-preserved castle in the Baltics, hosting concerts in its courtyard during summer. The island’s coastlines invite exploration by kayak, weaving past islets where seals surface and shipwrecks rest beneath the waves.

Whether you end your day with a sauna or a local beer, Estonia in winter offers both adventure and warmth—an immersion into wild landscapes and timeless traditions that linger long after the snow melts.

Tartu, the country’s intellectual heart, is home to one of Europe’s oldest universities, founded in 1632. Known as the “City of Good Thoughts,” it balances historical landmarks with striking modern architecture. Visitors can explore the ruins of its 13th-century cathedral, admire St. John’s Church with its intricate terracotta sculptures, or pause at the 18th-century town hall. Around these monuments rise sleek glass and steel buildings that harmonise rather than compete, creating a cityscape where old and new exist side by side.

Tallinn, the capital, enchants with its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gothic spires, cobbled lanes, and medieval watchtowers evoke centuries past, while guided tours bring legends and myths of Reval, the city’s former name, to life. Within its walls stands Toompea Castle, built in the 13th century and later reshaped in the 18th. Its tower remains a potent national symbol, tied to the tradition that whoever’s flag flies above it holds dominion over Estonia.

Cultural life extends beyond monuments. Estonia observes significant national days, including Independence Day and the Restoration of Independence, alongside Christian and secular holidays. One of the most distinctive is Spring Day (Kevadpüha), a pagan-rooted celebration of nature’s renewal, marked by festive picnics in early May.

Together, Tartu and Tallinn encapsulate Estonia’s essence—a country rooted in history, proud of its independence, and alive with culture both ancient and modern.

Influences from Scandinavian, German, and Russian kitchens have shaped the cuisine, but Estonians have created their own distinct identity around hearty, comforting dishes. Inland and coastal diets reflect the landscape—potatoes and meat form the backbone of many meals, while the Baltic Sea and inland lakes provide herring, sprat, trout, and eel. A true favourite is kiluvoileib, an open sprat sandwich layered on rye bread with onions, herbs, and egg, capturing Estonia’s love of simple, flavourful ingredients.

Winter is often marked by warming dishes like mulgikapsad, slow-cooked sauerkraut with pork and barley, or sult, a chilled meat jelly served with mustard or horseradish. For festive occasions, marineeritud angerjas, marinated eel in sweet-sour sauce, is enjoyed as a delicacy. Everyday meals often feature hakkliha kotlet, minced meat patties paired with potatoes and tangy onion-sour cream sauces, a testament to the country’s love of robust, satisfying food.

Estonia’s beer heritage is equally compelling. Brewing traditions stretch back centuries, with historic names like Saku and A. Le Coq still dominant. Yet the real excitement comes from the thriving craft beer scene, supported by friendly regulations and creative brewers. Põhjala Brewery leads the charge, hosting the popular Tallinn Craft Beer Weekend since 2015, a celebration of both local talent and international brewing innovation.

Together, Estonia’s culinary traditions reveal a country that values simplicity, seasonality, and community—where every dish and drink reflects both heritage and modern creativity.

The Viking era left a lasting mark, particularly on Saaremaa, where the Oeselians built swift ships and launched daring raids. This Baltic island remains one of the richest archaeological sites in northern Europe. Later centuries brought foreign invaders—Christian crusaders, Dutch merchants, and German knights—who divided Estonian lands and established cathedrals, blending Christianity with enduring pagan traditions.

The 16th and 17th centuries saw shifting powers. Ivan the Terrible’s armies were ousted by the Swedes, who ushered in relative stability until famine and plague decimated the population. Russian rule followed, marked by both progress and hardship: peasants gained land ownership, yet industrialisation created dire working conditions, and uprisings were harshly suppressed.

Estonia declared independence in 1918, solidified by the Tartu Peace Treaty of 1920, but the reprieve was short-lived. The Second World War brought devastation, with heavy casualties and annexation by the Soviet Union. Decades of repression followed, but the late 1980s ushered in reform under Mikhail Gorbachev, leading to Estonia’s restoration of independence in 1991.

Since then, Estonia has flourished as a modern European state. Joining the EU in 2004 and adopting the Euro in 2011, it has embraced innovation while preserving its natural beauty and cultural identity. Today, Estonia is celebrated not only for its unspoiled landscapes but also for the resilience of a people who transformed centuries of struggle into a proud, independent future.