Destination Estonia

DESTINATION ESTONIA

Medieval cities steeped in history and legend, vast areas of unspoiled wilderness, centuries-old manor houses and rugged coastlines – these are just a few of the attractions that have helped make Estonia one of the fastest-growing conference destinations in Europe.

Located in a corner of the continent that will be completely new to most delegates, this dynamic, little country offers a range of fresh experiences, everything from visiting traditional villages to exploring mysterious peat bogs to taking seaside strolls under the light of the white nights.

Internationally, the nation is best known for its technological prowess, its status as a hotspot for cutting-edge innovation that has earned

it the nickname ‘E-stonia’. For conferences, that translates to the availability of free Wi-Fi just about everywhere, not to mention the latest in technical backup.

Though big in ideas, this is still a small country where distance is never a barrier. Its city centres are conveniently compact, built on a human scale with pretty much everything within a short walk. Side-trips to the countryside usually involve bus rides of just a few minutes.

The tourism boom of the last decade has also helped push Estonia onto the conference A-list with the opening of dozens of top-notch business-class hotels, as well as high-tech conference facilities, all offering excellent value for money.

Attractive, new, easy, affordable – this is Estonia.

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The Rotermann Quarter

Tallinn Town Hall Square

Tallinn City Centre

CovER: Estonian Song Festival

ESToNIA IN BRIEF

Capital City » Tallinn

Population » 1.34 million

Currency » Euro

official language » Estonian, English widely spoken

Neighbouring countries » Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Russia

Schengen visa Zone member » very few visitors need visas

EU member » since 2004

Geography » Area – 45,227 km2, 50% of which is forest;

coastline – 3,794 km; highest point – 318m; white nights last

from June to July.

Time zone » Eastern European, GMT+2

Climate » Four seasons plus

spring floods; temperatures

average +20 in summer,

-10 in winter; no polar bears.

USEFUL PHRASES

Hello » Tere

Good-bye » Nägemist

Please » Palun

Thank you » Tänan

Sorry » vabandust

How much? » Kui palju

Cheers » Terviseks

LANGUAGE

Estonian is a Finno-Ugric language,

most closely related to Finnish.

Getting around in English is never

a problem, but throwing around

a few polite phrases in the local tongue

could do wonders for your popularity.

vilsandi Lighthouse otepää Upland

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TALLINN

With a population of 407,000, Tallinn is Estonia’s largest city and is by far the most popular destination

for international visitors.

The city is best known and loved for its Medieval Old Town, a fairytale hodgepodge of cobblestone

streets, gabled houses and towering churches that

developed here in the 13th to 16th centuries when

Tallinn thrived as a key Hanseatic trade centre.

Now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site,

the neighbourhood has managed to preserve its

historic charm while continuing to serve as the

focal point of the city’s buzzing culture and

restaurant scene.

At the heart of the Medieval district is Town Hall Square, historically a bustling marketplace and now

the site of busy outdoor cafés, folk events and

Tallinn’s Christmas Market. The square is flanked

by the imposing, gothic Town Hall, built 1402 – 1404,

and the curious, 15th-century Town Hall Pharmacy,

the oldest continuously-running apothecary

in Europe.

visitors to old Town typically spend their time

exploring its streets and lanes. one favourite is

St. Catherine’s Passage, a picturesque alleyway

lined with craft studios where artists make and

sell their wares. There are also towers to climb,

including that of the Oleviste Church, which was

once the tallest building in the world.

Rising above the rest of old Town is Toompea hill, once the seat of Estonia’s landowning class.

It’s home to Toompea Castle, where the

nation’s parliament meets, as well as numerous mansions, two stunning churches and scenic

overlooks that give visitors sweeping views of

old Town and the modern city beyond.

outside the walls of old Town there are several

other interesting areas to explore, each with its

own historic character. The relaxing, park-like

Kadriorg district is home to the baroque

Kadriorg Palace, built here for Tsar Peter the

Great in 1718. Nearby the palace is KUMU,

an ultra-modern complex that acts as both

national gallery and modern art gallery.

Tallinn’s other areas of note include the striking

Rotermann Quarter, a 19th-century factory

district that has been transformed into

a modern cultural centre, and Rocca al Mare,

home to the Estonian Open Air Museum,

where traditional village life has been

recreated.

For more information

about Tallinn’s attractions,

visit: www.tourism.tallinn.ee

Tallinn old Town

Kadriorg Palace

Tallinn Town Wall

KUMU Art Museum

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TARTU

The blend of historic charm and modern academia

in Estonia’s university city and an old Hansaetic town,

Tartu, makes it the perfect locale for scientific and

medical conferences, or any event where a quiet,

relaxed milieu is preferred.

With a population of just 100,000, Estonia’s ‘southern

capital’ has a far more laid-back feel than its larger

rival, as well as an artistic ambience that’s enhanced

by a thriving café culture.

At the heart of Tartu is Town Hall Square, home to

the majestic, 18th-century Town Hall, the unique

Kissing Students fountain that has come to symbolise

the city, and the unusual Leaning House, a building

that has developed a pronounced tilt over the

centuries.

The University of Tartu’s classical style Main Building,

built in 1809, is another old Town fixture. visitors

here can see the Student Lock-up where students

were once held for offenses such as swearing or

duelling. Nearby stands the towering St. John’s

Church, an architectural treasure from the 14th

century that has over 1,000 terracotta figurines

worked into its interior and exterior design.

Toome Hill or Dome Hill that overlooks old Town

has its own share of historic sights, most notably

the massive ruins of the 13th-century Dome

Cathedral. Parts of the ruins have been rebuilt

and house a view platform and museum of Tartu

University history. Another historic university

building on the hill is the Old Observatory. Built in

1810, it once boasted the most powerful telescope

in the world.

Those interested in history and culture can also visit

the Hansalodi, a recreated barge resembling those

that would have cruised the region’s waterways

in Hanseatic times, and the Estonian National

Museum, where ethnic traditions come to light.

For more information about what Tartu

has to offer, visit: www.visittartu.com

Tartu Town Hall Square

The Leaning House Tartu University

Barge on Emajõgi

St John’s Church

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STAY LONGER, EXPERIENCE MORE

LAHEMAA NATIONAL PARK

A highly popular day trip from Tallinn, this national park along Estonia’s

northern coast is loved for its vast forests, rocky seashores, historic

fishing villages and centuries-old manor houses. In two of the manors,

Palmse and Sagadi, visitors are invited in for an up-close look at

18th-century bourgeois living.

PäRNU

Estonia’s “summer capital”, Pärnu, has been a favourite seaside getaway

for the last two centuries. With its luxury health spas, long stretch of

beach, grand villas and historic town centre, it has no problem luring

visitors from both Tallinn and Riga, each about two hours away.

ESTONIAN ISLANDS

over 1,500 islands dot the Estonian coastline, many

of them offering sightseeing and cultural experiences

that can’t be found anywhere else in Europe. The

largest island, Saaremaa, is known for its wooden

windmills, 13th-century stone churches, Medieval

castle and mysterious meteor crater. Its neighbour

Hiiumaa boasts the world’s oldest functioning light-

house, dating to 1531. Smaller islands such as Kihnu

and Prangli have managed to hang onto their fishing

village traditions through the centuries, giving visitors

an unforgettable glimpse into Estonia’s past.

UNIQUE ACTIVITIES

BOG WALKING

Tie on a pair of bog walking shoes and make your

way over the spongy wetlands of Soomaa National

Park. Exploring this unforgettable ecosystem, made

up of marshy peat, will be like nothing you’ve ever

experienced.

MIDNIGHT SUN

Stay out as late as you like. Estonia’s far northern

latitude means that, in June and July, the sky typically

stays bright from around 4 am to 11 pm, with just a

couple hours darkness at the June 21 solstice.

SONG FESTIVALS

Feel the raw emotion as tens of thousands of

Estonians, all dressed in national costume, put their

voices together in a single choir performance.

National song festivals held on a grand scale are

part of a tradition that dates back to 1869 and

attending one will bring you a deeper understanding

of the country’s cultural identity.

SOUTH ESTONIA

The cities and towns of south Estonia are a must-see

for visitors with time to venture outside the capital.

other options, besides Tartu, are Viljandi, a quaint

town known for its castle ruins, Otepää, where the

nation’s ski resorts are located, and the hilly wilderness

of võru county. Several small villages the shores

of Lake Peipus are home to Estonia’s 300-year-old

community of Old Believers, who have preserved

their unique culture and strict branch of Russian

orthodoxy through the ages.

Estonian Dance Festival

Pärnu

Setu Kingdom in South-Estonia Bog walking

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HOW TO GET TO ESTONIA

Estonia is closer than you think. From most European cities,

Tallinn can be reached by a direct flight of just 1 to 3 hours,

with connecting hops to Tartu also available.

MORE INFORMATION

visitestonia.com

www.ecb.ee

Photos:EAS Image BankTallinn Image BankTartu County Toursim Foundation