There are lots of fascinating and thrilling things to do in Estonia. Whether on business or vacation, you would be losing out if you didn't try to fit in a few enjoyable activities while you're there.
These are a handful of the top destinations in Estonia, where there are many amazing things to do in Estonia. Everyone can find something they like, whether daring or culturally minded.
1. Saaremaa Island
Visiting Saaremaa Island, on the western coast of Estonia, is among the most genuine ways to see Estonia. You may reach here by bus from Tallinn, Tartu, or Pärnu; a boat leaves from the mainland village of Virtsu and docks at Muhu Island, which is connected to Saaremaa by a causeway.
The main sights are Kuressaare's castle, which dates back to the thirteenth century and is considered one of the best in the Baltic region. Another worthwhile detour is the village of Kaali, which is home to a massive meteorite crater that is believed to be at least four thousand years old.
2. Lahemaa National Park
The 725-square-kilometer Lahemaa National Park is the largest of Estonia's national parks, and it can be reached from Tallinn by bus or car in one hour. It is a stretch of land that runs along the northern coast and is comprised of verdant forests, untouched lakes, and wetlands and coves that are breathtakingly lovely.
There are a few small villages scattered over the land, as well as erratic boulders, which are enormous rocks that were left behind from the previous Ice Age. Brown bears, wild boar, moose, and lynx are some of the animals that call the forest their homeland.
3. Estonian National Museum
The Estonian National Museum houses the country's most significant permanent folklore collection at Muuseumi tee 2, northeast of the Tartu City Museum.
On the grounds of the Raadi Manor, which had been the residence of the Baltic German von Liphard family in the past, the new museum building was successfully launched in 2016. In addition to a cinema, a library, a restaurant, and a cafe, the structure is enormous and features ultra-modern architecture.
4. Explore Soomaa National Park
One of the best things to do in Estonia is to journey north from Pärnu to the Soomaa National Park, which offers a landscape rarely seen in other parts of Europe. Drivers can enter the center of the 371 sq km (143 sq mile) nature reserve by following the 59 through Tori and Jŵesuu signage after the trip. "Land of bogs" is what Soomaa signifies.
The region is well-known for its animals and floodplains, but what sets it apart are the enigmatic and frequently hazy bogs, open spaces with low trees, peaty soil, and tiny ponds that appear out of this world. Only by carefully traversing specially constructed plank walkways can you access them.
5. Lake Peipus
There are woods of tall conifers and white beaches of bleached oyster shells along the edge of Lake Peipus (Peipsi jaarv), which either of the two routes can reach. A few fishing settlements are scattered here and there along the water's edge.
Their charming clapboard houses are painted in various colors, and each one is surrounded by rows of colorful flowers and greenhouses that are used to lengthen the short growing season.
The village of Mustvee, located 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of Tartu, is the largest town on Lake Peipsi and serves as the hub of the Old Believers population in Estonia. These Russians came to Estonia in the 17th century to escape religious persecution; since then, they have created their own culture and traditions distinct from those of the Ukrainians.
6. Song Festival in Tallinn
Estonia's Song Festivals are held at the massive arena known as the Lauluväljak in Narva, which is located northeast of Kadriorg Park in Tallinn. These events, including a 25,000-person choir, occur every five years. Since Tartu hosted the first all-Estonia Song Festival in 1869, they have played a significant role in expressing national identity.
In what became known as the "Singing Revolution," people spontaneously gathered here in the summer of 1988 to sing national songs in protest against Soviet control, packing the grounds to capacity. The Song Festival is scheduled for July 2024.
7. Seaplane Harbour
The Seaplane Harbour Museum in Tallinn, Estonia, is a place that is great for people who are interested in maritime history. The Estonian Navy submarine Lembit from 1936 and the wreckage of the wooden ship Maasilinn are two important items that can be seen at the museum. There are a lot of technological displays, such as submarine and flight simulations.
The museum is split into three levels: air, sea, and underground. History buffs, submarine pilots, people interested in Estonian naval history, and people interested in wartime aircraft will all find something interesting at the Seaplane Harbour Museum.
8. Go Skiing
Estonia is a fantastic place to go skiing if you're a winter sports fan. The nation is ideal for novices and intermediates because of its flat topography.
This is the way to go for a perfect wintertime adventure in Estonia. Skiing is also possible in every forest or ski resort in Tallinn, Järva County, Nüpli, or Estonia. Spend some time at one of Estonia's numerous ski resorts if you happen to be there during the winter.
9. Explore Tallinn’s Old Town
Nearly a thousand years of foreign influence have molded Tallinn, Estonia's small but lively capital, with its charming core encircled by medieval walls. Still mostly encircled by the city's medieval walls, Tallinn's Old Town is its beating heart. Toompea Hill, the medieval fortress of the German knights who ruled the city, towers over the historic Raekoja plats, the city's beating heart.
The ancient city's cobblestone market square, Raekoja Plats, is in the middle of the Old Town. Raekoda, the Tallinn Town Hall from the fourteenth century, stands on its southern side. It has beautiful Gothic arches at ground level, and at the northern end, it has a delicate steeple. Right at the beginning of Lossi Plats, where the first Danish stronghold stood, is the pink Toompea Castle. The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, now calls this structure home.
10. Visit the open-air museum.
The Estonian Open Air Museum is one of Estonia's most popular tourist sites. It is a reproduction of a rural Estonian hamlet that dates back to the 18th century and is a source of fascination for history fans and anybody interested in traditional Estonian culture.
Visitors can explore the buildings and streets of the town, engage with museum workers, and sample traditional Estonian cuisine at this "living" museum, which provides a look into what life may have been like two hundred years ago.
