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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
54
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
76
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
98
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
1110
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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