Close and very picturesque Estonia offers Russian tourists many options to spend time and money pleasantly and profitably. Firstly, even simple weekend walks along the streets of Tallinn are already an excellent scenario for a short but bright holiday. Secondly, in summer you can sunbathe and enjoy the discreet beauty of the Baltic Sea and white sand dunes. Thirdly, wellness programs in Estonian wellness centers and sanatoriums are absolutely not inferior to the range of services of world-famous health resorts and at the same time please with adequate prices for procedures. And finally, celebrating the New Year in Estonia means getting into a Christmas fairy tale with elegant houses, fragrant mulled wine, gingerbread and fireworks that light up the usually sleepy Tallinn sky until morning.
Let's take a look at the map
Estonia is located on the shores of the Baltic and is washed by the waters of the Gulfs of Finland and Riga. Part of the country's regions lies in the zone of a temperate continental climate, and the weather in the coastal region is determined by the temperate sea. The geographical position and proximity of the Baltic provide Estonians with cool summers and mild winters.
Going to Tallinn or other cities of the country for the New Year, you can be sure that the air temperature on a festive night is unlikely to drop below 0 ° C. During the day, mercury columns often fluctuate around + 5 ° C, and snow in Estonia, although it falls quite often, melts quickly.
How New Year is celebrated in Estonia
Winter holidays in Estonia begin with Christmas. He is loved and expected, and therefore celebrated widely and with great pleasure. Estonians start decorating streets and houses as early as November, so that by the end of December the cities will look like fairy-tale pages.
The main attributes of the New Year in Estonia are Santa Claus named Jyuluvana, a Christmas tree and fairs where you can buy whatever your heart desires. The malls sell hand-knitted woolen sweaters and ornamented hats, handicrafts from wood and handmade sweets, cakes and fragrant country sausages, mulled wine and toys.
A good New Year's omen is to meet a chimney sweep on the street. This profession still exists in Estonian cities, and handsome men walk the streets with a brush in their hands, attracting the attention of tourists. It is believed that encountering a chimney sweep is fortunately, and guests of Estonian cities do not deny themselves the pleasure of taking a selfie with a handsome man in a top hat.
In order for the holiday to be remembered for many years, you need to do a few more things:
- Walk to Rotemanni Square in Tallinn, where the country's main Christmas tree is installed and decorated annually.
- Buy souvenirs for family and colleagues in the same place at the Christmas market.
- Listen to the performance of an Estonian amateur choir and feel that the New Year is slowly but steadily approaching.
- Choose a cafe with a fireplace in the interior and order a mug of mulled wine. Sipping a fragrant drink and enjoying the sight of the flame, remember all the good things that happened in the past year, and make wishes for the next.
New Year's Eve is a time for walks, visits, festive feasts, fireworks and other pleasant activities. On the night of December 31 to January 1, Estonians will certainly find paparkook on the tables of Estonians - cinnamon cookies, fried goose or turkey, stewed cabbage and local beer. However, many culinary traditions have survived since Soviet times, and you can always order Olivier, herring under a fur coat or aspic fish in the restaurant.
For body and soul
After a tumultuous night, you may want to relax and tidy up your feelings and thoughts. A great way to recuperate will be a trip to the spa center, of which a huge number has opened throughout the country. You can pamper yourself with a relaxing massage, warm up in the hot sauna, or meditate in the hammam. The cost of wellness and grooming procedures in wellness centers in Estonia pleasantly pleases Muscovites tired of high prices and residents of other large Russian cities.
After you have recovered your strength, it's time to go for a walk in old Tallinn. The excursion program can be ordered at any travel agency in the capital of Estonia.
Children will love going to the zoo, where even in winter you can get acquainted with dozens of rare and exotic species of animals. Kids will remember a visit to the Vembu-Tembumaa amusement park or the Tallinn puppet theater, while older children will be happy to get acquainted with the interesting professions presented in the exposition of the Miia-Milla-Manda Museum. Little travelers can make and paint a marzipan figurine with their own hands in the gallery on the Town Hall Square.
Useful information for travelers
- Petersburgers often take advantage of the proximity of Estonia and cross the border to find themselves in New Year's Europe. If you also decide to spend your winter holidays in the Baltic country, take advantage of direct Aeroflot flights from Moscow to Tallinn (from 250 euros, 1.5 hours on the way) or connecting flights on Air Baltic wings (from 200 euros and 3.5 hours on the road, taking into account transfer in Riga).
- It is advisable to book a table in a restaurant you like to celebrate the New Year in advance. The popularity of the Baltic countries during the Christmas holidays has grown significantly in recent years.
- Christmas sales in shops and malls start after December 25th. Shopping in the best European traditions is another reason to go to Estonia for the New Year. Booklets containing useful information on discounts and sales in the capital's shops are available at the reception desk in all major city hotels.
- Renting an apartment for the New Year and Christmas celebrations in Estonia is a good way to save some money. On specialized sites, many options are offered, and the cost of renting one-room apartments in the capital starts from 30 euros per day.
If you are planning to travel on holidays by your own car, keep in mind some of the peculiarities of the traffic rules in Estonia. Dipped beam is compulsory around the clock, the fine for incorrect transportation of children starts from 400 euros, and all passengers and the driver must wear seat belts. There is no toll for using the roads in Estonia, but for the opportunity to park in the city center, you will have to pay 1-2 euros per hour.
