If you are the proud owner of Schengen and are deciding where to go inexpensively and profitably for a couple of days on the weekend, pay attention to the nearest Baltic neighbor of Russia. What to see in Estonia? Whether you start in old Tallinn, plan a stroll through the antique shops in Tartu, take part in a music festival in Narva or open a swimming season on the beaches of Pärnu, you will like Estonia at first sight, and you will certainly return to the Baltic again and again.
TOP 15 sights of Estonia
Vyshgorod in Tallinn
The part of old Tallinn located on a high hill is called Vyshgorod. In the Middle Ages, the upper town was divided into several settlements, and since the 12th century it has been adorned with Toompea Castle. The castle is crowned by the Long Herman Tower, which soars into the sky at a height of 48 meters and is the hallmark of the capital of Estonia. You can sign up for a guided tour on weekdays.
Dome Cathedral in Tallinn
The Lutheran temple in the Estonian capital is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. A wooden church was erected on this site at the beginning of the 13th century, and then the temple was replaced by a stone one. The tower of the Dome Cathedral is made in the Baroque style, and the temple itself was built in the Gothic tradition. Inside there are the graves of many famous people, but most often tourists can be seen near the grave of Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern, the navigator who led the first Russian expedition around the world.
Tallinn Town Hall
The only surviving Gothic town hall in Europe is located in the capital of Estonia. Inside, you will see halls and rooms that have a rich political history and important social significance:
- In the Middle Ages, the Burgers' Hall served as a place for ceremonial receptions. Touring actors performed within its walls and city holidays were held.
- The magistrate's hall is the main building of the town hall. It was the seat of the city council, and its walls are decorated with canvases by the Lübeck painter Johann Aken, created in the 17th century.
- The basement hall was formerly used as a wine cellar. Its main attraction is archaic windows with stepped window sills.
In the treasury, you can see the floor preserved from the Middle Ages and portraits of the crowned heads of Europe.
The town hall was built in the XIV century.
Botanical Garden
It is called the symbol of the Estonian capital. The garden is located near the TV tower, 10 km from the city center in the Kloostrimetsa area. The botanical garden was founded in 1961 and served as the center of scientific research of the Academy of Sciences of the republic. Today it houses several plant exhibitions. The most popular among visitors are the tropics, the rose garden, the rock garden, the rhododendron garden and the palm house.
The garden is open daily from 10.00 to 20.00. The working day in greenhouses is slightly shorter. The exact address for the navigator is 52 Kloostrimetsa tee, Tallinn, 11913 Estonia.
Kadriorg in Tallinn
Built in the first third of the 18th century, the Kadriorg palace and park ensemble is called the pearl of Baroque architecture. The order for the construction was given by Peter I, who spent some time here with his wife Catherine I. There is a legend that the king personally laid three bricks in the masonry of the wall during construction. They remain unplastered to this day.
The 300-hectare park has not yet been fully restored, but the Palace and Japanese Gardens already look like ideal examples of landscape design and are in full harmony with the magnificent building. An exposition of the Estonian Art Museum is open within the walls of Kadriorg.
Park address: Weizenbergi 37. The ticket price for adults is 5, 5 euros. The palace is open from 10.00 every day except Monday.
Toompea castle
Once this building was called the Revel Fortress and served as a stronghold for the Danes in the Baltic States. It was built by the Danish king Valdemar II in the first third of the 13th century. Today, local legislators sit in the castle, but tourists are also allowed to admire the interiors. The highest point of the fortress is the Long Hermann Tower, at the top of which the Estonian national flag flies. What to see on guided tours in the castle? For example, exhibits from exhibitions of applied arts, photography, painting or sculpture. Tours are free of charge and also in Russian.
Tartu Town Hall Square
The buildings of the old center of Tartu have been preserved since the first half of the 18th century. The heart of the city is its Town Hall Square, where the Big Market once roared. All significant city events took place here - fairs in honor of Christmas and Hanseatic days, holidays and festivals. The main modern attraction of the square is the sculpture "The Kissing Students", and the Art Museum, whose façade overlooks the square, will help you get acquainted with the artistic heritage of old Tartu. The building of the Town Hall itself appeared at the end of the 18th century. The city government works in it to this day, and the chimes, which are already 200 years old, count the time for the inhabitants of Tartu.
Valaste waterfall
The highest waterfall not only in Estonia, but also in all the Baltic countries is the thirty-meter Valaste in Ida-Viru County near Kothla-Järve. It was formed as a result of reclamation work carried out in the fields, and the artificial channel became a national treasure of Estonia. Water falls from a ledge formed by ancient Silurian limestones. The stone has acquired a beautiful shape and shades due to erosion and exposure to water droplets. If you come to the waterfall in frosty weather, you can see how it freezes and forms many bizarre icicles.
Estonian Maritime Museum
This museum exposition is dedicated to fishing, underwater archeology and other marine topics. It was opened in 1935 and is located in the capital's architectural landmark - the Fat Margarita Tower. In the museum you can see a collection of finds from divers who worked at the bottom of the Baltic Sea at different times. Their equipment is also on display. Frequent subjects of exhibitions from neighboring countries are Vikings, maritime affairs, fishing and navigation in the Baltic.
On the upper tier of the Tolstaya Margarita there is an observation deck, which offers an excellent view of the Port of Tallinn.
Museum address: st. Pikk, 70.
AHHAA Center
At the end of the last century, the University of Tartu opened the largest science and entertainment center in the Baltics, where anyone can see how interesting any science becomes if one approaches it creatively. The main feature of the center is interactive exhibitions that allow visitors to participate in the process, try and understand the essence of the phenomenon. If you come to Estonia, do not miss your meeting with AHHAA. What to see? The choice is huge and it's yours:
- In the technology hall, you can test the vestibular apparatus or learn how to drive a racing car.
- The Wildlife Hall will tell the flora and fauna lovers a lot of interesting things. For example, she will introduce you to the process of birth of live chicks or tell you about the underwater world of the seas.
- The center's planetarium is marked in the Guinness Book of Records as having the most powerful projector among its kind.
In the AHHAA Science Store, you will find helpful tutorials and educational games. The center is open every day except Monday from 10.00. A full ticket costs 13 euros.
Tallinn TV tower
The tallest building in Estonia is open to visitors every day. The tower houses not only an observation deck, but also a restaurant with a cafe and an outdoor terrace, interactive information points, a souvenir kiosk and a mini-TV studio. The latter is especially popular with kids, for whom the workers of the TV tower organize matinees. Walking along the edge of the observation deck, located at a height of 22 floors, is the favorite pastime for those who like to tickle their nerves.
The entrance fee to the TV tower is 13 euros for adults and 6 euros for privileged categories of citizens.
Rocca al mare museum
The Ethnographic Open Air Museum introduces visitors to the life of local residents and the peculiarities of Estonian crafts and applied arts. The farm buildings and entertainment facilities that existed in Estonia in the 17th-20th centuries have been recreated on the territory of the village.
You will be happy to dine in a tavern, where the menu contains only authentic Estonian dishes, go for a ride on bicycles or horse-drawn carriages, and during the holidays you can take part in a music festival or a theatrical performance.
St. Nicholas Church
Today it houses a museum and a concert hall, but once this church served as a parish for practicing Lutheranism. The temple was built in the XIII century by German merchants. The main artistic value of the museum in the Church of St. Nicholas is the painting "Dance of Death", written by the Lubeck painter Bernard Notke. No less valuable is the altar made in the old Dutch tradition. You may have seen the church at the beginning of The Adventures of the Yellow Suitcase.
Matsalu
The national park in western Estonia occupies part of the coastal strip of the Matsalu Bay and the island of the Moonsund archipelago. The fauna of the park numbers more than 280 species of birds living here, many of which not only fly over the territory of the reserve during their migration, but also nest in it. Most often, tourists can observe swans, gray geese, terns and mergansers.
Aquapark in Tartu
The attractions of the local water park will help entertain both young and old family members who find themselves in Tartu. In Aura Keskus you will find a couple of pools, one of which is designed for safe and comfortable bathing for babies, a waterfall and water slides of various heights and degrees of difficulty. The wellness center at the water park offers sauna and hammam services, spa treatments in bubble baths and great ice cream at a local café.
The price for an adult visitor is 13 euros on weekends and 9 euros on weekdays. There is a system of discounts for children.
