Estonia is a European country with a population of 1.3 million people. The official language is Estonian, however, Russian is also spoken, with Russians being the second most abundant ethnic group in the country after Estonians.
The capital city is Tallinn and it is home to some medieval architecture and the famous Alexander Nevsky cathedral. Estonians are majorly Christians with secularity becoming popular in the country. There is freedom of religion and the church is separate from the state.
There are over 2000 islands in Estonia, and ferries are a great way to explore and move about. Cycling is also a fun way to explore the landscape and there are also cars for hire.
Estonia has four seasons and July is the warmest month while February is the coolest winter month. Winter is great for skiing, there’s a cross country skiing that takes place in Otepaa. And summer is great for excursions and other outdoor activities. Clothing should be based on weather, however, sweaters and jackets are recommended in summer because of rain and chilly nights.
Estonian diet is a mix of German and Scandinavian cuisine; Black sausage is a popular Estonian dish. There have been cases of traffic-related incidents and petty crimes, so take precautions when crossing the road and be cautious with your belongings.
You can sail the Baltic Sea or relax in one of the numerous beaches or attend some of Estonia’s festivals such as:
- Estonia song festival
- Viljandi folk music festival
- Haapsalu Tchaikovsky festival, held in honour of Russian composer, Tchaikovsky
Some popular places you can visit include:
- The National parks: located in Laheema, Soomaa and Vilsandi
- Railway museum in Haapsalu: located in the resort town of Haapsalu, this historical train station is a popular site to learn the history of train travel
- Rakvere castle: the ruins of the medieval rakvere castle which was the palace of Danish kings, there are guided tours through the castle.
- Narva castle, which also houses the Narva museum
- Hiiumaa, one of the country’s several islands
