Travel to Estonia.

Estonia is an unspoilt, sparsely populated country, situated in north eastern Europe. It has borders with Russia in the west and Latvia in the south with the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea bordering its northern shores. Estonia has a flat landscape with more than one thousand lakes and has over seven thousand rivers and streams. Nearly half of its landscape is covered by woodland and forest.

Five percent of the land is covered by lakes and the remaining is used as farmland. The main sectors of the economy are engineering, food products, metals, chemicals and wood products. About one quarter of the population is of Russian-speaking origin. Estonia regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Many nations have ruled Estonia in the past - most of them influencing Estonian cuisine. Traditional dishes include marinated eel, blood sausage and sauerkraut stew with pork. Veal is also a popular dish, that is normally served roasted. A common Estonian speciality is smoked fish, particularly trout.

Estonia is a country of striking beauty and dramatic seaside locations. Tourism accounts for 15% of Estonian GDP, much of which is due to the city of Tallinn.

Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. Tallinn is a coastal city situated in the north of the country. An important industrial hub with a busy seaport, Tallinn is the centre of tourism in Estonia and is best seen during the months of May through to September.

Places worth visiting.

Tallinn: is a well-preserved city with its medieval structure and setting still in place. The old part of town has winding cobblestone streets with properties that date back to the 11th century. Unlike most European cities, Tallinn still holds most of its old character.

Narva: If you have a few days to spend in Estonia you should also check out the unique city of Narva. Narva is located to the east of Estonia on the border with Russia. Narva is a very pleasant and relaxing place to visit.

St. Olav’s Church: was the tallest church in Medieval Europe and dates back to 11th century. The earliest information on the church is from 1267. Not much is known about the building of the church or the early history. The church was named after the Norwegian king Olav II Haraldson, who was canonised as a saint.

Tallinn Zoo: This zoo was founded on 25 August 1939 and has a large amount of eagles, vultures and a remarkable collection of owl and crane species.

Children’s gallery Kullo: a gallery for children located in Tallinn which contains exhibitions of children’s art. Concerts and theatre performances are also held there.

Tallinn’s Town Wall: was three metres thick, sixteen metres high and over four kilometres in length, and completely surrounded the city. It was one of the most powerful defence systems in Northern Europe during the 16th century with 46 defence towers. Over two kilometres of the Town Wall is still intact and it still has 26 of the original defence towers.

Its acceptance into the European Union has transformed the outlook for the Estonian people. Estonia is a remarkable and beautiful country to visit.

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