Official language: Estonian
Capital: Tallinn
Currency: Euro
Population as % of total EU: 0.3
Joined EU: 2004

Did you know?

• Estonia has significantly more women than men: for every 100 women in Estonia, there are only 84 men. The only place with a smaller population of males is the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific. One of the reasons for this skew is that, on average, Estonian women live 10 years longer than Estonian men.
• In 2005, Estonia became the first country in the world to allow citizens to vote online.
• Singing is an important part of Estonian culture. The events that led to Estonia regaining its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 are commonly referred to as the Singing Revolution, a reference to a series of mass demonstrations during which Estonians sang national songs and hymns that were strictly forbidden. Estonia also has a Song Festival that takes place every 5 years, which (along with its counterparts in Latvia and Lithuania) was listed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2008.
• Estonian is a Finno-Ugric language, meaning it is closer to Finnish and Hungarian than to any other European languages.
• Estonia has the highest number of supermodels per capita in the world.

Visiting Estonia: Tallinn and Käsmu

Upon touching down in Tallinn airport at 9pm, one of the first things my friend Rachel and I noticed was how extraordinarily light it was. We were surprised: we hadn’t realised quite how far north the country was, and that this would mean gloriously long periods of daylight.

Anyway, this – combined with the fact it takes 10 minutes and about €5 to get to the city from the airport – was an early indication we were onto a winner. If you find yourself in a taxi queue at the airport, you might notice a big lake right across the road: this is Lake Ülemiste and it provides almost all the drinking water for Tallinn.

We had decided to spend a few days in Tallinn and then a few days in Käsmu, a village in Lahemaa National Park. I would wholeheartedly recommend both as destinations: Tallinn is charming and extremely laid-back for a capital city, and Käsmu oozes rustic charm and is perfect for a peaceful getaway. Pretty much opposites of each other, but a perfect combination in one trip.

Tallinn tips

1. Tallinn’s Old Town is stunning. It’s a mix of medieval walls, winding streets and buildings that look like something out of a Wes Anderson movie. Stroll around it at a leisurely pace, going beyond the main square, and you’ll be sure to find some hidden gems: a friendly one-eyed cat, someone serving wine in their back garden, a bustling handicrafts market, and much else besides.

If you’re comfortable in enclosed spaces and have thighs of steel, consider scaling the spire of St Olaf’s Church. Reportedly, it was the world’s tallest building between 1549 and 1625 – it’s nothing near that now, but it will still give you some wonderful views across the city. Beware though: it’s very cramped up top and, if you go at a busy time, you might find yourself shuffling around the balcony in an uncomfortable, impromptu one-way system.

2. Tallinn is a city of very distinct neighbourhoods. Try and venture beyond the Old Town and take some of them in.

Refurbished industrial buildings and modern architecture stand side by side in the Rotermann Quarter. There isn’t much to do there except shop and drink (though I’d recommend it for both) but, if you’ve mainly been spending time around the Old Town, it will feel like another city altogether. Anyway, it’s worth going there for Scandinavian style bakery café RØST alone – the croissants are perfect and I’m still dreaming of the cheese gougeres.

Telliskivi Creative City is another must. It’s a collection of reclaimed factory buildings that are now home to a range of creative enterprises, from fashion designers to furniture makers. There are also some excellent vintage shops, and a flea market on a Saturday.

If you walk over from Tallinn’s main train station, you’ll pass through Depoo, a street food market that features Peatus – an original Moscow-Tallinn passenger train carriage and restaurant car that’s been turned into a café and nightclub.

3. Kadriorg Park is in the north-east of the city and is a lovely place to spend a sunny day. It has a palace, museums, a lake, formal gardens and is a short walk from the coast and a small sandy beach. Pack a picnic and bring a good book; dip into one of the museums if the mood takes you.

4. For a taste of the bizarre, head to the old apothecary (Raeapteek), just off the main square in the Old Town. It’s one of the oldest continuously running pharmacies in Europe, and was run by one family (the Burcharts) for over 325 years.

It’s tiny, but a great place to visit if you love the obscure and treasure unusual facts. For example, did you know that in Estonian far-flung medical superstitions and beliefs are known as ‘salt-blowing’? Or that ‘parched bees’ were once a medicinal remedy?

5. There are some excellent eating and drinking establishments in Tallinn but, if you only have limited time there, there are two you can’t miss: the culinary delights of Leib Resto ja Aed (book in advance) and the aesthetic delights of Manna la Roosa.

Leib is a fancy yet relaxed restaurant that specialises in black bread (yum!) and using simple Estonian ingredients to make delicious food. It has a beautiful terrace, which somewhat inexplicably features a bust of Sean Connery. I had three courses, extra bread, Estonian beer and did not regret it one bit.

Manna la Roosa is a bar with crazy, kitsch décor and delicious cocktails. It’s full of sequins, collage, hidden cubbyholes, bright colours, and I’ve never been anywhere else like it.

One last tip if you’re thinking of going to Tallinn: stay in Kristel’s lovely Airbnb. A peaceful and beautiful flat and a lovely, helpful host.

The coast: Käsmu

Käsmu is a sleepy, tiny fishing village on Estonia’s northern coast. Its population is just 131, and many of those are only there for the summer. It’s pretty much the definition of an isolated, picturesque getaway, but is only 70km from Tallinn and – crucially for us – easy to get to without a car.

There isn’t even a village shop in Käsmu so, if you are venturing there on public transport, go prepared with lots of groceries. We stocked up on copious amounts of pasta, crisps and wine and enjoyed dinner gazing out at the sea.

There are hiking and biking trails through the forest and along the coast that start and end in Käsmu, and I would highly recommend them. The scenery is stunning; the sunsets over the bay some of the best I have ever seen; and the erratic rock formations are lots of fun.

The joys of Käsmu are ultimately best summed up in photographic form:

There is one restaurant in town, La Veranda, which is only open in the summer. You’ll see it on Google Maps, but it doesn’t have much of a presence anywhere else online. However, go go go – the proprietor is friendly and funny, the food delicious (the menu is entirely in the owner’s head) and the setting (a garden at the edge of the forest) is magical.

So, all in all: I loved Estonia. Can you tell?

Thanks to Rachel for the kind use of some of her photos