Estonia Info
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 Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 6:18 am Post subject: ESTONIA TOURISM GUIDE / TOURISM IN ESTONIA |
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ESTONIA TOURISM GUIDE
TALLINN
Tallinn, the oldest capital in Northern Europe, was put on the map for the first time by Arabian geographer al-Idrisi in 1154. Tallinn’s Old Town is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the best-preserved medieval town centres in Europe. It boasts a town wall with 26 defence towers, the Dominican St. Catherine’s Monastery founded in 1246, the 600-year-old Gothic Town Hall, the world’s oldest functioning pharmacy on the Town Hall Square and the 159 metres high Oleviste Church which was the highest structure in the world in the 16th century. Toompea Hill and the towers of Oleviste Church and the Town Hall offer breathtaking views over the Old Town. Toompea Castle, built in the 13th and 14th centuries, is the seat of the nation’s parliament and there flies Estonia’s “first flag” on top of Tall Hermann’s Tower.
Tallinn is a dynamic city on the move. The medieval Old Town is not a museum, but a vibrant, living organism between the harbour and the new business district. The city centre with its cosy cafés, boutiques and art galleries beckons to take a stroll and explore the streets, to have a drink and a bite to eat, to party, and – why not – to shop. There is also the Estonian Open Air Museum which gives a glimpse of rural life, the Song Festival Grounds, Kadriorg Park and Castle, the Pirita Convent, romantic Nõmme, a garden town built under the pine trees in the 1930’s, and the distinctive wooden house districts of Kalamaja and Lilleküla.
PARNU
Pärnu is a popular summer destination, a seaside resort, and a town with a lively cultural life. Its shady parks, beautiful sandy beach and quality restaurants, cafés, spas and nightclubs help you recharge your batteries whether you travel with a family or look for adventures on your own. For a change one can visit the local theatre, museums, numerous concerts and exhibitions. A dedicated visitor to the summer capital Pärnu is likely to have neither time nor mood to go to the countryside. Yet some landmarks of Estonian culture and plenty of sites of natural heritage in Pärnu County are worth mentioning.
Vändra and its neighbourhood which was the home of a number of important figures in the history of Estonian culture; the Kurgja farm museum ; Tõstamaa Islets Protection Area; Tori Stud Farm and the part of Soomaa National Park belonging to Pärnu County. Viisireiu Watermill which is still in operation in Tali parish; the museum introducing the history of local wool industry in Sindi, and not far from it the oldest, over 9,000 years old settlement site in Estonia in Pulli Village. The holiday centre in Silla on the Reiu River with a swimming spot and a small open air stage. In Mihkli there is a church built in 1226, where the famous chronicler Latvian Henrik once served as a priest, and a protected oak forest. The Soontagana earthen stronghold that lies on a high bog island; hiking trails and an observation tower nearby. A unique railway museum in Lavassaare; a hiking centre for bicyclists in Oidrema Manor; Nigula Nature Reserve with its centre in Vanajärve.
A must see destination in West Estonia is the island of Kihnu attracting travellers with its virgin nature and tranquillity. In Kihnu the centuries-old traditions are still part of everyday life – the local dialect, national costumes and handicrafts, dances and songs. The area of Kihnu culture has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The adventure begins as soon as you board a ferry or a fishing boat to the island.
TARTU
Mentioned for the first time in 1030, Tartu is the centre of South Estonia and the country’s second-largest town. Its pride is the University of Tartu, founded in 1632, whose academic staff has among other outstanding scholars included Karl Ernst von Baer, a pioneer of the theory of evolution and modern embryology, and Juri Lotman, the founder of structural semiotics. Tartu is also the birthplace of Estonian national literature and journalism, and it hosted the first national song festival in 1869. The town’s most notable buildings are the main University building, St. John’s Church (1323), famous for its unique terracotta statues, and the Town Hall, which dates back to the 18th century.
When you take a walk in the distinctly classical old town don’t miss the famous statue of kissing students in front of the Town Hall or Tartu’s “Tower of Pisa”, the leaning building of the art museum by the Town Hall Square. Toomemägi, one of Tartu’s main landmarks, is an English-style park located on the site of the former Estonian stronghold. Toomemägi is known for its two bridges, the Devil’s Bridge and the Angel’s Bridge, the Observatory, and the ruins of Dome Church, which was the largest cathedral in Livonia when it was completed in the 15th century. At the foot of the hill you will find Wilde Pub with a cosy bookstore and the bronze figures of two prominent writers: Estonian Eduard Vilde and British-Irish Oscar Wilde.
The dominant element in Tartu is the Emajõgi River which divides the town into two parts and which used to be an important trade route in the past centuries. Within a walking distance from the city centre is Supilinn (Soup town), a picturesque and rather worn-out district of wooden houses, with streets named after vegetables. Other districts worth seeing are Karlova, Tammelinn and Tähtvere.
As you leave Tallinn towards Tartu make a stopover in Põltsamaa, Estonia’s wine capital. The local wines from apples and black currants are delicious and certainly worth tasting. This small town has also a rose nursery and seventeen bridges. Near county centre Jõgeva there are the ruins of the Laiuse citadel, the winter residence of the king of Sweden Karl XII during the Great Northern War. A legend says that the king personally planted a linden tree that is still growing in the local churchyard 300 years later.
Endla Nature Reserve belongs to the list of wetlands of international importance under Ramsar Convention. Among other things it offers boat trips, study tours and an opportunity to climb the top of an observation tower right next to bog pools. Another interesting area is Vooremaa with its picturesque drumlins formed by glacial drift and eight lakes full of fish. At the heart of Vooremaa you will find Palamuse with its parish school museum, old vicarage and pharmacy buildings, a watermill, and an ancient churchyard. The Luua Arboretum houses around 750 different species of trees and bushes, while the garden of Saare Manor grows a wide selection of herbs. Vooremaa is the home for Elistvere Animal Park that accommodates many local animals and birds.
Further east there is Lake Peipsi, Europe’s fourth largest lake. The mainly Russian settlements on the shores of the lake originate from religious refugees who settled there in the 17th and 18th centuries. They were the so-called Old Believers who opposed the official teachings of the Orthodox Church. These people live in unique one street villages that stretch for miles. The museum in Kolkja collects and preserves everything related to the Old Believers, and a local restaurant offers authentic fish and onion dishes. In Raja pay a visit to the monastery of Old Believers or go swimming or fishing. Not far from the shores of Peipsi lies Alatskivi Castle in the middle of a nice deer garden. Life seems to have stopped in Piirissaare, an island of fishermen and onion growers. In summer you can get there by ferry from Tartu. On the way to Peipsi great views open on the vast expanse of Emajõe Suursoo Nature Protection Area on both banks of the Emajõgi River.
NARVA
One of the oldest towns in Estonia. Situated on the western banks of the River Narva, it was first mentioned in the chronicle of Novgorod. The Herman Castle is the oldest architectural monument and the city museum, which is situated in the castle, is well worth seeing.
OTHER PLACES
Haapsalu is a small town on the western coast and has been a well-known resort since the 19th century. It is the ideal place to get away from it all with its romantic wooden houses and tree-lined avenues. Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia. On here and on Hiiumaa (Estonia’s second-largest island) one can see old windmills, stone churches, fishing villages and a restored Episcopal castle dating back to the 13th century. Mustvee, situated on the shores of the beautiful and vast Lake Peipsi, and Kuremäe, the site of the only functioning convent in Estonia, are also well worth a visit. |
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