Estonia sightseeing. Travel guide - attractions, sights, nature and touristic places

Estonia resorts attract numerous travellers by their interesting architecture and rich historic heritage. Magnificent cathedrals, elegant churches, castles and palaces can be found in nearly every city of the country.

What you need to know about Estonia prior to visit - advices

Traveling to Estonia can be one of the best and most memorable experiences for any tourist. A pleasant pastime is guaranteed if you familiarize …
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Tallinn is a beautiful old city with numerous places of interest. The historic centre of Tallinn is called the Toompea Castle. This is a large architectural complex with several dozen buildings. Construction works started in the 13th century and lasted nearly 400 years. The most famous buildings are Dome Church, Toomkirik, Pikk Hermann Tower, castle walls and massive towers. As these buildings were constructed in different years, they feature different architectural styles – gothic, baroque and classicism. One more place of interest is located on Raekoja Square. This is the old city hall building that was constructed in the beginning of the 15th century. The building is decorated with a wind vane that depicts the symbol of Tallinn – Old Thomas.

The best way to know more about the history of the city and its landmarks is to visit wonderful museums of Tallinn. There are more than twenty museums in Tallinn, the most famous being the Museum of Applied Art, Marine Museum, the Museum of Nature, Tallinn City Museums, Estonian Art Museum and the National Historic Museum. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

What to see and what to visit in Estonia with children

Tourists from all over the world come to Estonia with their children because the unique climate of the country has a healing effect on young ones. For …
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Many beautiful buildings and culture centres are located in the territory of Narva. The Narva Castle has been the symbol of the city for more than 500 years. The city has rich and glorious war part, so the majority of its museums and monuments are related to war or military actions.

When it comes to describing nature landmarks of the country, it’s simply impossible not to mention islands of Estonia. Saaremaa is the biggest island in Estonia. It’s famous for dense pine forests and Juniper bushes. Small villages, old windmills and stone churches look even more spectacular in such beautiful nature. The most famous landmark of Hiiumaa Island is an old lighthouse that was built more than 600 years ago. The height of the building is 104 metres and there are only 2 lighthouses in the world that are older than the Hiiumaa one.

Shopping in Estonia - best shopping places, what to buy?

It is recommended you combine traveling to Estonia with shopping. Today in the country you can buy clothes, shoes and other goods not only of national …
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The city of Tartu is a famous cultural centre of Estonia. The city can be proud of its wonderful theatres, museums and historic places. The most famous landmarks include the Town Hall building, botanic garden, the Museum of Tartu University, Ethnographic Museum and Zoology Museum.

History and Entertainment

In the 10th-13th centuries, the territory of Estonia consisted of several early feudal states that were conquered by the Crusaders in the late 13th century. All these states became a part of the Livonian Order. After the end of the Livonian war, the significant part of present Estonia became a part of Sweden. The next tide in the history of the country was the Great Northern War between Sweden and the Russian Empire.

When and where to 'hang out' in Estonia - festivals and celebrations

The cultural life of Estonia is characterized by an abundance of celebratory events and festivals. Most of them are devoted to memorable dates from …
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As a result of the war, in 1721, Estonia became a part of the Russian Empire and was called the Governorate of Estonia. In the late 19th century, the population of the governorate exceeded 950 000 people, among which 90% were Estonians. Estonia gained independence from the Russian Empire in 1918. It gained a status of the republic after the revolution.

Besides rich sightseeing program, Estonia is ready to offer its guests a lot of options for exciting leisure. The pride of the country is enchanting sandy beaches, at which the swimming season lasts already from June to the end of the summer. There are also beautiful and fully-equipped beaches in Tallinn. Peaceful and less crowded beaches are located in Pelgulinn.

For active traveler - national parks, landscapes and nature of Estonia

Estonia is a northern country famous for its pristine nature and variety of landscapes. Half of its territory is covered with forests. According to …
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The favorite recreation place of water sports fans is Lake Harku, on which surfing and canoeing competitions are regularly held. The resort of Parnu is very popular with connoisseurs of luxury recreation in Spa style. Beautiful shallow beaches make it also suitable for family recreation. In Estonia, there are wonderful conditions for diving. Approximately, over 40 000 sinking ships are resting in coastal waters now. Even beginners can admire some of them but some diving sites are open only for professionals.

Estonia will impress shopping enthusiasts too. They should pay their attention to not only gift, but also food shops. The most popular souvenirs for travelers are ceramic and colored glass items. Beautiful crockery, vases and different hand-made home decorations are sold here. The country is notable for the production of high-quality knitwear and leather items. In food shops, you can buy exquisite liqueurs of the local production, chocolate and beautiful marzipan figures. The popular dainty here is roasted almond with cinnamon.

This article about iconic landmarks and sights of Estonia is protected by the copyright law. You can re-use the content, but only under the condition of placement of an active link to www.orangesmile.com.

Estonia guide chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Estonia

Reference information

Map of all parks

National and city parks of Estonia
♥ National park 'Lahemaa rahvuspark' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ National park 'Matsalu rahvuspark' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ National park 'Soomaa rahvuspark' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ National park 'Vilsandi rahvuspark' . On the map Show on the map

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Map of all castles

Castles of Estonia
♥ Castle 'Kiltsi Castle' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ Castle 'Koluvere Castle' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ Castle 'Kuressaare Castle' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ Castle 'Kursi Castle' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ Castle 'Narva Hermann Castle' . On the map Show on the map

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Famous and uniques places in Estonia from our review series

Kopu Tuletorn

From the series “Top 15 Most Fascinating Lighthouses”

One of the most interesting lighthouses in Estonia is the lighthouse "Kopu Tuletorn". It is a historical place which is open for tourists. This tower is the highest in the Baltic Sea, its height is over 100 meters. It is hard to believe but this magnificent building dates back to 1530 year. The lighthouse was located on Hiiumaa island. The tower has been built for a quarter of the century. The lighthouse "Kopu Tuletorn" is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world.

The main feature of the lighthouse is the lighting system. There it has passed the whole route of evolution. Originally the lighthouse was lighted just with a wooden fire, later with the coal and various tars. A real step forward was when the oils began to be used in the lightning. Later for long-lasting and continuous … Read all

Depeche Mode Bar

From the series “The Most Extraordinary Bars and Café on the Planet”

Fans of the English musical group "Depeche Mode" have to visit the bar in Tallinn. It is the number one thing that they have to do in their life. This thematic bar is devoted to the members of the group and their art. A lot of people come here just to listen to their favourite music. The atmosphere in the bar is very informal. The main peculiarity of the bar is the unusual interior. On the basis of the design have lied the hand-painted walls, old photos, press-cuttings, and private things of the musicians.

The bar has nice red leisure sofas and armchairs. The most unusual elements are the musicians' wax figures on the sofa. You can find the bar in the quiet alley, near the Town Hall Square. The basement of the historical building was chosen for the bar. The whole interior is made in the … Read all

Sightseeing in popular cities of Estonia

Kuressaare

In the past, there were wooden buildings and a market on the site of modern Kuressaare. A castle was built on the island in the 80s of the 14th century. This castle became a bishop's residence. A settlement started slowly growing around the castle. The Dutch kingdom captured the castle two hundred years later. Kuressaare officially became a town in 1563. Starting from 1645, Swedish rulers owned the town for six years. At that time, the Germans, Dutch, and Swedes made up the majority of the … Read more

Tallinn

The House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads. The House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads is one of the few buildings in the Renaissance style in Tallinn that have survived till our days. The Brotherhood appeared in 1399. It united young lone traders, who were waiting for their turn to be accepted in the “Big Guild”. Foreign merchants, who were temporarily living in Tallinn, were also allowed to enter the brotherhood. The name of the brotherhood appeared because of its patron, Saint … Read more

Parnu

The most beautiful monument of architecture is villa Ammende. It was built in 1905 and over a hundred years of its existence has repeatedly changed its status. Originally, the three-story villa belonged to a wealthy local merchant - Herman Leopold Ammende. After his death, a summer casino was opened in it, that was replaced by a prestigious club afterwards. Later, the villa became the location of a sanatorium. After a time, a library was founded in it. Despite numerous reformation, the villa … Read more

Tartu

The Old Anatomicum in Tartu used to be the most important scientific center, where they conducted really exciting studies in the field of medicine. It is interesting primarily from an architectural point of view to contemporary tourists. The research center occupied a beautiful 19th-century mansion surrounded by a large beautiful garden. It's a lovely place to visit at any time of the year. The Leaning House is the most unusual architectural sight of Tortu. This beautiful house was erected in … Read more

Rakvere

The first mentions of the modern Rakvere region date back to the 13th century. The settlement appeared not far from an old feudal castle. Starting from the period before our age and until the early Middle Ages, the indigenous people of Estonia – the Aesti – called this region Tarvanpea. On February 18, 1268, a major battle took place near the town. In this battle, there were not two but three participants, namely, the Danish and German knights and the Russian army. The event is known as … Read more

Narva

A unique religious monument is the Resurrection Cathedral built for the local manufacture workers. Today, it is well known to many tourists for its unusual green dome; the facade of the cathedral is decorated with mosaic images of saints. During the Second World War, the cathedral was completely unharmed, as well as its main relic - the wooden iconostasis, which has never been restored since the foundation of the temple. Those visiting Narva in spring should definitely see an interesting … Read more

Estonia sightseeing. Travel guide - attractions, sights, nature and touristic places

History and Entertainment

Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Estonia

Famous and uniques places in Estonia from our review series

Kopu Tuletorn

Depeche Mode Bar

Sightseeing in popular cities of Estonia

Map of travel guides to Estonia cities