Colorful Estonia
Did you know that...
...Estonia is in the North East of the European Union, bordering Russia and Latvia?
...Estonia is in the Schengen Area so we have open borders with the rest of Europe?
...Estonia has a population of just 1.3 million but is larger than Denmark or Holland?
...it is said that the Estonian language is a nightmare to learn?
...everyone in tourism speaks good English and often German, Finnish, Russian and Swedish too?
...great food is everywhere and you can even eat marinated bear here?
...in winter it gets very cold and we get plenty of beautiful snow?
...Estonia is almost 50% forest?
...Tallinn is our medieval capital and by far the biggest city, with a population of around 400,000?
...in 2011 Tallinn will be the European Capital of Culture?
...Tartu, with 100,000 people, is our young yet timeless university town?
...Estonia has over 1,500 islands?
...Estonia is in the North East of the European Union, bordering Russia and Latvia?
...Estonia is in the Schengen Area so we have open borders with the rest of Europe?
...Estonia has a population of just 1.3 million but is larger than Denmark or Holland?
...it is said that the Estonian language is a nightmare to learn?
...everyone in tourism speaks good English and often German, Finnish, Russian and Swedish too?
...great food is everywhere and you can even eat marinated bear here?
...in winter it gets very cold and we get plenty of beautiful snow?
...Estonia is almost 50% forest?
...Tallinn is our medieval capital and by far the biggest city, with a population of around 400,000?
...in 2011 Tallinn will be the European Capital of Culture?
...Tartu, with 100,000 people, is our young yet timeless university town?
...Estonia has over 1,500 islands?
The flag of Estonia
What is so special about Estonia?
Ask anyone who has visited Estonia about what they liked best and you will get lots of different answers.
However some special aspects of Estonia seemed to be talked about more than others.
Here are just a few reasons why Estonia is special:
Medieval Old Town Tallinn: It’s impossible to deny that this is the main reason most people first come to Estonia – to see the best protected and intact medieval city in Europe.
Deserted Beaches: Estonia’s coastline has hundreds of deserted beaches. Even in the height of summer you can find private space for yourself.
Manor Houses: Luxurious manor houses, built over the centuries, are open for visitors and many also have been converted to high-class hotels.
Forests: Estonia is about 50% forest. Hiking trails criss-cross the forests, many of which are protected or part of National Parks.
Ice Roads: Believe it or not in deep winter the Baltic Sea freezes and so ice roads are created between the mainland and the islands. Driving on the frozen sea is unforgettable.
Folklore: Estonia is second only to Ireland in Europe when it comes folkloric history, stories, legends and songs.
The Estonian Song Festival (In Estonian: Laulupidu): First held in 1869, takes place every five years. In 2009, 26,000+ choral singers gathered to perform for an audience of 80,000 people. It is recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
1500+ islands: Most are tiny but the inhabited ones offer beautiful, peaceful and friendly atmospheres and a traditional culture that opens a window on how Estonians used to live.
Wild Animals: Where else in Europe could you hope to encounter wild bears, wolves, lynx and flying squirrels? Nowhere.
Birds: Millions of birds stop in Estonia on their migratory paths.
Castles: Restored or in ruins, there are medieval castles not just in Tallinn but across the country.
Saunas: When it’s snowing take a hot log sauna, beat yourself (or a friend) with a birch branch and then roll around in the snow. It’s fun. Really.
Ghosts and Legends: Estonia has its fair share of spooky and supernatural happenings. The Old Town of Tallinn, for example, is full of stories and strange experiences.
Swedish, German and Russian History: Estonia has been occupied by Russians, Swedes and Germans. Each has left their marks on our landscapes and culture. Rightly or wrongly they have helped define who we are.
5th Season: In Soomaa National Park, in spring, if the snow thaws fast enough then a natural phenomenon occurs: the whole area floods and people have to travel around by boat.
Small size: Size is everything. Estonia is small. Distances are short and travel is cheap. It means you can squeeze in lots of sightseeing and activities in a relatively short period of time.
However some special aspects of Estonia seemed to be talked about more than others.
Here are just a few reasons why Estonia is special:
Medieval Old Town Tallinn: It’s impossible to deny that this is the main reason most people first come to Estonia – to see the best protected and intact medieval city in Europe.
Deserted Beaches: Estonia’s coastline has hundreds of deserted beaches. Even in the height of summer you can find private space for yourself.
Manor Houses: Luxurious manor houses, built over the centuries, are open for visitors and many also have been converted to high-class hotels.
Forests: Estonia is about 50% forest. Hiking trails criss-cross the forests, many of which are protected or part of National Parks.
Ice Roads: Believe it or not in deep winter the Baltic Sea freezes and so ice roads are created between the mainland and the islands. Driving on the frozen sea is unforgettable.
Folklore: Estonia is second only to Ireland in Europe when it comes folkloric history, stories, legends and songs.
The Estonian Song Festival (In Estonian: Laulupidu): First held in 1869, takes place every five years. In 2009, 26,000+ choral singers gathered to perform for an audience of 80,000 people. It is recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
1500+ islands: Most are tiny but the inhabited ones offer beautiful, peaceful and friendly atmospheres and a traditional culture that opens a window on how Estonians used to live.
Wild Animals: Where else in Europe could you hope to encounter wild bears, wolves, lynx and flying squirrels? Nowhere.
Birds: Millions of birds stop in Estonia on their migratory paths.
Castles: Restored or in ruins, there are medieval castles not just in Tallinn but across the country.
Saunas: When it’s snowing take a hot log sauna, beat yourself (or a friend) with a birch branch and then roll around in the snow. It’s fun. Really.
Ghosts and Legends: Estonia has its fair share of spooky and supernatural happenings. The Old Town of Tallinn, for example, is full of stories and strange experiences.
Swedish, German and Russian History: Estonia has been occupied by Russians, Swedes and Germans. Each has left their marks on our landscapes and culture. Rightly or wrongly they have helped define who we are.
5th Season: In Soomaa National Park, in spring, if the snow thaws fast enough then a natural phenomenon occurs: the whole area floods and people have to travel around by boat.
Small size: Size is everything. Estonia is small. Distances are short and travel is cheap. It means you can squeeze in lots of sightseeing and activities in a relatively short period of time.
Weather in Estonia
The weather in Estonia is largely dictated by its closeness to the Baltic sea.
In the summer the skies are blue and temperatures can reach 30° Celcius and the summer average is a very pleasant 16.4°C.
In summer there can be 19 hours of daylight, known locally as the “white nights”.
Light rain can fall in spring and autumn so bring an umbrella and waterproof jacket. In winter the rain turns to snow when the temperature drops below zero (ideal skiing weather, great for sledging and building snowmen too!) – so wrap up warm.
Medieval old town Tallinn is picture postcard perfect when the buildings are topped with snow.
Some winters its even possible to drive on the ice roads constructed between the islands.
Cool breezes from the Baltic sea moderate the climate in spring and summer.
In the summer the skies are blue and temperatures can reach 30° Celcius and the summer average is a very pleasant 16.4°C.
In summer there can be 19 hours of daylight, known locally as the “white nights”.
Light rain can fall in spring and autumn so bring an umbrella and waterproof jacket. In winter the rain turns to snow when the temperature drops below zero (ideal skiing weather, great for sledging and building snowmen too!) – so wrap up warm.
Medieval old town Tallinn is picture postcard perfect when the buildings are topped with snow.
Some winters its even possible to drive on the ice roads constructed between the islands.
Cool breezes from the Baltic sea moderate the climate in spring and summer.
Language in Estonia
When you are on holiday it’s always good to know a few phrases.
Take the time to listen and practice before you come and it will be well appreciated.
Useful phrases in Estonian language.
* Tere! – Hello!
* Aitäh! – Thank you!
* Palun! – Please
* Ma armastan sind – I love you
* Sa oled väga ilus – You are very beautiful
* Kus on… – Where is…
* Kui palju… - How much…
* Üks kohv, palun – (I’d like to have) a coffee, please
Estonian vowels
The role of vowels in Estonian is among the greatest in any European language, whereby a string of vowels can form meaningful words around the frame of few consonants. Also, many foreigners are not accustomed to the vowels õ, ä, ö, ü.
Tongue twisters
* Jäääär (‘edge of the ice’)
* Õueala (‘courtyard’)
* Kõueöö (‘night of the thunder’)
* Puuõõnsus (‘hollow of the tree’)
* öö töö- (‘working night’)
How will an Estonian know you are a foreigner, no matter how hard you would try? Well, no stranger seems to quite master the art of pronouncing the ‘õ’ letter.
* ‘Õ’ sounds somewhat like the ‘o’ in words “lonely”, “cold” or “road” pronounced in a hill-billie manner.
* Ä sounds a bit like “a” in the words of the sentence “sad cat had had a mad marriage”
* Ö is most similar to the ‘ea’ combination in term “search” or ‘o’ in “word” or ‘e’ in “nerd”.
* Ü is the closest to ‘u’ in word “super”.
What is the Estonian language all about?
Estonian, different from most spoken languages in Europe, does not belong to the Indo-European group; it belongs to the Finno-Ugric language family, which also includes Finnish and Hungarian. Thus, the difference between the Indo-European languages (pick one, pick any - German, Russian, French, English etc) is originally as distant as English is from Turkish.
Estonian dialects are divided into two groups, Northern and Southern, usually associated with biggest cities of those regions – Tallinn, the capital, in the north and Tartu, second largest city, in the south. In some of the southern regions, people speak Seto and Võro dialects, which are sometimes considered to be separate languages altogether. Dialects spoken in northern Estonia are more influenced by Swedish and Finnish, especially by the coastline and on the islands.
The Estonian identity is closely connected to the language; it is natural, therefore, that Estonians speak Estonian. It is used as a mother tongue by just under 1.1 million people in the world.
Russian is spoken by about 25% of people in Estonia and is heard mostly near the capital Tallinn and East Estonian regions (in towns like Narva, Narva-Jõesuu, Kohtla-Järve).
Take the time to listen and practice before you come and it will be well appreciated.
Useful phrases in Estonian language.
* Tere! – Hello!
* Aitäh! – Thank you!
* Palun! – Please
* Ma armastan sind – I love you
* Sa oled väga ilus – You are very beautiful
* Kus on… – Where is…
* Kui palju… - How much…
* Üks kohv, palun – (I’d like to have) a coffee, please
Estonian vowels
The role of vowels in Estonian is among the greatest in any European language, whereby a string of vowels can form meaningful words around the frame of few consonants. Also, many foreigners are not accustomed to the vowels õ, ä, ö, ü.
Tongue twisters
* Jäääär (‘edge of the ice’)
* Õueala (‘courtyard’)
* Kõueöö (‘night of the thunder’)
* Puuõõnsus (‘hollow of the tree’)
* öö töö- (‘working night’)
How will an Estonian know you are a foreigner, no matter how hard you would try? Well, no stranger seems to quite master the art of pronouncing the ‘õ’ letter.
* ‘Õ’ sounds somewhat like the ‘o’ in words “lonely”, “cold” or “road” pronounced in a hill-billie manner.
* Ä sounds a bit like “a” in the words of the sentence “sad cat had had a mad marriage”
* Ö is most similar to the ‘ea’ combination in term “search” or ‘o’ in “word” or ‘e’ in “nerd”.
* Ü is the closest to ‘u’ in word “super”.
What is the Estonian language all about?
Estonian, different from most spoken languages in Europe, does not belong to the Indo-European group; it belongs to the Finno-Ugric language family, which also includes Finnish and Hungarian. Thus, the difference between the Indo-European languages (pick one, pick any - German, Russian, French, English etc) is originally as distant as English is from Turkish.
Estonian dialects are divided into two groups, Northern and Southern, usually associated with biggest cities of those regions – Tallinn, the capital, in the north and Tartu, second largest city, in the south. In some of the southern regions, people speak Seto and Võro dialects, which are sometimes considered to be separate languages altogether. Dialects spoken in northern Estonia are more influenced by Swedish and Finnish, especially by the coastline and on the islands.
The Estonian identity is closely connected to the language; it is natural, therefore, that Estonians speak Estonian. It is used as a mother tongue by just under 1.1 million people in the world.
Russian is spoken by about 25% of people in Estonia and is heard mostly near the capital Tallinn and East Estonian regions (in towns like Narva, Narva-Jõesuu, Kohtla-Järve).
