TRIPS AROUND ESTONIA

| Where is Estonia?

Estonia is the northernmost Baltic State, jutting out in to the Baltic sea. On its eastern border is Russia and to its south is its sister Baltic State, Latvia. It’s about the same size as Denmark.

If you haven’t already, click here to read about Tallinn, Estonia’s capital

| Käsmu Captains’ Village

1 hour drive from Tallinn

Käsmu village sits on the tip of a peninsula darting into the Gulf of Finland and is only a 4-hour drive from St. Petersburg. It’s fondly known as ‘Captain’s Village’ as it used to be home to a maritime school that produced at least one captain in every family. The wooden huts and spindly pines lining the rocky beach are part of what make Käsmu a popular summer destination, especially as the village is part of Lahemaa National Park.

Le parc national de Lahemaa (Estonie) by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra is licensed under CC BY 2.0

| Rummu Prison Quarry

50 minute drive from Tallinn

I never thought I would say an abandoned quarry was beautiful, but Rummu is. Rummu was once a limestone quarry worked by the unfortunate inmates of Murru Prison during Estonia’s 1990s Soviet Era. When it closed, the pumps which had kept the quarry and prison dry were turned off, allowing water to consume the site. What remains is a unique underwater museum. Divers can explore the abandoned prison, cells complete with bars, submerged staircases and mining equipment lurking under the surface of the now azure lake.

If like me, you find it a little creepy then don’t hesitate to explore the rest of the site. There are abandoned buildings to be explored above ground, many of which have become a street art canvas. But the best attraction is the ‘waste hill’, an eroded slag heap of the old quarry. The hill’s unusual shape has made it a favourite for mountain bikers and photographers who climb into the hill’s rifts and crevasses.

Though the quarry is marketed as an attraction in Estonia, and everyone says the warning signs are just there for liability purposes, I would think about what you expose yourself too. I’m not saying don’t go. Just consider how you interact with the site.

EstonianWay of Diving #26 by VisitEstonia is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Under the water there are exposed machinery parts and rebar embedded in the concrete. The water itself is the tantalising hue it is because of the minerals and metals left behind from the working quarry. Chemicals used in the process can leave the water highly acidic which creates digestive problems and fungal infections. The ‘waste hill’ is an accumulation of all the waste products of mining, none of which you want in your lungs. I would suggest going to the site for photography only and possibly wearing a mask if you climb the hill.

Rummu quarry by wwikgren is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The quarry is open all summer, otherwise, you have to make an appointment to visit.

| Kihnu Island

2.5 hour drive & 1 hour ferry from Tallinn

Kihnu Island is a 1-hour ferry ride from mainland Estonia, though in winter if the sea freezes thick enough you can drive there! The island is commonly referred to the ‘Isle of Women‘ as the men are out at sea for most of the year fishing, meaning the island’s population jumps from around 600 to 300. As a result, the traditional island has become a symbol of unique Estonian cultural heritage, even recognised by UNESCO. Not all of the traditions revolve around music and spinning yarn, many photos of life on the island show the older women racing around the island on motorbikes with homemade sidecars carrying their grandchildren.

TIP… Make sure you visit during a local festival to see the island come to life

Folklore and people of Kihnu island in Estonia by VisitEstonia is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

| Forest Megaphones

3.5 hour drive from Tallinn

The three wooden ‘megaphones’ were made by University art students in Tallinn, and transported 3 hours to this dense fir forest on the Estonian/Latvian border. The three structures are placed in a clearing to amplify the sounds of the forest, of which 50% of Estonia is canopied by. They also double as a resting place for hikers. At three metres depth, the cavernous megaphones can fit 3 people in comfortably. You can find them within RMK Pähni Nature Reserve in Võru County.

“Forest” by VisitEstonia is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

| Old Believer Villages of Lake Peipus

3.5 hour drive from Tallinn

The road running the perimeter of Lake Peipus’s shore is otherwise known as ‘Onion Road‘, and here’s why. When Russia went through a period of religious reform, those who did not agree fled to what was then Swedish controlled Estonia. The lake forming a large natural barrier (5th largest European lake) between their new home and their old. The settlements resulting from the religious refugees were known as Old Believer Villages. They also happen to have a cultural tradition of growing a particularly pungent variety of onions, which they now see by the road.

Sibulateel by Mait Jüriado is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.