Baltic Camino: Estonia - Section 1

Baltic Camino: Estonia - Section 1 (until split-off)

Not in the story-mood? Scroll down for the Quick Budget Fact Overview: an itemized information summary of Estonia! ↓

I was unhappy walking the Peraküla-Aegviidu-Ahijarve, with 820km Estonia’s longest trail. And what do you do when you’re unhappy? That’s right, you fix it. Instead of marinating in my own misery and dwelling on my unlucky fate, I just stopped bushwacking through this obscure and overgrown trail and switched to something more accessible and pleasant. I don’t have to proof anything to anyone, I hike for fun and I wasn’t having it. After completing 170km I travelled back to Tallinn to research my options, when The Mighty Internet swiftly tossed the Camino de Santiago into my direction.

Huh? Isn’t that a pilgrimage somewhere in Spain? Correct, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start anywhere you want in Europe. Once the news spread that the remains of the apostle St. James were buried in Santiago de Compostela’s cathedral, people all over the continent opted for a visit. We’re talking 9th century here though, so you couldn’t just take a quick Flixbus down south at the time… you had to walk, allowing to dedicate one’s physical and mental strength to faith and spirituality. A tradition carrying on into current times, allowing for more and more walking routes to sprout from every country of Europe, attracting not only the religious, but also the fit ‘n fanatic outdoor crowds. I belong to the latter, and in fact already completed the 900km Camino Frances section from Saint Jean Pied du Port in France towards Santiago and Finisterre onwards… a life-changing experience triggering my passion for long distance trails. I had been a zealous hiker for years, challenging myself with the roughest mountainscapes and highest peaks… but during the Camino I learned that only the prolonged input of energy, strength and determination of a long-distance trail brings about a thorough transformation of the body and mind, as well as a deep sense of accomplishment.

My deep love for the Camino pushed me into an instant decision: I was going to walk the Camino Baltico, kicking off in Estonia’s capital Tallinn! New round, new chances.

Scroll down for the Quick Budget Fact Sheet, which contains beside some uncluttered information overview on Estonia a detailed packing list for the Baltic Camino.

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The Camino Estonia organization has divided the national Camino route into sections that work out for most people and match the available accommodation options. It's a a good option, but keep in mind that these are rather short for experienced hikers. Therefore, my trail reports contain longer stretches to provide more of a challenge. These intervals are also rather convenient for campers, as it generally stops at good camping spots (note that this also means you’ll walk with a much heavier backpack – I carried 17kg). That said, the trail can be walked in any speed that suits your personal interest and fitness level, there is no good or bad way to do it.

The official Estonian Camino website provides the GPX-files, which I highly appreciated. However, I made new recordings per section which also include all water sources, shelters, supermarkets, picnic areas and campsites to allow for a better overview and planning of the day…This is information I would have liked to have when I walked it, but I didn’t. So you’re welcome! The links I share are recorded in the Wikiloc app. You can use the GPS in this app or simply click the app option “Send Trail as File” to send the GPX recordings to your own used GPS device (Suunto, Garmin, Apple Watch, Wear OS, Amazfit, Wahoo, Polar, TwoNav) or acquire the GPX-file.

Day 1: Tallinn – Metsanurme

(Official Section 1: Tallinn – Saku, 22km)

Distance: 29.6km.
Terrain: Sidewalk, asphalt, dirt road, boardwalk (can be slippery), nature trail.
Views: Forest, city, parks.
Water situation: Shops all along the way, a few natural sources that need filtering.
Food situation: Shops everywhere, you’re still in urbanized area.
Well-marked? Sometimes yes, sometimes it’s missing. At some point if turns into the white-green signs from the Peraküla Aegviidu Ahijarve trail.
Camping: Two free RMK campsites at Metsanurme with shelter, picnic table, fire place with fire wood, an eco-toilet and a river water source which is also good for swimming. Otherwise, wild camping is legal anywhere in Estonia on public land.
Accommodation: Saku Lutheran Church, bring mat and sleeping bag (donativo / Magne Molster / +37259197802 / [email protected]). Saku Manor House (+372 5226068 / [email protected] / website). Hotel Getliin Saku (+372 56639234 / Facebook).
GPS: Click here! I marked all water sources, shelters, supermarkets, picnic areas and campsites on the GPS for better planning and orientation.

Clearly, the average speed and moving time is incorrectly measured.

I experienced a strong excitement to be on the Camino again, my sweet return! It all came back to me when entering the Tallinn Dome Church (Toomkirik; 10AM-4PM), the official start of the Estonian Camino where it’s also possible to buy the oh-so-famous pilgrim passport. That said, I noticed that unlike in France or Spain, where every hostel, church or random coffee bar has a Camino stamp to hand out, here in the Baltics it’s a true sport to trace down this sought-after imprint… often with absent results. It might be tied to the fact that I completed this trail camping and in the outdoors, not using the available Camino accommodation options. More than half of the time I ended up improvising when filling in the daily stamping space. As such, the pilgrim passport took on the shape of a souvenir, with scribbles of the people I met and plants I found along the way glued onto it. It became more than just a necessary document to qualify for the use of the affordable pilgrim-only sleeping spaces.

As the trail originates in the capital city, today I passed mainly through heavily urbanized areas, interrupted by the occasional park and forest. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, given that Tallinn is one of the most pleasant northern capitals I visited, offering an appealing hustle ‘n bustle and an eye-soothing Old Town area (more info on Tallinn in this article). That said, I was surprised how fast a capital city can turn into dense and stretched out forests… a special treat from Estonia! The busy centre has barely ended, or you march straight into the Männiku Forest and over the dreamy boardwalks of the Pääsküla Bog. Now, allow me to explain that last word to you, as before entering Estonia I was also entirely unfamiliar with the concept of a ‘bog’. A bog is a swamp, a wetland of soft, spongy surface, developed in the most recent Ice Age by the poorly drainage of lake basins created by glaciers. It’s a unique landscape characteristic for northern countries and specifically iconic for Estonia, filling the locals with well-meant pride. An observation tower can be found 200m away from the trail, to take in this special topography more thoroughly. Other sights you’ll stumble across today include the Toompea Castle, the Nõmme Museum, the Saku Brewery and of course and endless chain of churches *, you’re on a pilgrimage after all! Besides that, I was lucky enough to spot a so-called ‘raccoon-dog’, a fluffy brown animal about the size of (indeed) a dog.

I ended the day in Metsanurme, at an agreeable distance of 29.6km. This is a particularly good spot to stop for a camper, as here you can find no less than two recently renovated RMK campsites with basic facilities such as a shelter, a picnic table, a fire place with fire wood, an eco-toilet and a river water source, which also provides great opportunities for a refreshing dip after a sweaty day. It just blows my mind that Estonia offers these outdoor facilities entirely free of charge, neatly organised in the RMK app. A holiday in the rather expensive country of Estonia can be entirely free of charge in summer! However, as I camped here on this exact spot no less than a week ago, when still walking the Peraküla-Aegviidu-Ahijarve Trail, I decided to switch it up a bit and applied to be hosted by a fellow outdoor enthusiast of the Warm Showers network. A bed, a filling meal, pleasant conversations and even a sauna… upgrades, people!

The Warm Showers app can be found here and contains a sign-up cost. After a month, you’ll also have to pay for the use of the mobile app, but it remains free using the browser. The stays with locals are free of charge. The network is mainly designed for ‘bikepackers’ looking for a 1-night stay, but long-distance hikers are also warmly welcomed.

* Churches along the way: Toomkirik, Tallinn St. Mary's Cathedral, Thomas Church, Orthodox Cathedral, Tallinn Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Moscow Patriarchate Church, Tallinn Pentecost Church, Tallinn Charles' Church (Lutheran), Allika Baptist Church, Tallinn Old Believers Prayer House, Mustamäe Peace Church, St. John Orthodox Church, Adventist Church, Adventist Reformation Movement Congregation (Russian), Saku St. Thomas Church.

Day 2: Metsanurme - Rabivere

(Official Section 2: Saku – Hageri, 23km)

Distance: 27.9km.
Terrain: Trail, dirt road, asphalt (mainly).
Views: Forest, village.
Water situation: Water at starting point. Several shops along the way, as well as some rivers and ponds (need filtering). Campsite Rabivere has no water, so be prepared for that.
Food situation: Shops in Kiisa, Roobuka and Hageri.
Well-marked? No. You'll find the occasional arrow, but not even close to being sufficient.
Camping: The free Rabivere campsite contains a tent shelter, a sheltered picnic table, a fireplace with fire wood and grill, and an eco-toilet. No water though! Otherwise, wild camping is legal anywhere in Estonia on public land.
Accommodation: Mahtra Hunting Lodge (+372 5151120). Hageri St. Lambertus Church Pastorate House, bring mat and sleeping bag (+372 4836121 / +372 56453660 / donativo). Hageri Lutheran Congregation House (+372 502702722 / Alari Kõpper / donativo). Hageri Public House / Youth Center Accommodation, bring mat and sleeping bag ([email protected]).
GPS: Click here! I marked all water sources, shelters, supermarkets, picnic areas and campsites on the GPS for better planning and orientation.

On the second day it already felt like I’ve been on the trail for ages, I knew the drill. It might have been because I actually walked the section starting from Metsanurme before, only a week ago when still following the Peraküla-Aegviidu-Ahijarve. Therefore, my hiking attire included plastic trash bags around the legs… as I know what overgrown misery was awaiting me. Yes, I have high-end GoreTex shoes and yes, I even have shoe rain covers… but the Baltics are DAMP. Really f’cking damp. It doesn’t matter if it rained or not, every single day you’ll wake up in a soaking wet tent and every morning the vegetation will soak you from the hips down if you’re facing any overgrown trails (which luckily hardly happens on the Camino, but is daily practice on the PAA). As for the tent… because the mornings are generally too overcast to dry anything effectively, this unfortunately results in the inconvenience of having to stop somewhere during the day, when hopefully-fingers-crossed some sun or wind will help you to dry your gear. This is rather annoying, as my tent is the biggest item in my backpack, and for efficient weight distribution I have to pack everything around it. Drying means unpacking and repacking my entire bag a second time in the day. But alas.

After the nature trail you shortly pop into a village and then it’s asphalt road for most of the day. Unstimulating, to say the least. I read about a longer alternative trail, which was described as follows: “Move 3km towards the Rootsi village, join the RMK road, joining our main trail in Rabivere campfire site. Continue straight from the church (150 m), turn right onto the road, continue straight. After the bus stop Karumaa (3.8km from Hageri) turn left to Metsaküla road. Nice small gravel roads. From there you can continue directly to the Rabivere campfire site.” If this is something that sounds clear to you, go for it. To me, without a map to follow, this is the purest form of algebra.

Interesting sights came in the form of a man driving a solar-panel-fueled motor vehicle (inspirational!), the Hageri Museum and the Hageri Church, which turned out to be my personal favorite of the category in Estonia. I had to call somebody to open it, as a secularisation movement causes almost all churches in the Baltics to be closed (maybe except of Sundays?). They did not have stamps, but they did give me some Jesus postcards and potentially the most boring information leaflet I ever attempted to read. I glared into their Camino logbook and noticed the last pilgrim passed by over 2 months ago. The Baltic Camino, it’s a lonely road! I finished the day at Rabivere, another free RMK campsite. There might be no water, but the available tent shelter prevents the usual tent-drying-misery you’d otherwise have to deal with. A luxury!

Day 3: Rabivere - Riidaku

(Official Section 3: Hageri – Rapla, 24km)

Distance: 35.5km.
Terrain: Trail, dirt road, asphalt.
Views: Forest, village, countryside.
Water situation: Several supermarkets. Some streams along the way that need filtering.
Food situation: Supermarkets are concentrated in Rapla. That’s the only spot until Märjaama again.
Well-marked? This stretch is pretty well-marked indeed. It’s still recommended to turn the GPS on though, as on some crossroads an arrow is missing.
Camping: There is a paid campsite just before Alu village. Otherwise, wild camping is legal anywhere in Estonia on public land. As there’s quite a bit of countryside on this trail, it’s recommended to search for a suitable spot in the forested areas, for example on the Penijõe Aegviidu Kauksi trail section.
Accommodation: Kalevi Tourist Farm Rapla (+372 5640433 / [email protected]). Rapla Church Pastorate House, bring mat and sleeping bag (+372 5693 5153 / [email protected] / donativo). Culture Centre (+372 528 97713 / donativo). Krantsi Tavern (+372 489 4944 / website). Rapla Lutheran Congregation House (+372 5130212 Raivo Erm / +372 82322924 Ringo Lemberg / donativo). Laose Campsite / Estonian Guides Association Camping House (+372 53454332 / Mailiis Jõgis). More accommodation options here or on Booking.
GPS: Click here! I marked all water sources, shelters, supermarkets, picnic areas and campsites on the GPS for better planning and orientation.

From the campsite a beautiful dirt road leads you towards the significantly-sized town of Rapla, where you can find a photo-friendly manor, the Vigala River and a reservoir with a dam in the settlement of Kuusiku. For some reason I thought it was going to be a short 10km to reach it, which I usually knock out first thing in the morning, before even allowing myself any first stop to rest the legs… but in fact, I had 15km down already when I reached town. A town that I didn’t strongly vibe with for some reason… I met a lot of strange people there that looked at me even stranger and it didn’t help that I was treated quite rudely in the supermarket. That said, the kindness I received in the Rapla Church Pastorate House, where I could score a pilgrim passport stamp, turned the experience around. I was instantly offered a place to sleep or otherwise shower and wash my clothes… but arrangements had already been made for the night: I was going to Couchsurf in the town of Märjaama.

An end goal that turned out to be too far away (47km), which is why my host Kaarel picked me up along the trail after I walked already 35.5km… sufficient, I’d say! Especially since most of the trail follows a highway from Rapla on, only in the end connecting with the more inspiring (yet once again very overgrown) 613km RMK trail Penijõe-Aegviidu-Kauksi. I have been a member of the Couchsurfing community since my early 20s, and you could honestly state that it has changed my life. During the past 9.5 years of fulltime travel it has allowed me to visit places I would never know existed, or in some cases I would never be able to afford (no money is involved in Couchsurfing, just time and a cultural exchange). It has allowed me to not just play tourist in the many destinations on my itinerary, but actually live the life of a local and make honest connections with people that define the places they choose to live in. My time in Märjaama was no exception, allowing me to start a friendship with a man who had cycled from Tallinn to Athens… an experience that had visibly transformed him and his world views, the memories still glaring into his eyes when he talked about it. An observation of pure beauty reflecting the power of traveling.

Day 4: Riidaku – Manni (close to Kivi-Vagala)

(Official Section 4: Rapla - Märjaama, 28km)

Distance: 37.9km.
Terrain: Trail, dirt road, asphalt (today just a little bit).
Views: Forest, village, countryside.
Water situation: Several supermarkets. Some streams along the way that need filtering. Campsite has no water!
Food situation: Supermarkets are concentrated in Märjaama. That’s the only spot.
Well-marked? Not so much. You'll find the occasional arrow, but it's not enough to find your way.
Camping: There is a RMK campsite not too far after Märjaama (Susla), incl. a tent shelter, a sheltered picnic table, a fireplace with fire wood and a dry toilet. There’s no water here, so you will have to bring that from the city. Otherwise, wild camping is legal anywhere in Estonia on public land.
Accommodation: Märjamaa Church Pastorate House, bring your mat and sleeping bag (+372 5118419 / +372 511841928 / [email protected] / donativo). Märjamaa Free Church Pargi (+372 482442 / Indrek-Eliel Tambek / [email protected]). Märjamaa Hostel (+372 5273592 / [email protected] / website). Majesi Apartments (+372 53358784 / [email protected]). Vigala St. Mary's Lutheran Church (+372 4825 690 / +372 53007075 / Kristiina Jõgi / [email protected] / [email protected] / donativo).
GPS: Click here! I marked all water sources, shelters, supermarkets, picnic areas and campsites on the GPS for better planning and orientation.

In the morning I was driven to the exact same location where I stopped hiking yesterday… no cheating, not by me! This meant I left Märjaama to arrive there once again around lunch time. The town is understandably surrounded by asphalt roads, but that’s a small sacrifice to make for an otherwise delightful hiking day full of nature trails and undisturbed forests. Nothing comes too easy though, especially not if (like me) you unknowingly signed up for an outdoor adventure in autumn, when it’s the peak season of the Lipoptena Cervi. If you bounce back with an astonished “the… whatttt?”, praise thy soul. Before arriving to the Baltics I too was in the delightful position of having no clue about the mere existence of these deer flies, or may I call them “the trail tormentors, cursed creatures of the depths of hell.” Unfortunately, I arrived not only in the few weeks they are alive, but I also fully immerged in an unsuspected epidemic of these winged cunts. Let me elaborate: Lipoptena Cervi are parasites to elk and deer. Upon finding a host, the fly instantly breaks off its wings and burrows through the fur to permanently attach itself to its skin to suck blood. Unfortunately for us humans, these flies are mildly retarded and have a hard time distinguishing us from an elk, even though it cannot even process our blood. Result? You’ll find these horrendous critters landing on your skin and clothes, after which they hold on for dear life (you can’t just slap them off) and attempt to climb into your hairline and even your open eyes, sometimes with tens at a time. Yes, that’s right, you’ll literally feel insects crawling through your hair, refusing to let go… and in the evening you’ll find wings stuck to your naked skin. How’s that for a horror movie scenario? If that isn’t appalling enough, the bite site could develop into an extremely itchy hardened welt, which can stay for 2 weeks to up to a full year! Honestly, my life was perfectly fine without having these miniscule villains terrorizing my trail time… really didn’t need to expand my local fauna knowledge to that degree.

After an otherwise downright enchanting trail section, which once again follows stretches of the Penijõe-Aegviidu-Kauksi Trail and chunks of a former railway embankment, I decided to accept an invitation of yesterday’s host Kaarel for a fishing trip close to Kivi-Vagala. Once again, it would be too far to reach in one day, as I already suffered open wounds on my poor beaten feet (keep in mind I already walked 170km before even starting the Camino)… so we therefore implemented the same system as the day before: he picked me up along the way, and would plant me right back on the exact same spot the day to follow. Nevertheless, I had 37.9km under my feet, not a modest distance! I deserved that river-side barbecue.

Day 5: Manni - Pärnu-Jaagupi

(Official Section 5: Märjaama – Kivi-Vagala, 29km… Then comes the Official Section 6: Kivi-Vagala – Pärnu-Jaguupi, 21km… which means I walked the stretch until the split-off one day faster than the normal planning).

Distance: 29.1km.
Terrain: dirt road (mainly), trail, asphalt (just a bit).
Views: Countryside, village.
Water situation: Three places with shops. Some water sources that need filtering. Houses along the way where you could ask for some water as well.
Food situation: Supermarkets in Kivi-Vagala, Libatse and Pärnu-Jaagupi.
Well-marked? Not at all, maybe a few arrows tops. You really need the GPS.
Camping: There are no official campsites along the way, but wild camping is legal anywhere in Estonia on public land.
Accommodation: Nara Farmi Tee (+372 56658013 / Viljo Siimsalu / [email protected]). St. Jacob Church Pärnu-Jaagupi (+372 56454310 / Epp Sokk / [email protected] / donativo).
GPS: Click here! I marked all water sources, shelters, supermarkets, picnic areas and campsites on the GPS for better planning and orientation.

I did not have a good night's rest. I had an amazing evening smoking weed and roasting sausages on a bonfire, as fish turned out to be entirely absent on this fishing trip… but the marihuana made me too spacey to even consider setting up my tent. Instead, I figured I just sleep in the trunk of a car, like the absolute street bum that I am. Needless to say, that was a mistake, especially after knocking out 38km that day. Today I was paying the price. By no means I could find the motivation to keep going, but I kept going anyway as what else I’m supposed to do?

I started ridiculously early and without food in my stomach, as I kicked off in the middle of a road and the parasite-flies were unforgiving if I attempted to slow down even for a second. When I reached Kivi-Vagala, at a time the supermarket wasn’t even open yet, I decided to brew some breakfast in the church’s graveyard. Why not? It had a bench and a toilet, and I can appreciate the quietness of the company. Besides that, someone had decided to place creepy faceless statues all around the cemetery, so it seemed that they don’t mind the occasional oddness.

Three cups of coffee couldn’t revive my energy. The drizzle dripping from the sky embellished my mood. I was not complaining though. After a week of pissing mid-summer rain on the Peraküla-Aegviidu-Ahijarve, I passionately embraced the downright blissful month of September shining on my Camino. Yet, I noticed that my body screamed for some rest. I tested my limits a tad too much, as not only do I walk long distances, I also carry 17kg on my back due to the camping gear. So for once I decided to stay in the official Camino accommodation, in the pastorate house of the St. Jacob Church in Pärnu-Jaagupi where they have a dormitory room dedicated to the pilgrims passing by. In fact, very much like the accommodation you’d find in Spain, but with the main difference that you’ll probably be the only one there and you have to call in advance to make sure someone is the to open the door. After roasting the corn I grabbed out of the field I fell in an instant sleeping coma. A quick revival before going into the swamp again!

→ Pärnu-Jaguupi marks the split-off in the Estonian Camino. The official route continues onwards to Ikla… However, the Latvian Camino starts at Valga. Therefore, as the Estonians and Latvians couldn’t agree on the route, the Estonians were kind enough to create a second Camino stretch connecting to Valga. As I would continue on the Latvian Camino, this seemed the logical route to take. This section is covered in the following article!

Quick Budget Fact Overview

Estonia Facts

Capital: Tallinn
Language: Estonian
Population: ± 1.3 mln
Sq km: ± 45,339
Currency: Euro (€ - EUR)
Electricity Outlet: C + F / 230 V / 50 Hz. Check here.
Country Code Phone: +372
Emergency Phone: 112
Visa: Schengen visa (Estonia is part of the EU). Easy visa application here.
Vaccinations: None, although it’s recommended to get vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease if you plan to spend a lot of time in the forests, as this is rather common in the Baltics (I personally caught Lyme disease in Estonia but detected it early, so I could get it treated with antibiotics)
Climate: Cold Winter Humid Continental Climate (Dfb)
High season: July-August

Short History Recap

11000-9000BC: End Glacial Era → Pulli settlement, on the banks of the Pärnu River. 6500BC: Kunda culture establishes fishing and hunting communities in north. 5300-1750BC: Narva culture → mainly fishers, hunters & gatherers. 500BC: Iron works start. 100: Roman senator Tacitus uses the name Estonia for the 1st time to describe region. 100-600: Coastal settlements. Wind worshipping religion. 750: Battle of Bråvalla → Estonians & Swedes battle against Danes. 790: Viking Era (most Estonian Vikings are Oeselians). 1206: Start Danish Era → in response to frequent raids by Oeselian Vikings, the Danes strike back → King Valdemar II conquers Saaremaa & expands on Estonian territory. ’08: Baltic Crusades by Germans, converting Estonia to Christianity. ’20: Control divided between Danes in the north & (Germanic) Livonian Brothers of the Sword in south. 1343: St. George’s Night Uprising → unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Danes. ’46: Estonia (and Latvia) sold to German Teutonic Order, defeated in 1410. 1410-1558: Livionian Wars over territory. Local population declines to 120,000. 1558: Swedish protection. Estonian land privatised, Baltic Germans arrive. 1700: Battle of Narva on Estonian ground between Sweden & Russia. ’10: Sweden’s defeat → Estonia incorporated into Russian Empire. 1850: Estonian Age of Awakening = nationalist movement. ’90: Russification policy, only strengthens nationalism. 1918: Independence from Russia. ’20: Peace treaty with Russia. ’34: Prime Minister Pats’ bloodless coup establishes authoritarian rule. ’38: Pats president. ’39: Soviet Union (SU) military bases in Estonia. ’40: SU troops arrive. Estonia incorporated into SU (Estonia was neutral in WWII, but SU is not). ’41: German Nazi troops invade. ’44: Estonia reannexed by SU when German forces retreat. 10,000s Estonians deported to Siberia and Central Asia. ‘60s: Some deported Estonians allowed to return. ’88: Democratic vibes. ’87-’91: Singing Revolution in all Baltic states: demonstrations of spontaneous singing of banned hymns and songs. ’91: Communist rule collapses. Soviet government recognizes independence of the Baltic Republics. ’94: Partnership for Peace → limited military cooperation with Nato. ’97: EU negotiations. ’98: Changes in citizen laws to encourage Russian-speaking minority to become Estonian. 2002: EU invites Estonia. Overwhelming referendum votes in favor of joining. ’04: Nato. Officially joins EU. ’05: Estonia & Russia sign treaty delineating border. Russia withdraws in response to dispute over treatment of Soviet past. ’07: Law prohibiting display of monuments glorifying Soviet rule. ’11: Euro as currency. ’14: Estonia & Russia sign a new treaty ending border dispute. Nato presence rises in Baltics. ’21: Kaja Kallas 1st female prime minister. ’22: Estonia gives military and political support to Ukraine after Russian invasion.

Camino Packing List

(Cursive items are only necessary when you decide to camp, like I did):

Hiking boots
Flip-flops to air the feet at night, and for hygienic reasons when showering
Socks: 3 pairs
Underwear: at least 3 pairs, depending on own levels of hygiene. Sports bra for ladies.
Pants: 2 pairs, preferably covering the top of the shoes to prevent rocks from getting in.
Quick-dry tanktops or t-shirts: 3 pieces, depending on own levels of hygiene.
Fleece layer
Lightweight padded jacket
Hat or cap
Swimming suit
Poncho or rain suit
Rain covers for legs and shoes. The Baltics are incredibly damp, so also without rain you’re likely to get soaked in the morning when walking through overgrown nature trails.
Gloves
Scarf, can be used to cover throat, the head or for picnicking and cleaning.
Microfibre towel
Emergency blanket
Hiking poles
Sunglasses
Reflectors
Headlamp
Phone & chargers (make sure you download the GPS tracks for offline use)
Headphones (I take 2 pairs)
Local simcard: Telia has the best coverage (scroll down for more info on simcards)
Powerbank (when camping: 2 powerbanks or a sun-energy powered one)
E-reader & charger, optional
Pen and paper
Toiletries: Toothbrush, toothpaste, wet wipes, ear buds, lip balm, deodorant, soap, shampoo bar. Optional: hair brush, hair ties, tampons, little mirror, contact lenses and/or glasses, razor.
Sunscreen
Mosquito repellent
Ear plugs and sleeping mask, optional
First aid kit: bandaids, bandages, betadine, aspirin, anti-diarrhoea pills, other needed medication… and very important: a tick pen, there are plenty of those here and they need to be removed asap as Lyme disease and encephalitis are common here.
Feet care kit: Tape, vaseline, blister bandaids, foot patches, talc powder.
Disinfectant gel
Electrolytes for fast hydration
Camel bag and/or water bottle (when camping: with the potential to hold at least 3 litres).
Lifestraw or water filter
Tent
Sleeping bag
Sleeping mat
Ziploc bags
Pocket knife
Food for up to 2 days. On the Camino you’ll find a shop almost every day, depending on how fast you walk. You burn more energy than on a regular days, so bring more food than you usually eat.
Camping gas, cooking kit, fire (both a lighter and matches)
Titanium pan, cutlery, potentially a plastic plate and cup.
Rope, strong bag & tupperware for strong-smelling food. Repeat after me: Never EVER leave food inside of your tent… if not for bears, then for rats who can eat their way through your tent to reach it. Believe me, I am talking out of experience, I once in Patagonia woke up from rats walking over my face... Always cook far away from your tent and hang the food up in a tree by attaching a stone to a rope and throwing it over a high branch to lift the bag up.
Pepper spray
Passport
Cash money and 2 different credit cards

Budget Bites

Main Supermarket Chains Estonia: Coop, Maxima, Selver, Rimi, Prisma, Grossi and Lidl. Maxima, Grossi and Lidl are the more budget-sensitive ones. On the Estonian Camino you will run into a supermarket almost every day, with a max. of 2 days in between them. As such, you won’t have to carry much weight in food. Sometimes it will be a local over-the-counter-shop with limited choice, but it’s better than nothing.
Local Dishes: Kartulisalat (potato salad), Rosolje (beetroot salad with herring and pickles), Mulgikapsad (pork-cabbage dish), Rämm (herring), Mulgipuder (meat porridge), Kama (porridge), Kiluvõileib (meatball soup), Hernesupp (pea soup), Leivasupp (sweet soup with apples and whipped cream), Verivorst (blood sausage), Sült (head cheese), Rukkileib (rye bread), Kiluvõileib (rye bread sandwich with fish), Pirukas (stuffed dough pastry), Kringel (sweet or savoury pastry), Kohupiimakreem (curd cheese dessert), Vastlakukkel (cardamom bread roll), Kohuke (cold dairy curd snack), Mannavaht (semolina cream), Kompott (compote), Kirju Koer / Kass Artur / Küpsisetort (cookie cakes).
The Veg Situation: Going veg is not so complicated in Estonia, as vegetarianism and veganism is widely accepted. Most supermarkets contain veg products, be it very processed at times. Veg restaurants can be found here. That said, these are concentrated in the bigger cities, you won’t pass many of them hiking. Local vegetarian dishes: Leivasupp, Rukkileib, Kohupiimakreem , Vastlakukkel, Kohuke, Mannavah, Kompott, Kirju Koer / Kass Artur / Küpsisetort. Local vegan dishes: Porgandi-Oakotletid (carrot and bean fritters), Nogese Kartuli Kotetid (potato fritters), Hapukapsa-Peedisalat (sauerkraut and beetroot salad), Seenesupp (wild mushrooms soup), Lillkapsa Ja Läätsesupp Seentega (cauliflower, lentil and mushroom soup), Porgandi Ja Kruubivorm (barley and carrot pudding).

National Drink: Vana Tallinn (liquor) and Vodka, Kali (alcohol-free fermented drink), Beer, Sweet Fruit Wines.
Hiking food: You want to go high-energy and low-weight. For breakfast I swear by oatmeal, which I make with milk in powder-form. I usually add nuts, seeds or any fruits I can find along the trail. This gives me energy for hours and it’s easy to carry. For lunch I generally make simple sandwiches, which are very filling with the Baltic rye bread. Dinner has to fit in one pot, so I generally make pasta, rice or fastest of all: couscous. I carry low-weight vegetables like mushrooms or salad and generally cut some dried sausage on top. For flavor I carry basic spices (as well as loooots of chili) and sauces in powder form… liquids are too heavy! For snacks I focus on nuts, dried fruits, muesli bars and berries I find along the trail.

→ A great solution for tasty trail meals offering a bit of variation are freeze-dried foods. The technique of freeze-drying refers to a low-temp dehydration process, which preserves the food’s original healthy nutrients. The great advantage for us hikers is the low weight of these products… a more-than-enough portion weighs as little as 100-140 grams! The local Estonian company Hiking Baltic North offers an impressively big collection of freeze-dried meals, varying from paella to Indian curries to mashed potatoes. They even provide the service of sending them directly to you on the trail, via the Omniva post boxes that can be found all over the Baltics next to almost every supermarket. Like this, you can restock easily and you won’t have to carry too much weight.

Conveniently, this company also provides all type of outdoor equipment as well as rentals that can be sent directly to you on the trail.

Sleep Cheap

Hostels / Hotels / Guesthouses: Of all Baltic countries, Estonia is the most expensive one. Expect Western European prices for food and accommodation. However, you are walking the Camino, and that comes with certain perks: On every section affordable accommodation is made available to pilgrims, usually in the pastor houses of churches. I listed the options in the articles per hiking section. Most are donation-based, but a tip of minimum EUR 10 is expected. Unlike Spain, France and Portugal, you will most likely be the only pilgrim visiting, so a prior reservation is necessary to guarantee someone can open the door for you. Emails are generally not replied to, and English is not widely spoken outside of the bigger cities (most people just hung up on me if I called in English). Therefore, it’s useful to make some Estonian contacts in advance to make the phone calls on your behalf. The Baltic Camino Facebook group is helpful for that. Note: Please take into account that on the entire Camino, I used only once a pilgrim accommodation. All information on accommodation that I shared I received from other hikers and from the local Camino organization. I cannot guarantee that all information is 100% accurate as I can’t base it on my personal experience.
Couchsurfing: allows you to stay with locals. Nowadays it has a moderate sign-up cost (unless you put a third-world country as homebase), but paying extra for verification is unnecessary: Positive reviews are way more important. Once active, there are no costs for staying at someone’s house. In order to get accepted, make sure to write an elaborate review explaining why you applied to this specific profile and think you and your host are a good match (copy-pastes tend to be ignored). The Couchsurfing community in Estonia is rather big and active, and many of the hosts live on or close to the Estonian Camino. In the Estonian section, I Couchsurfed on 5 occasions (and another 3 times at a later stage outside of the Camino route). I also used Warm Showers, which is in principal a bikepacking community focussing on 1-night stays. That said, long-distance hikers fit well with these type of travellers and are warmly welcomed.
Wild Camping: is entirely legal in Estonia, with the exception of private land. You can literally spend the night anywhere you want, as long as you don’t leave a mess and treat nature with respect. Estonia really goes above and beyond, as their local nature conservation institution, the RMK, provides a great number of free campsites, easily traceable via their app. Most contain sheltered picnic tables, a fireplace with free fire wood, a dry toilet, water access and sometimes even a tent shelter for rainy weather. Truly phenomenal!

Useful Estonian Trail Words (at least, they were to me)

Greetings

Tere = Hello
Tere hommikust = Good morning
Tere päevast = Good afternoon
Tere õhtust = Good evening
Head ööd= Good night, sleep well
Päeval = Day
Hüvasti = Farewell
Head aega = See you
Lähme = Let’s go
Aitäh = Thank you
Vabandust = Sorry
Ma ei räägi eesti keelt = I don’t speak Estonian
Olen… (hollandlane) = I am… (Dutch)
Minu nimi on… = My name is….

Hiking

Matkamine = Hiking
Telk / Telkimine = Tent / Camping
Seiklus = Adventure
Vihma = Rain
Päike = Sun
Kiire = Fast
Väsinud = Tired
Eravaldus = Private land

Food & Drinks

Piim = Milk
Kohvi = Coffee
Vein = Wine
Veepudel = Waterbottle (vesi = water)
Janu = Thirst
Näljane = Hunger
Head isu = Enjoy your meal
Poodi = Shop

Traveling

Autoga peale võtmine / Hääletamine = Hitchhiking
Hotel / hostel = hotel / hostel (yihaa, an easy one)
Reisija = Traveler
Reis = Trip
Muusika = Music

Mama Said

Safety: Estonia is a very safe country. Besides bears there aren’t any dangerous animals, and even the bears are unlikely to interact with humans. Similar to the Estonians themselves: they really keep to themselves and won’t talk to you unless you talk to them. No one will bother you.
Tap Water: is safe to drink. Estonians also love their natural water sources for water provision, but you’ll generally need a local to point those out to you as they’re not clearly signposted. I drank straight from the streams in the forest without any issues, but I used a lifestraw/filter for the water from the bigger rivers or when close to a town or farmland. However, when cooking a filter wasn’t needed, as the act of boiling already kills the bacteria.
The best credit/debit card for traveling is Wise, as they use the live conversion rates with minimal exchange fees. Wise also has the lowest fees for sending money to foreign accounts. Revolut is comparable, but they have higher exchange fees in the weekend and less wallet-options. Also, you can only wire money to Revolut in the currency you opened the account with, whereas Wise has IBAN’s from a wide variety of currencies, so you don’t have to pay a double exchange fee. Most Estonian ATMs charge a fee for cash outs, but card payments are generally accepted everywhere, even in the countryside.
Simcard: Buying a local simcard is by all means cheaper than using your international roaming option. The main providers are Telia, Tele2 and Elisa. Telia has the biggest network coverage and the fastest connection, which makes it most attractive for a hike in the countryside. You can cheaply buy their simcard, confusingly called ‘Super’, in any gas station or supermarket and then download the app to top it up. As usual, never buy a sim at the airport, where you’ll be ripped off with expensive tourist packages. Tip: instead of paying straight away for a calling or data package, first top up via the app and then pay with that money. Like this, you get free bonus data and minutes, while still having the full amount of money available for payments. In order to use your sim outside of Estonia, you must not only allow roaming on your phone, but also in the app (very odd and unusual, I didn’t know this and got stuck in the Latvian forest without reception… and all my Estonian data had already expired once I found out). Elisa has the cheapest deals, but a rather bad reputation. Tele2 is decent, but their connection is not as fast and widespread as Telia’s.

Transport

Walking: This is the main purpose of this journey, of course. On the Estonian Camino, expect a combination of nature trails, dirt roads and asphalt roads, all easily accessible.
Cycling: The Estonian Camino is also suitable for cycling. Estonia is pretty bicycle-friendly with mild and considerate traffic, and even the occasional bicycle lane.
Public Transport: Tallinn has a combination of city buses, trolleybuses and trams. However, outside of the capital you can only find buses to get around in town. You can either buy a Ridango card from the bus driver and charge it at the bus stations or pay the bus driver in cash. In most buses, you can’t pay by card. During 2 months in Estonia, I have never been checked though.
Taxi / Uber: Estonia has taxi apps such as Uber and Bolt. However, the cheaper local app is called Forus.
Intercity Buses: are very frequent in the bigger cities, but generally only go once or a few times a day in the countryside. Therefore, prior planning is key. Google Maps is unreliable for bus times, as it’s not always up-to-date. Instead, use the local Tpilet app. You can buy tickets on this app as well, or pay in cash or with the Ridango card. Card payments are usually not accepted! Golden budget tip: In the south of the country, if on the Tpilet app it says “no bus tickets available” this generally means the ride is FREE with the Ridango card (which you can buy for EUR 2 from the bus driver). That’s right! I have of course tested this theory, and with one exception, this was indeed true. It includes lines connecting from and to Tartu.
Train: Estonia’s train network connects certain parts of the country in a rather efficient and budget-friendly manner. The operating company is called Elron, and buying tickets online gives you a 15% discount. Alternatively, you can buy tickets at the train station or in the train itself (they check 100% of the times).
Car Rental: This is not a cheap endeavour in Estonia. However, the best deals can generally be found when the car is picked up from the airport.
Airport: Tallinn Airport (TLL). If you’re on a budget, Riga Airport in Latvia generally has much cheaper connections. Affordable buses connect Riga with Tallinn in just a few hours.
Hitchhiking: is relatively safe in Estonia, but definitively not common. The shy and introverted nature of the Estonians makes them a bit less likely to invite a stranger into their car, so waiting times might be slightly longer compared to other countries. That said, I hitchhiked on plenty occasions in Estonia and I always managed with relative ease (as a woman alone).

Next?

International Destinations Close By: Russia, Latvia, Finland, Belarus.

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