Estonia Off The Grid

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

The first question I’m going to ask you is if you have ever heard of Estonia? Great! Can you point it out on the map? Alright, now we got that established, do you know any cities or towns in this most northern Baltic country? Tallinn, their capital, very good, I can see you paid attention in school… and if you know any other city besides Tartu, consider me officially impressed. Did you travel here, by any chance? Because I am here telling you that you should, in case you didn’t. Be careful though, you might end up just like me… unsuspectingly heading into whatever this dot on the world map might be, allowing it to just take an aggressive hold of your heart and subsequently not letting you go for at least two months. Estonia tends to charm its way into your life like that. Not just by throwing their two biggest and utterly delightful cities at you, the above mentioned Tallinn and Tartu, but more so by its comprehensive approach: the 58,3% of the country that is pristine forest, the seemingly cold and distant inhabitants that out of nothing just take you in like family, the dozens of tiny little hamlets who just creep into your hikes and random explorations when you least expect it…

Let’s zoom in on the latter. Because we weathered travelers of course know that a country is never just defined by its capital city… flying in for a mere city trip (and then leaving) is per definition buying into a faulty summary if what you told yourself and will tell others a certain country is about. On the contrary: The essence of daily life and the reality of a country is hidden where the average tourist doesn’t think to look for it.

Viljandi

Viljandi is one of those places that you assume must be a UNESCO World Heritage Site, only to learn later on that it isn’t, quite shockingly and shamefully so. I mean, the Estonians definitely know its worth, occasionally nicknaming it the “Cultural Capital” of the country. Partly due to the high number of cultural institutions, such as the Ugala Theatre, the Viljandi Puppet Theatre, the Sakala Centre, the Kondas Center, the Estonian Traditional Music Center, the Rukii Gallery and the Museum of Viljandi. But also, partly due to the Culture Academy being situated here, actively educating generations of artists. A few of whom you can visit monuments of: Johann Koler, leader of the “Estonian National Awakening” and the first professional painter of the emerging nation, and Carl Robert Jakobson, another important painter of the nationalist movement, as well as a politician. The cultural fibre is heavily embroidered into the fabric of this town, giving its appearance a cosy and colorful ambience. A well-preserved ambience as well, dating all the way back to medieval times, when this Hanseatic city knew great riches and economic success due to its favourable position on the trading route to Russia. Some elements of the city originate from even earlier, including fractions of the defensive city walls or the ruins of the Viljandi Castle, one of the Baltics’ largests, constructed during the rule of the Livonian Order.

To provide a break from all the museums and architecture: The city is leaning on the northwestern shore of Lake Viljandi and consists no less than 27% out of green zones, with places like the Castle Park, Lossi Park, Valuoja Park, Kiigepark and Uueveski Park, just begging to be walked. And let me tell you what, if you have a vehicle, even the Soomaa National Park is an easily doable day- or multi-day trip (I do recommend this with a vehicle only... check out my review in the Estonian National Parks Blog and the Baltic Camino Blog soon).

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FREE Sights / Activities Viljandi

Sights: Old Town, Castle Ruins, Old City Wall Ruins, Rope Bridge, Old Water Tower, Musical Instrument Park, Trepimagi, Johann Koler Monument, Carl Robert Jakobson Monument, Town Hall, Paulise Kirik (church), St. John’s Church.
Museums: Rukii Gallery.
Hikes / Nature: Lake Viljandi, Lossi Park, Castle Park, Valuoja Park, Kiigepark, Uueveski Park, Soomaa National Park (in the area).

PAID Sights / Activities Viljandi

Museums: Museum of Viljandi, Kondas Center,
Other: Estonian Traditional Music Centre, Ugala Theatre, Viljandi Puppet Theatre, Sakala Centre.

Otepaa

Otepaa is an entirely different destination than Viljandi. Less cultural, more outdoorsy. That doesn’t mean that Otepaa doesn’t have any culture to lean on. On the contrary, dating back to 1116 (when the city was first mentioned in Russian chronicles), it’s considered one of the oldest settlements in Estonia. Sights such as the Linnamägi (Town Hill) have elements such as the Otepaa Fortress Ruins to show for it. Not only that: One of the most crucial roots of the Estonian independence movement took place in Otepaa, where in 1884 the blue-black-white coloured flag was created by the Estonian Students' Society and consecrated in the hall of the pastor's mansion. The flag later became the civil flag of Estonia and as of 1992 it is the national flag of the Republic. Needless to say, the locals are quite proud of this fact, and therefore about the entire St. Mary’s Lutheran Church is embellished with bas-reliefs and artworks depicting this historic event. There’s also a Flag Museum. A nice side-quest, but the flag-story is definitely not the main attraction of Otepaa.

The main draw is in fact its wintersports identity! Otepaa was (just like Viljandi) awarded with a local nickname: Lo and behold, the Winter Capital of Estonia! Quite the honor, in this country in the deep cold north that’s freezing its butt off for about 9 months a year. The reason of this noble title is the Tehvandi Sports Centre, the largest multifunctional stadium in the country. This complex offers facilities for cycling, shooting, running, nordic walking, disc golfing, climbing, but most prominently, anything wintersports related: cross-country skiing, snowtubing, ice skating, sledding, snowmobiling, you name it. There’s even a massive ski jump tower, offering steepness this flat-as-a-pancake-country can’t offer otherwise (hence the focus on cross-country skiing, a national sport). In Tehvandi you can see Olympic winners and passionate amateur athletes train side by side. At a more family-friendly level: Otepaa Winterplace, a temporarily settlement just alongside Tehvandi, offers snow activities for all ages.

In summer, the area focuses on sports not requiring a thick layer of snow, which includes roller-skiing (skiing on rollerblades – any substitute to lighten the withdrawal symptoms of the Estonian nation) and of course hiking. The skiing tracks turn into well-organized hiking trails and the locals en masse spend their weekends around the beaches and free camping sites along Lake Pühajärv. A lake that – embrace yourselves – even got blessed by the Dalai Lama. Namaste, brothers!

FREE Sights / Activities Otepaa

Sights: Linnamägi, Otepaa Maarja Lutheran Church, Otepaa Fort, Monument to Soldiers Killed in the War of Independence, Otepaa Energy Column, Puhajarv War Oak, Hellenurme Watermill.
Hikes / Nature: Lake Puhajarv, Otepaa Nature Park, Harimaagi Hiking & Skiing Trail, Kekkonen Hiking & Skiing Trail.

PAID Sights / Activities Otepaa

Museums: Otepaa Winter Sports Museum (not open on advertised times), Estonian Flag Museum.
Other: Tehvandi Sports Centre, Otepaa Winterplace, Otepaa Golf Center, Murimae Winery.

Voru

I wouldn’t call Voru the #1 go-to-destination of Estonia. But not everything has to be, some places easily get away with being just fine. A pleasant, unpretentious stop in the southeastern edge of the country with a little bit of everything. It has a beach and coastal promenade on the Tamula lakeside . It has a nice little museum which covers both history and art. It has some sights, such as the Roosisaare Bridge and the incredibly odd town square, scattered with… yeah, with what? I don’t really know even… wheeled benches with helmet-shaped shelters. Ugly beyond belief, but done in some post-communist “look-at-us-we’re-capitalist-now-avantgarde” kinda way that just puts a smile on your face.

If you’re heading here from the Latvian border, you might pass Suur Munamagi, translated as “the great egg hill” and (with indeed the height of an egg) the highest point of this flat country (318m). You’re also not far away from the gorgeous Karula National Park, the end point of the country’s 820km Perakula Aegviidu Ahijarve Trail.

FREE Sights / Activities Voru

Sights: Town Square, St. Catherine Church, Roosisaare Bridge.
Hikes / Nature: Lake Tamula & Promenade, Piusa Caves, Karula National Park.

PAID Sights / Activities Voru

Museums: Vana-Voromaa Kultuurikoda, Dr. Fr. R. Kreutzwald Memorial Museum, Town Gallery.

Rakvere

Similar to Voru, Rakvere is not a destination where you go to and then stay a couple of days. Yet, you’d be very pleased to make a short stopover for a little downtown stroll. The city’s restoration efforts surely deserved it. Walking along the impeccable Pikk Street and over the tightly organized event zone around the Rakvere Castle, you can just see how much money and planning went into Rakvere’s downtown area to please locals and tourists alike. A similar effort went into the Police Museum, which seemed to have had a whole marketing team bending over an experience that’s supposed to be fresh, interactive and fun… Still, it’s a police museum, going into the history and practice of the Estonian police force. It’s a tough topic to make truly interesting. That said, this corner of the country has more to offer than a simple pleasant downtown stroll around Rakvere. It’s an excellent base for a visit to the various outdoor destinations, such as Sami-Kuristiku Karstiala, Kronkskallas, Laahemaa National Park and of course the enthralling Endla Nature Reserve.

Read more about Estonia’s national parks in this article!

FREE Sights / Activities Rakvere

Sights: Pikk Street, Tarvas Sculpture, Central Square, Birth of the Holy Mother Orthodox Church, Church of the Trinity, Methodist Church, War of Independence Monument.
Museums: Rakvere Gallery.
Hikes / Nature: Oak Grove Hiking Trail, Endla Nature Reserve, Sami-Kuristiku Karstiala, Kronkskallas, Laahemaa National Park.

PAID Sights / Activities Rakvere

Sights: Rakvere Castle.
Museums: Town Citizen’s Home Museum, Estonian Police Museum.
Other: Aqva Waterpark & Sauna Complex, Rakvere Theatre.

Valga

One of the most pleasant Estonian towns I happened to pass on my Baltic Camino hike turned out to be Valga. Or Valka. Both actually… you see, this city is located right on the Estonian-Latvian border and was sliced in two separate unities in 1920 based on ethnicity. Even though it looks and seems to operate as one multinational unity, we are in fact dealing with “twin-towns”, an excessive amount of flagpoles reminding us on exactly which side of the border you happen to find yourself. After having seen basically only 2-streets villages for 2 weeks on end, inhabited by a handful of farmers and a cow, I thoroughly appreciated the busy hustle ‘n bustle of this decently-sized-town. Since 1996, various renovations have taken place to make facilities such as the Central Library, the Valga Museum, the Culture and Hobby Centre, the hospital and the Valga Stadium more aesthetically pleasing and accessible.

The location right on the border and its properly developed public transportation system, makes this a great location for further exploration of both country’s natural surroundings. In fact, Valga is located right in between my favorite Estonian National Park, Karula, and what I consider to be the highlight of my entire 1000km-hike through the Baltic States: the Latvian Gauja National Park.

FREE Sights / Activities Valga

Sights: Town Hall, Nipernaadi Statue, Prison Camp Cemetery, Alfred Neuland Monument, Paju Battle Memorial, Chess and Lions House, Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit, St. John’s Church.
Hikes / Nature: Karula National Park, Gauja National Park.
Other: Culture and Hobby Center.

PAID Sights / Activities Valga

Museums: Valga Military Museum, Valga Museum.

Pärnu

→ Another one, which I blindly include in the list, is Estonia’s #1 spa and beach destination Pärnu! As I already wrote an extensive report about this dream of a place and as I don’t see the point in copy-pasting my own texts, I kindly refer to the Baltic Camino Blog Section 1: Estonia.

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.

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.

Sleep Cheap

Hostels / Hotels / Guesthouses: Of all Baltic countries, Estonia is the most expensive one. Expect Western European prices for food and accommodation. Without being paid to say so, I love Booking.com: They have the biggest selection, are transparent about the final price and have an efficient search engine tailored to your specific needs (cheapest first!). If you use it often enough, Genius-discounts are applied. Agoda is often not transparent about prices, adding a lot of additional costs in the last booking-step. Opodo is another decent option. Air BnB is not what it used to be, price-wise, and seem to focus on the more upscale boutique stays nowadays. Writer’s pick: I couchsurfed in Viljandi, Hirla (close to Rakvere) and Pärnu. I rented an apartment in Kobela for the month, which is close to Voru and Otepaa.
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. I Couchsurfed on many occasions and 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!

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: In all destinations covered in this article, walking is the best way to explore downtown.
Cycling: Estonia is pretty bicycle-friendly with mild and considerate traffic, and even the occasional bicycle lane.
Public Transport: 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.
Taxi / Uber: Estonia has taxi apps such as Uber and Bolt. However, the cheaper local app is called Forus.
Intercity Buses: They generally only go only once or a few times a day in the countryside or smaller cities. 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 I bought for EUR 2 from the bus driver). That’s right! I have of course tested this theory, and with one exception in Viljandi, 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). Viljandi, Rakvere, Valga and Pärnu can be reached by train.
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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