Estonia is a state in Northern Europe. It comes under Baltic region and bordered by Gulf of Finland in north, Lake Peipus and Russia in east, Baltic Sea in west and Latvia in south. The primary attraction of Estonia as a travel destination is the tiny land itself that is surrounded by Baltic Sea. There are glorious beaches that add to the popularity of this place. The climate of Estonia is another factor that attracts thousands of visitors every year. The weather here remains cool most of the time in a year. The summer is short and the winter is quite long and severe in Estonia. The capital city of Estonia, Tallinn was built by the German crusaders in the Late Middle Ages. Still the construction and structures are in a very good condition. This state had been under many foreign rules such as German, Danish, Swedish, Polish and Russian for seven centuries. Estonia was freed in 1918 though it was annexed to USSR. It finally regained its independence in 1991. Economically, the state has been flourishing in the recent times after the initial setback during the recession period.
Estonia enjoys a wet weather throughout the year through moderate winters and cool summers. People plan to visit Estonia to witness the medieval city, Tallinn. The Tallinn’s old town has been declared as a World Heritage site by UNESO in 1997. There are various historic landmarks in the state that draws the attention of history lovers. The Scandinavian kings who once ruled Estonia have contributed to the construction of over thousand manors out of which only 200 manors are still intact and are taken care under state protection.
The state is having around 1500 islands in it. The beaches found in Estonia are a bit different from the beaches found elsewhere as it gives a unique experience to the visitors as far as the rustic feel is concerned.
The Estonian cuisine is hugely influenced from the German and Scandinavian cuisine. Many dishes available in Estonia such as sour cream hapukoor, Smetana, sour 20%-fat milk dressing for salads, especially kartulisalat or potato saladmay remind you the taste of Russian dishes. Many unconventional delicacies such as wild boar, bear meat, elk sausages and deer grill are also offered in some of the restaurants in Estonia. If you want to taste these dishes once in a lifetime, Estonia can be a great choice for your travel.
Local beer, Saku and vodka Viru Valge (Vironian White) are the most popular alcohols found in Estonia. Rum-like herbal liquor Vana Tallinn (Old Tallinn) has also gained enough popularity worldwide.
If you are visiting to Estonia, better you should take care of yourself as the crime rate has been going up continuously after the introduction of democratic freedom. The criminal activities include, murder, robbery, stealing, drug smuggling and so on. It has been found that the murder rate per 100,000 inhabitants wasat least 5 times higher than in that of Sweden and Finland. However, the government of Estonia proclaims that there has been a significant drop in murders in recent years. The Russian-speaking industrial areas in Estonia can be pretty dangerous for you if you are a traveler as a good amount of drugs smuggling activities happen there. Pickpocketing is the most common criminal activity found in Estonia. It is advised not to carry huge cash or other valuables with you when you leave your hotel room for a walk or so. Road accidents might be a huge concern for the travelers are Estonians are pretty good at committing accidents. Even the law for drunken drive is quite strict with zero tolerance, people do not refrain themselves from driving intoxicated. The traffic rules and laws are not quite effective in this state. If you want to remain safe during your tour, you should remain attentive while using the roads. You can always take help from the Estonian police by just dialing 110. They are not corrupt and quite effective in their actions. You can expect a quick result if you lodge a complaint.
Estonia holds the second place in Europe for the highest HIV/AIDS affected patients. You need to be careful before making love with any Estonian, if you do. If you suddenly fall sick and require first aid, you can call 112. The Estonian government also provides the travelers with traveler health insurance if they want to avail one.
The Estonians are found to be a bit reserved as far as communicating with strangers is concerned. However, once you become familiar to them, you may find them pretty helpful and candid.
To have fun in Estonia, there are many ways you can go with. You may have Vana Tallinn with Kefir as it is the best blend in alcohol in Estonia. You should listen to Estonian karaoke as it can be a bit funny for you as they sing western song in Estonian. They do it intentionally because western music is banned in Estonia since USSR rule.
Estonia has a quite cold climate. So get ready with your warm wear if there is a plan to explore the state.