Post by Dana Coran on May 11, 2010 11:10:40 GMT -5
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are yet to become locations for mass tourism, so now is the time to visit. The three Baltic States have their own identities, languages and traditions but are still united by the white shores of the cobalt blue Baltic Sea. Here you can find towns and palaces in baroque or medieval style, lakes, long stretches of sandy beaches, and one of the best-preserved natural environments in Europe – the pine forests.
So if you are looking for windmills, forests and varying climate - come to Estonia. Estonia’s coast-line stretches for 3,794 km, and there are 1400 lakes, 800 islands and many national reserves to discover.
In Estonia’s capital Tallinn you can experience medieval charm first-hand while strolling on the cobble-stone streets. Visitors and tourists coming from the sea must first pass the Fat Margaret, a prominent cannon-tower in the thick wall surrounding Tallinn, to enter this old Hanseatic city that is best viewed from the sea. Tallinn, influenced by the Lutherans and Scandinavian culture, has been listed as part of UNESCO’s world heritage. The medieval Old Town is a blend of history and today, of cobble-stone streets lined by cafés and glamorous bars, hotel-rooms with free internet and classy art galleries.
Imagine a country so clean you do not dare to light a cigarette on the street. A country so green it feels as if you are walking in a mountain pasture after a spring shower. A country so modern that internet-cafés are old-fashioned and modern Scandinavian design is commonplace. This is Estonia.
What’s the secret? Perhaps it is the freshness. Mushroom gathering seems to be the national sport in Estonian. Closeness with the nature is nothing new here. In the countryside you can see simple wooden houses with light shining from the windows and smoke rising from the chimneys. The houses are as admirably modest as those you might see in Japan. All these houses have their own sauna. Saunas mean a lot for Estonians – it is not simply a place to wash, it is a place to relax. Old Estonians even gave birth in saunas. Such significance has not disappeared and many hotels, city dwellings and camping sites have their own saunas. An invitation to a sauna evening is a sign of respect.
Estonia is a land of squirrels, not rabbits for the woods here are thick – you can live in tree-tops, jumping from branch to branch without ever needing to touch the ground. The surroundings are quiet and even on sunny days there’s little light. People here are quiet, winds icy and despite numerous social changes in the last two decades memories of the occupation have yet to fade.
This is Estonia. Where memories preserve the past and songs shape the future.
So if you are looking for windmills, forests and varying climate - come to Estonia. Estonia’s coast-line stretches for 3,794 km, and there are 1400 lakes, 800 islands and many national reserves to discover.
In Estonia’s capital Tallinn you can experience medieval charm first-hand while strolling on the cobble-stone streets. Visitors and tourists coming from the sea must first pass the Fat Margaret, a prominent cannon-tower in the thick wall surrounding Tallinn, to enter this old Hanseatic city that is best viewed from the sea. Tallinn, influenced by the Lutherans and Scandinavian culture, has been listed as part of UNESCO’s world heritage. The medieval Old Town is a blend of history and today, of cobble-stone streets lined by cafés and glamorous bars, hotel-rooms with free internet and classy art galleries.
Imagine a country so clean you do not dare to light a cigarette on the street. A country so green it feels as if you are walking in a mountain pasture after a spring shower. A country so modern that internet-cafés are old-fashioned and modern Scandinavian design is commonplace. This is Estonia.
What’s the secret? Perhaps it is the freshness. Mushroom gathering seems to be the national sport in Estonian. Closeness with the nature is nothing new here. In the countryside you can see simple wooden houses with light shining from the windows and smoke rising from the chimneys. The houses are as admirably modest as those you might see in Japan. All these houses have their own sauna. Saunas mean a lot for Estonians – it is not simply a place to wash, it is a place to relax. Old Estonians even gave birth in saunas. Such significance has not disappeared and many hotels, city dwellings and camping sites have their own saunas. An invitation to a sauna evening is a sign of respect.
Estonia is a land of squirrels, not rabbits for the woods here are thick – you can live in tree-tops, jumping from branch to branch without ever needing to touch the ground. The surroundings are quiet and even on sunny days there’s little light. People here are quiet, winds icy and despite numerous social changes in the last two decades memories of the occupation have yet to fade.
This is Estonia. Where memories preserve the past and songs shape the future.