© Lonely Planet Publications 43 www.lonelyplanet.com ESTONIA •• Highlights 44 HIGHLIGHTS ESTONIA HOW MUCH? Tallinn ( p64 ) Wander the medieval streets, and drink in lovely cafés, eclectic restau- Coffee 30Kr ESTONIA rants and steamy nightclubs. Estonia Taxi fare (10 minutes) 50Kr Pärnu ( p155 ) Join this party town, home to sandy beaches, spa resorts and plenty Bus ticket (Tallinn to Tartu) 80Kr of night-time distractions. Bicycle hire (daily) 150Kr Saaremaa ( p142 ) Escape to Estonia’s larg- Although the smallest of the Baltic countries, Estonia (Eesti) makes its presence felt in the est island, with lovely, long stretches Sauna 65Kr region. of empty coastline and medieval ruins, and abundant opportunities for outdoor LONELY PLANET INDEX Lovely seaside towns, quaint country villages and verdant forests and marshlands set adventure. Litre of petrol 14Kr the scene for discovering many cultural and natural gems. Yet Estonia is also known for Tartu ( p106 ) Discover the magic of this magnificent castles, pristine islands and a cosmopolitan capital amid medieval splendour. splendid town, gateway to the beautiful Litre of bottled water 15Kr land of the mystical Setu community, It’s no wonder Estonia is no longer Europe’s best-kept secret. Half-litre of Saku beer in a store/bar with myriad lakes and forests. 15/28Kr Tallinn, Estonia’s crown jewel, boasts cobbled streets and rejuvenated 14th-century dwell- Lahemaa National Park ( p95 ) Relish the nat- ural beauty of this area’s lush landscape Souvenir T-shirt 150Kr ings. Dozens of cafés and restaurants make for an atmospheric retreat after exploring historic and immaculate coastline. packet of roasted nuts 25Kr churches and scenic ruins, as well as its galleries and boutiques. By night, stylish lounges and youthful nightclubs offer a glimpse of the city’s sexier side. ITINERARIES Three Days Spend your first 48 hours do so, since the president has little involve- Some visitors have a hard time escaping Tallinn’s undeniable allure, but outside the drinking in the splendour of Tallinn’s ment in the day-to-day running of the coun- capital, the bucolic landscape hides numerous attractions. Handsome beach towns, spa Old Town. On the third day, head to try (the domain of the prime minister). resorts and medieval ruins lie scattered about the western shores of the country. Further leafy Kadriorg, the Botanical Gardens Rüütel’s administration, which ended and TV Tower, or take a daytrip west to in 2005, was marked by a few scandals. west lie Estonia’s biggest islands, where iconic windmills, 19th-century lighthouses, unspoilt nearby beaches. Some classified documents went missing beaches and yet more medieval ruins transport visitors to another time. One Week After Tallinn, go to the island of on two occasions, leading to the resignation Saaremaa, where spa resorts, windswept or firing of two high-ranking ministers. Covering vast swaths of Estonia, forests, wooded meadows and under-appreciated bog beaches and a castle await. Alternatively, There were also the usual parliamentary form the backdrop to numerous activities. Hiking over wooded trails, horse riding along coast- aim eastward for magnificent Lahemaa shake-ups, which have become fairly com- line and canoeing over flooded forests can link you to the ancient wilderness. There’s also National Park. monplace in Estonian politics. Yet more great bird-watching, cross-country skiing in winter and swimming in crystal-clear lakes and Two Weeks To the above, add Tartu, a important than the setbacks were the enor- vibrant university town and gateway to mous twin achievements. Following a refer- rivers in summer. This all makes a nice prelude to a sauna, one of the national pastimes. the lushly landscaped southeast, and/or endum in September 2003, approximately Pärnu, a youthful seaside town near vast 60% of Estonians voted in favour of joining FAST FACTS Soomaa National Park and charming the EU. The following spring, the country Viljandi. officially joined NATO and the EU. Area 45,227 sq km At last count in 2005, 65% of Estonians Birthplace of Carmen Kass, supermodel; CURRENT EVENTS still believed EU membership had positive Kalevipoeg, mythological hero To some degree Estonia has found it hard results. Assuming Estonia keeps its infla- to escape its past, notably when Arnold tion down, it has a good chance of adopting Capital Tallinn Rüütel, the former head of Estonia’s Soviet the euro as its currency in 2007. Country code %372 parliament, won the 2001 presidential elec- In many ways, Estonia is the outstand- Departure tax none tion. Viewed by many as a politically inept ing economic success story of the Baltic re- communist dinosaur, 73-year-old Rüütel gion, having made a remarkable transition Famous for song festivals, lush woodlands won on his dedication to social problems to capitalism. Its large-scale privatisation, and resplendent coastlines (such as unemployment) – an issue given free-trade agreements and low corporate Money Estonian Kroon; €1 = 15.64Kr; short shrift as EU hysteria swept the coun- taxes have brought in enormous foreign US$1 = 13.07Kr; UK£1 = 15.64Kr try. His communist credentials and agricul- investment, mainly in the finance, manu- Population 1.3 million tural background were particularly deficient facturing and transport sectors. The effect compared with the skills of his predecessor, on economic growth has been pronounced: Visas not needed for most nationalities. the brilliant and charismatic Lennart Meri. from 2000 to 2005, real GDP growth aver- See p391 for details. Still Rüütel had no intention of leading aged 6.1% per year, a remarkable achieve- Estonia astray – and had little opportunity to ment for such a tiny newcomer. euro currency converter 1 = 15.64Kr / 0.70Ls / 3.45Lt euro currency converter 1 = 15.64Kr / 0.70Ls / 3.45Lt ESTONIA cow, which theRussiansfoundinsulting. cow, which invitation thecelebrationsinMos- toattend declinedan Allied victoryinWWII,Rüütel the of in 2005,duringthe60thanniversary negotiations inSeptember 2005. from sented thecommentsandwithdrew Russiare- treaty. ences tothe1920Tartu obliquerefer- June 2005,butaddedafew in liament finallyratifiedthebordertreaty TheEstonianpar- Treaty. Peace 1920 Tartu the thesigningof between after thewars, km, hadbeen inEstonia’spossession only land,totalling These 2300sq piecesof der. bor- across Estonia’sexistingsoutheastern inSetumaa, area aroundPechory, a larger theNarva landeastof and a sliceof River upitsclaimtotwofrontierareas: to give putforthin1996.Estoniahad first treaty, border fromtheunresolved largely stem These continuedapace. with Russiahave Teutonic Order inthe south. TheOrder, Teutonic the Danish in thenorth and theGerman 13th century Estoniawascarved upbetween Bythemid- was conquered. territory entire the before 30years and ittook wellover in 1208.Thelocals putupfierceresistance, Otepää ing theSouthern Estoniancastleof German knights invaded Estonia,conquer- the northernheathens, Danishtroopsand from thewest. tian invaders came from Chris- threat real land. Thefirst Kiev andIstanbul thanin conqueringthe to intraderoutes seemed interested more theVikings,who of wellaware nians were By the9thand10thcenturiesAD, Esto- The Christian Invasion next sixmillennia. the ised mostotherEuropeanpeoplesover put, spurningnomadicwaysthatcharacter- took alikingtotheirhomelandand stayed and Hungary.They day Estonia,Finland Neolithic peoplesandsettling inpresent- probably around3500BC –minglingwith – around theUrals)camecenturies later tribesfromtheeast(probably Finno-Ugric Pärnu. found aroundPullinearpresent-day tools withStoneAge back 10,000years, Estonia’s oldesthumansettlements date Beginnings HISTORY 45 The tensions extend to other areas aswell: tootherareas extend The tensions Estonia’songoingdisputes Meanwhile, Following papalcalls foracrusade against ESTONIA••History euro currency converter converter euro currency 1 = 15.64Kr / 0.70Ls / 3.45Lt 1 = 15.64Kr / 0.70Ls / 3.45Lt ined inEisenstein’s film (marvellously imag- on frozenLake Peipsi Novgorod byAlexanderNevsky of repelled fully eastward,waspower hungry tomove became interlinked withCatholicism, and became interlinked ship, though bythe 15thcentury these rites wor- forweddings, funeralsand nature rites links. tament trade toitswealth and western istes- Kirik) withitsterracotta sculpture (Jaani Church StJohn’s guild). Tartu’s League (amedievalHanseatic merchant the of astrademembers Pärnu –prospered Viljandi and Tartu, many towns–Tallinn, inthe14th century,and tions emerged sold EstoniatotheLivonianOrder. however, decidedthey’dhadenough and wascrus 1345 therebellion by Estonian resolve, to turnback.Despite forced and were gulf, buttheycametoolate the across deed send reinforcements naval thejob.TheSwedesdidin- them finish and calledforSwedishassistance tohelp and theBishop’sCastle inHaapsalu, Tallinn monks. Theysubsequently to laid siege the andkilledallof monastery Cistercian thePadise Estonia whenEstonianspillaged Northern It startedinDanish-controlled night (23April)in1343. on StGeorge’s to rebel. theEstonianscontinued them. Meanwhile, tothelocalsand(tryto)baptise ies topreach set orders up monaster- Dominican religious and aroundthetimethatCistercian (Tartu), andDorpat Tallinn tury cathedralsrose over the13thcen- to thebishops.Byendof power much established towns,handingover Estonians continued practising pagan Estonians continuedpractising pagan associa- guildsandmerchant The first The mostsignificantuprisingbegan settledThe conquerors inatvarious newly ally