Estonia- a large Baltic state, washed by the waters of a cool Baltic Sea... Few of our tourists have ever heard of the wonderful sea and spa resorts in Estonia, for the most part they are residents of the Russian north-west, more precisely St. Petersburg, who often go there to rest. Today we decided to correct such an oversight and talk about the magnificent Estonian resorts in the Baltic Sea and about the excellent vacation that awaits you there, by the way, about a very inexpensive one, which is important!
In the foreword, it should be said that Estonia is a country beautiful nature and excellent ecology. The length of the Estonian coastline in the Baltic - about four thousand kilometers, and this country also owns one and a half thousand small islets, most of which are also inhabited and offer wonderful relaxation and spa treatment. There are no less equipped sanatoriums and boarding houses, no worse than in the mainland of the country. The Baltic Sea is not very hot, because the temperature in it never exceeds twenty-three degrees, while the air on the warmest days warms up to twenty-eight degrees, but more often it is the standard twenty-five degrees. But the beaches of the Estonian resorts of the Baltic Sea are like a selection: with sand dazzling like snow, clean and very soft, well-groomed and having everything you need, without which it is impossible comfortable rest tourists. It is worth warning that it is almost always windy here, and swimming is most pleasant in July or August, when the water warms up to the maximum. For those who own sea vacation wants to combine with the excursion program, which is very extensive here, it is worth going to Estonia from May to September inclusive. Let's finally move on to the resorts themselves.
Sillamäe health resort
A wonderful town on the shores of the beautiful Gulf of Finland, just one hundred and eighty kilometers from the Estonian capital and one hundred and seventy kilometers from the Russian city of St. Petersburg. It originated in the sixteenth century, formed by the Levonian Order. In the nineteenth century, its nature and beaches were appreciated by representatives of the Russian intelligentsia, and the influx of tourists to Sillamäe was ensured. But today, the city is positioned rather like industrial centre and the port, therefore, the number of tourists visiting it to relax on the sea has decreased significantly, although some come, attracted by low prices.
There is only one beach, it is not wide, but rather long. Its cover is sandy and pebble, sometimes the pebbles are quite large, so you have to put on beach shoes so as not to damage your feet. There are a couple of changing rooms on the beach.
Sillamäe has a lot of attractions, concentrated in the old part of the city, in the form of interesting buildings from the Middle Ages and Soviet times, by the way, the city is called “the capital of the Stalinist Empire style”. There is: a beautiful city hall; modernist Catholic Church, Orthodox church The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God; visit the Museum of Local Lore; Marine Park, take a walk along Primorsky Boulevard. Football fans can visit the local stadium of the Estonian team, Kalev Sillamäe. From the natural corners of the resort, we recommend visiting: Langevoy Waterfall, the height of the jets of which varies from one and a half to four meters; and also the Ukuoru waterfall. Frankly speaking, walking around this city, there is a feeling of returning to the eighties of the Soviet Union.
Narva-Jõesuu resort (Ust-Narva)
A suburban suburb of the city of Narva, positioned as a resort place. A town with a history dating back to the sixteenth century, after its founding by the Livonians, when fishing was concentrated here. In the nineteenth century, the city of Gungerburg (old name), which belonged to the Livonian Order, had already become a popular resort on the Baltic Sea, which was incredibly prestigious to visit. The first spa hospital was built here in 1876. From those ancient times, there are almost no ancient architectural landmarks, except for the Kurhaus, built in 1912 in the Main Park, but now it needs urgent restoration. During the years of the Union, our tourists loved to rest at the Ust-Narva resort, but in 1992 Russia and Estonia introduced a visa regime, and the popularity of the Baltic resort fell sharply, and began to slowly grow only in 2007. In the town, it is worth visiting the interesting Ethnographic Museum to learn about life, history, and see unique exhibits related to this.
The beach of the Narva-Jõesuu resort is very large, covered with good, white sand, clean, well-groomed; it is separated from the city buildings by a strip of beautiful pine trees, among which there are equipped picnic areas. The beach has areas for sports and games. Here you will find a pleasant family seaside vacation in silence, because there are few tourists here, but there are plenty of places. It is worth recalling that the water of the Baltic is cool here, and in summer it is only warmed up to eighteen degrees.
Toila resort
Favorite town for beach holiday Estonians, who call this small seaside village "The best ozone resort in Estonia", thanks to the cleanliness and freshness of the local air. In Toila, located by the Gulf of Finland and on the Pühajõgi River, there are many health resorts and sanatoriums, where highly qualified and inexpensive, within the framework of the European Union, medical and rehabilitation assistance is refused. In local spa hotels, boarding houses, they will give you competent medical advice, conduct examinations, write out a course of treatment and whether preventive procedures.
Toila Beach is peculiar, it is covered with flat dolomite stones and turns into a narrow sandy strip near the water. The path to it goes through the local Oru park. There are volleyball courts, a children's area for playing with trampolines. At peak high season the Sadamakõrts tavern and the Kongo bar are opened.
Among the sights, the Toila-Oru Park, designed by the famous landscape designer Georg Friedrich Kufaldt in the nineteenth century by order of the merchant Eliseev, has already been mentioned, where about three hundred shrubs and trees grow, brought from different parts of our planet, there are ponds, a rock garden, a rose garden, “ singing field ”- a place where folklore folk festivals with songs and dances are held, attracting many curious travelers. Previously, in the middle of the park stood the magnificent Eliseev Palace, but during the war it was so badly destroyed that it was impractical to restore it. Also, while resting here, tourists must visit the Toyassky baths, which include: infrared, steam, salt baths and an unusual wooden bathhouse on the roof. On the territory of the baths there are solariums for sunbathing, heated benches, a jacuzzi.
Nyva resort
This small town is a virgin corner of Estonian nature, attracting eco-tourists with its pristine beauty, endless lingonberry, blueberry and mushroom meadows, amid magnificent pine forests, wonderful sandy beaches and opportunities for diving, surfing, fishing, cycling, bird watching ...
The local Peraküla beach is famous for its "singing sand", which gives off a melodic sound when the wind blows. There are also five-meter dunes here. And adjacent to the beach pine forest there is a well-equipped camping for tourists with cars. There is a parking lot for two hundred cars, grocery stalls and a volleyball court are open in summer. The sea is ideal for surfing, it is incredibly clear with tens of meters of visibility. The air at the resort is very fresh, it is saturated with phytoncides of coniferous trees, so it is good to rest here for people with problems of ENT organs and respiration. There are no lifeguards on the Nyvy beach, be careful in gloomy windy weather when high waves rise in the Baltic.
Haapsalu resort
An incredibly romantic city of Estonia on the Baltic Sea, a seaside and medical resort, where people go for the healing mud of the local coast, which they successfully treat gynecological, joint, musculoskeletal and muscle problems. The balneological clinics of Haapsalu resort have become famous outside the borders of Estonia.
This city, as a resort, was appreciated by the Russian intelligentsia at the beginning of the last century, but it has a longer history, lost in the eleventh century. In the thirteenth century Haapsalu chose the Ozel-Vik bishop as the location of his residence, and in the eighteenth the city was often visited by our Tsar Peter. It is truly amazingly beautiful and is often called the "Venice of the North of Estonia" because it stands on a peninsula surrounded by sea waters. The city of Haapsalu is located a hundred kilometers from Tallinn, residents of the capital regularly come here to relax, get medical treatment, considering it the best sea, climatic, mud resort in Estonia.
The water in July-August is warmed up to twenty-two degrees, the air temperature is the same, but it often rains here, so the weather is not always lucky. The most visited beach in Haapsalu resort is "African", it is free and sandy. But not because of its snow-white sand, this name went, but because of the deposits of local medicinal mud, rubbing with which, tourists become like the dark-skinned inhabitants of the hot continent. And this mud helps against many different diseases.
Haapsalu has a lot of attractions. Tourists must visit historical part cities, there are concentrated: ancient streets with old wooden houses, the beautiful Town Hall, the Kurzal restaurant on the embankment, with elaborate wood carvings, built in the nineteenth century. It is worth visiting the Okas Museum, Museum of Communications, Epp Maria Gallery, Elon Wonderland. And also, an interesting night life, there are many discos, nightclubs, wine bars in Haapsalu. In summer, the most interesting holidays and festivals take place here.
Parnu resort
It is the largest and most popular Estonian seaside and health resort, with a large number of health resorts, sanatoriums and boarding houses. Pärnu is located in the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea not far from Tallinn. Pärnu has been the “summer capital of Estonia” for half a century. The city has a long history dating back to the thirteenth century. It was under the rule of the Teutonic Order, Sweden, Russia, was occupied by the Germans, damaged during the bombing, but withstood and became only more beautiful and attractive. Pärnu has been known as a resort since 1835, after the construction of the baths. At the end of the war, the tradition of health improvement in this Baltic resort was continued, several huge sanatoriums were erected here: Estonia, Tervis, Rahu, Syprus, many Soviet citizens and members of the government went to them for treatment.
The resort town of Pärnu is located in the south-west of the country, so it is much warmer here than in the northern resorts, shallow water contributes to this, so the water heats up much faster, reaching twenty-three degrees, people swim here since June. Many couples come here, bringing children with them. The eight-kilometer-long Pärnu beach with white sand, gradual entry into the sea water, is superbly groomed.
The resort town is very pleasant, there is a lot of interesting things in the field of history, architecture, culture and art. Holiday-makers must visit the remains of the old defensive fortifications of the seventeenth century - the Tallinn Gate; the beautiful Town Hall, built in 1797; The Red Tower - the surviving part of the castle of the Teutonic Order, built in the fifteenth century, but then destroyed; the Lutheran Baroque Church of Elizabeth and the Orthodox Church of Catherine, built by order of these Russian queens. From museums you can visit: City Museum; Modern Art Museum; House-Museum of Lydia Koidula; Railway Museum. Be sure to stroll through the very lovely Seaside Park with Kurzal, the Alley of Sculptures, a playground for children, look at the Endla Theater, in Concert hall Parny. Children can be taken to the country's largest water park "Tervise Paradiis" or the local mini-zoo, where lizards and snakes live, there is a farm outside the city where alpacas are grown.
Treatment and recreation in the sanatoriums of the Pärnu resort is very popular both among Estonians and visiting guests of the country. The most popular local sanatoriums, where they provide a variety of medical services: Tervise Paradiis, Estonia Medical Spa, Tervis Medical Spa, Wasa, Viiking Spa. You can eat in the best restaurants in the city: "Edelweiss", "Hea Maa", as well as the "Postipoiss" tavern.
Vosu resort
A small seaside settlement belonging to the zone of the Estonian National park Lahemaa. There are no attractions here, but tourists to Võsu are attracted by a magnificent three-kilometer sandy beach surrounded by lush white dunes.
The beach in the Võsu resort is perfect for relaxing with children, it is well equipped, there are lifeguards, sun loungers, showers and toilets, volleyball courts, children's fenced areas for games with swings, slides. In summer, cafes and mini-bars are open here. There is a wi-fi that catches great on the beach.
The prices for accommodation in the hotels of the Võsu resort are low: from one and a half to three thousand Russian rubles per day.
Caberneme resort
A small seaside village, forty kilometers from Tallinn, that is why residents of the capital regularly visit here. This resort is famous for its charming sunsets, as well as wonderful natural panoramas. Resting here is always quiet and very calm.
Caberneme beach stretches for a couple of kilometers, it is decorated with a wide strip of pine trees, where, in summer, vacationers pick blueberries. Children should not be brought here to rest, because the bottom on the beach is rocky, there are no lifeguards, playgrounds, but for adults there are excellent opportunities for water skiing and wakeboarding. The village has a yacht port. In one part of the coast, a rock formation hangs over the beach, the edge of which is lined with boards to make nice pictures and admire the landscape, there are benches here. They also go to the beach in cars, leaving them in a parking lot on the territory of the forest, however, no one is guarding it. Both on the beach and in the forest, it is allowed to make a fire, barbecue.
Spa Laulasmaa
This small but extremely beautiful town not far from the capital attracts with a completely different, serene mode of life. Laulasmaa - stands in the magnificent Baltic bay of Lahepere, attracting tourists with its gorgeous sandy beach, majestic sunrises and sunsets. Its name can be translated "Singing Land", given in honor of the singing dunes.
Couples with children, fans of water sports such as kitesurfing, diving, windsurfing, surfing adore the resort. There are playgrounds on the beach, and there are “health paths” in the forest for long health walks. Go to the Paldiski cliff, Keila-Joa waterfall, and visit the historical manors with a guided tour, go to dance evenings that are organized in the port of Lohusalu. For active pursuits, we recommend going to the local golf center "Niitvälja", where you will be taught how to play golf, or rent a bike and ride in the picturesque surroundings.
Laulasmaa resort is also popular because of its magnificent Laulasmaa Spa And Conference Hotel - a real miniature city with its own wonderful beach, a water park, a bar, play areas for children, attractions, volleyball courts. Renting a room for a day with meals will cost approximately eight thousand Russian rubles.
Paldiski Spa
This city in Gulf of Finland stands on the Pakri peninsula. The settlement was formed in the fourteenth century by the Swedes, but it experienced its growth and rapid development after 1718, according to the decree of the Russian Emperor Peter the Great, the military port of Rogervik was built here, later called Paldiski. The city suffered from the Germans in both world wars. And since the sixties, Paldiski has become a closed city, due to the opening of the center of the atomic submarine fleet of the USSR here, but in 1995, it was again opened for tourists, because Russian warships left it. Over time, the "remnants of the Soviet past" and the town itself gradually withers, and life in it calms down.
Now the resort of Paldiski, the coast of which is extremely beautiful, with picturesque cliffs dropping into the sea abyss and a lovely beach, is only occasionally visited by tourists. They do not stay here for long: the local beach is small, you can swim quite well here, but after spending a lot of time in Paldiski itself, you can frankly fall into depression.
Here you can see the following sights: - Pakri lighthouse - the oldest in the entire Baltic, installed in 1724, but it did not stay long: the sea washes away the rock and soil under this structure; - Remains of the ramparts of the Peter's fortress, which stood here in the eighteenth century; - a beautiful teremok "Museum-studio of the sculptor Amandus Adamson" and a tourist information center in it; - Orthodox Church of St. George, eighteenth century; - a dilapidated manor house of the eighteenth century Leetsee Manor; Pakri Straus ostrich farm; - islands Big and Small Pakri.
Valgeranna resort
A small village on the outskirts of the larger and more popular Estonian resort of Pärnu. The village is famous for its calm, serene relaxation on the Baltic Sea. Although, tourists will not get bored here, because if they want fun, they can easily get to Pärnu. They can usefully spend their vacation time in the local amusement park "Valgeranna Adventure Park" with interesting rides, an obstacle course and several trails that the visitor must follow. Adventure awaits you: passing on a shaky suspension bridge, riding on extreme swings, driving along cable car... And, getting hungry from such physical activity, you can organize a picnic in nature, and then go to sunbathe on the beach and swim in the sea.
Valgeranna beach is very well-groomed and well-equipped, there is a sandy surface, a playground for children, sports and water equipment rental, shops, a bar, a golf course. From the north, the beach is protected from gusty winds by a pine forest. The beach is five hundred meters long, there is a good flat entry into the water and a gradual increase in depth, which is ideal for children.
You can rent a hotel room in the Valgeranna resort by paying from two and a half to four thousand Russian rubles per day.
Kabli resort
It is a quiet Estonian village on the shores of the Baltic in the Gulf of Liivia. Couples and eco-tourists love to relax at the resort. Families with children in Kabli are attracted by an enviable sandy beach and long shallow water, where the water warms up quickly, there is no such thing. high waves... There is a promenade along the beach, where there are shops and cafes that are open only during the swimming season.
Eco-tourists love to relax in Kabli because of the very beautiful local nature, they have a chance to watch birds, their migration route goes here from May to October. The bird watching station is located next to the beach, and there are also places allocated for the installation of tourist tents nearby.
Kuressaare health resort
This main resort on the Estonian island of Saaremaa, which stands in the middle of the Baltic waters of the Gulf of Riga. This seaside and mud-cure resort in terms of tourist attendance may well withstand competition with Tallinn. Families with children and those vacationers who are accustomed not only to lying on the beach and splashing in the sea, but also to learn something new about their place of stay, love to relax here. And there is something to see in Kuressaare: the city is very authentic and picturesque, in the summer months it pleases tourists with numerous festivals, holidays, and fairs.
Among the architectural monuments, you can visit the Episcopal Castle - the main attraction of Estonia, built in the thirteenth century. The castle houses the Museum of the History of the Saarem Island. The castle stands in the middle of the beautiful Kuressaare park, where it is pleasant to walk among the magnificent shrubs and trees brought from different parts of the world. It will be pleasant to walk through the Old Town, admire the wonderful building of the Town Hall, in the northern baroque style, go to the Chamber of Weights and Measures, to the former fire station, look into the Church of St. Lawrence and the Church of St. Nicholas.
The beach of Kuressaare resort attracts families with children because of its long shallow water, thanks to which the water warms up quickly and there are no waves. The beach is covered with white sand, it is always quiet here. A play area with swings, a football and volleyball court are organized for children. The holiday season in Kuressaare starts in June and closes in August.
Tallinn resort
Tallinn is the capital of Estonia and its beautiful city, very ancient with a huge number of unforgettable sights and most interesting places, a mass of spa hotels, mud baths, sanatoriums, beautiful beaches... Tallinn is a seaside and health resort visited by hundreds of thousands of foreigners. It is an atmospheric place with a thousand-year history and stunning medieval sights, concentrated in the territory of the fabulous Old Town, and a special flavor. You should definitely see the Towers "Long Hermann", "Fat Margarita", "Kiek-in-de-Kek", "Kuestera", visit the Gothic Dome Cathedral of Toomkirk, built in the thirteenth century, the building of the Town Hall, the Provincial Court, stroll along the old Tallinn streets with magnificent historic mansions, fifteenth-sixteenth centuries. Tourists must visit the Niguliste Church, Pühavaimu Church, St. Olay Church, the ruins of medieval Cistercian and Dominican monasteries, Kadriorg Park.
Tourist begins beach season in Tallinn in June and ends by the end of August. The sea temperature by mid-June and until mid-August is kept at around twenty degrees, the water of the Baltic is not warmer in Estonian resorts, with few exceptions. Already in the second half of August, it rains more and more often, with each succeeding day it gets colder.
You can rent a hotel in Tallinn from two to three thousand per day, but there are cheaper options - guesthouses, hostels, or more expensive - cottages and luxury villas on the seashore with private landscaped beach areas.
The beaches in Tallinn are very good, large and sandy. Five urban recreation areas have been identified: "Pirita"; "Stroomi"; "Harku"; "Kakumäe"; Pikakari, and four suburban beach areas: Laulasmaa; Lohusalu; "Salmista"; "Caberneeme". On the Pirita beach, the water is usually several degrees warmer than others, it heats up to twenty-three degrees. Sometimes on windy days the water cools down to sixteen to eighteen degrees, despite the sunny weather, and then it is impossible to swim in it, tourists can only sunbathe. But these are the peculiarities of rest at any resort in the Baltic Sea. All the beaches of Tallinn are covered with soft white sand, there are playgrounds, shops, cafes and restaurants, parking lots, surfer clubs, gyms, parking lots, and public transport stops.
The approximate cost of a week's rest in the resort of Tallinn, with a flight from Moscow, living in an apartment in June will cost twenty-five thousand rubles for each tourist.
Charming Estonia offers relaxation on the picturesque Baltic coast and relaxation on the lake shores, a rich "excursion" and treatment at mineral springs. Old Tallinn, resort Pärnu and Saaremaa island - everything about Estonia: visa, map, tours, prices and reviews.
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Rest in Estonia has a number of obvious advantages: proximity to Russia (you can get here in a few hours by bus from St. Petersburg), not too complicated process of obtaining a visa, no language barrier (in large cities almost everyone speaks Russian), high level service. And the Estonian "excursion" is generally beyond praise: it's even amazing how so many sights fit in such a small country. Finally, in the summer you can sunbathe and swim here, and at the same time improve your health.
The whole of Estonia is one big resort: hotels and sanatoriums grow wherever there are suitable conditions. Lovers of quiet and secluded relaxation can have a good rest on the islands, as well as on farms and farms in the Estonian outback. The country's accession to Schengen did not make visa processing a more complicated procedure (however, it did not simplify it), but it opened up the borders of many European countries for its guests.
Regions and resorts of Estonia
Time difference to Moscow
- 1 hour not in summer
- with Kaliningrad
- with Samara
- with Yekaterinburg
- with Omsk
- with Krasnoyarsk
- with Irkutsk
- with Yakutsk
- with Vladivostok
- with Severo-Kurilsk
- with Kamchatka
Climate
The weather in Estonia is subject to the whims of the Baltic. The climate here is temperate, changing from maritime to continental. On the west coast slightly warmer than in the southwest, but in general the temperature difference is insignificant. Winters are most often mild and snowy, but local weather has seven Fridays a week: clear sun can be abruptly replaced by gusty winds and prickly rain. Most of the precipitation falls in autumn, but the umbrella will come in handy at the end of August. Spring is gray and cool, summer is warm, but not stuffy (winds from the Baltic Sea save you from the heat).
Officially, the swimming season lasts from June to August, but it is more comfortable to swim from mid-July: the shallow coastal waters warm up to +20 ... + 25 ° C by this time.
Visa and customs
Estonia is a member state of the Schengen Agreement. Visa and travel medical insurance are required to visit the country.
Import and export of foreign currency is not limited, but amounts over EUR 10,000 must be declared. There are no restrictions on the import of personal items, meat and dairy products are prohibited. You can bring 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco. The customs will allow 1 liter of spirits (with a strength over 22 °) or 2 liters with an alcohol content of less than 22 °, 4 liters of wine and 16 liters of beer. You can take 50 ml of perfume or 250 ml of eau de toilette with you. Medicines - in the amount required for personal use, baby and medical food - up to 2 kg per person (packages must be sealed). The import of drugs, weapons, explosives, pornography and any kind of counterfeit goods is strictly prohibited. Cultural property exported from Estonia must be accompanied by official certificates. Prices on the page are for October 2018.
Tax free
Shopping in Estonia can become 20% more profitable if all the conditions of the system are met Tax free... It is not difficult to do this: it is enough to make purchases in the amount of at least 39 EUR in stores marked with appropriate signs, and ask the seller for two receipts - a regular cashier's and a special one, with a list of purchased goods, indicating the VAT rates and personal data of the buyer. All this will be needed at the customs office at the airport: the unpacked goods will be inspected, the Tax free check will be stamped, and the Global Blue office will issue the required amount in cash or issue a bank transfer.
How to get to Estonia
The largest airport in Estonia, Tallinn, is located within the capital, only 4 km from its historic center... Direct flights from Moscow are carried out only by Aeroflot, departure from Sheremetyevo, in the air you will have to spend 1 hour and 40 minutes. Getting there with one change is a little more profitable: Air Baltic has routes connecting in Riga, the journey duration is from 3 hours 20 minutes. LOT, UTair, Es Seven and other carriers organize flights with two transfers, on the way - from 5.5 hours, connections in Riga, St. Petersburg, Vilnius and other European cities.
There are no direct flights from St. Petersburg to Tallinn. Air Baltic carries via Riga (from 3 hours in the air), Norra and Finnair - via Helsinki (from 7 hours), Scandinavian Airlines - via Stockholm (from 4 hours), LOT - via Warsaw (from 20 hours).
You can also get to the Estonian capital by land. The Baltic Express runs between Moscow and Tallinn, starting from the Leningradsky railway station and following 15.5 hours to the destination. Tickets in a reserved seat - 80 EUR, in a compartment - 95 EUR. You can also take the same train in St. Petersburg, at the Moskovsky railway station: the trip will cost 40 EUR and 50 EUR, respectively. Of both Russian capitals Ecolines buses also go to Tallinn: tickets from Moscow - 55 EUR, from St. Petersburg - 20 EUR, schedule and details - at the office. carrier website.
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To Estonia by car
Estonia can also be reached by car (a little less than 8 hours from St. Petersburg) through the checkpoints of Narva, Pechora and Luhamaa. However, it should be borne in mind that there may be a large queue at the border.
Information about border checkpoints: Pärnu is located at the same distance from the checkpoint of Narva and Kunichnaya Gora (which is near Pskov), but the queue is traditionally much smaller at Kunichnaya Gora. But on the way back, you can book a place in the queue on the GoSwift website. Reservations can be made 90 days in advance. Further, the procedure is simple - you drive up to Narva, go to the "sedimentation tank" (turn right immediately after the first gas station at the entrance to the city, and look for a small sign on your left hand on a concrete fence). As soon as the reservation number is displayed, go to the window, go through the necessary procedures and after that go directly to the checkpoint. Do not forget to take out Green Card insurance in advance.
Transport
The main means of transportation between Estonian cities is the train. The railway network is serviced by Elron (office site), the rolling stock has recently been updated: the seats are now soft, the windows have blackout curtains, and Wi-Fi is available in the carriages. Tickets are sold at the box office and online, and electronic tickets do not need to be printed: special machines read them directly from the display.
A trip from the capital to Tartu will cost from EUR 10.50, to Narva - from EUR 11.40.
Buses serve as an alternative to trains: intercity transport strictly follows the timetable and stops in the centers of all settlements... The largest carriers are Sebe, Lux Express (office site), Simple Express (office site). The cost of a trip from Tallinn to Pärnu is 6-9 EUR, to Haapsalu - 8 EUR.
Ferries run between the many Estonian islands. Ticket prices - from 3-4 EUR depending on the distance, standard surcharge for a car - 10 EUR.
Public transport within cities
Buses run in most Estonian cities, and there are also trolleybuses and trams in the capital. Tickets are sold at kiosks (1 EUR) and from drivers (2 EUR), it is more profitable to purchase reusable electronic cards (from 3 EUR) and top up them with the required amount. By the way, Tallinn residents themselves use public transport for free.
Tourists rarely need taxis in Estonia: most attractions are located within walking distance of each other. Nevertheless, you can always catch a car on the street or call by phone, the average fare for boarding is 2 EUR, for each km - 0.50-1 EUR, at night it is twice as expensive.
Bicycles are rented in specialized salons and large hotels. The first hour of rental costs from 1.60 EUR, each subsequent hour - from 1.40 EUR, a day - from 10 EUR (plus a mandatory deposit - 100 EUR). The trip will turn out to be as intense as possible if you take a brochure with detailed cycling routes from the travel agency.
Rent a Car
If your travel in Estonia is not limited to Tallinn, car rental is a very good solution. In the capital, the old center is given over to pedestrians, the attractions are close to each other. But outside of it there is complete freedom of movement: the roads are good, on large islands cars deliver ferries.
Car rental offices are located at the airport and big cities, the most popular are Alamo, Inter Rent, addCar, Prime Car Rent. Cars are rented to drivers over 19 years old with insurance and international driving license valid for more than a year. Some companies charge additional rates for customers under the age of 25. In addition to the rental fee, you will need to pay a deposit (about 450 EUR) from bank card... The cost of renting a standard car - from 35 EUR, a station wagon - from 40 EUR, a premium model or an SUV - from 70 EUR per day. Gasoline costs 1.10-1.20 EUR per liter; when returning the car, you will have to fill up a full tank.
Fines for traffic violations are severe: from 70 EUR for a call on a mobile phone to 1200 EUR for speeding or drunk driving.
Traffic jams happen only in the capital, where it is most difficult to find a parking space. Most of the parking lots in the centers of large cities are paid, equipped with parking meters. You can leave a car for an hour for 0.60-5 EUR, depending on the area.
Connectivity and Wi-Fi
It is quite profitable to use Estonian SIM cards. The key players in the mobile communications market are Tele2, EMT and Elisa. It is most convenient for tourists to connect the so-called conversational “sim cards” (konekaart), which do not require special formalities to activate. They are sold at gas stations, supermarkets and kiosks of the R-kiosk chain and cost from 2-3 EUR. If you wish, you can pick up an additional package with internet traffic for 4-10 EUR.
Calls to the homeland with the EMT operator will cost 0.50 EUR per minute, Tele2 has a special tariff "Russia" for 5 EUR with 50 included minutes of negotiations during the month.
There are no payphones on the streets of Estonian cities: they were eliminated as unnecessary back in 2010. But there are no problems with the Internet: unlimited free Wi-Fi is available at the airport, restaurants, hotels and many public places in large cities and resorts.
Money
The country's monetary unit is Euro (EUR), in 1 euro 100 euro cents. Current rate: 1 EUR = 68.81 RUB.
It is best to go to Estonia with a euro in your pocket: rubles are changed here, but the exchange rate is not very attractive. Dollars are accepted at all banks and exchange offices Eurex, Tavid and Monex, located everywhere: at the airport, hotels, large shopping malls, at railway stations. The most favorable rates are usually in banks, many exchangers charge a transaction fee.
Tipping is a voluntary matter: an attentive waiter can always be thanked 5-10% of the bill, but no one will blame anyone for paying strictly by check.
Estonian banks are open on weekdays from 9:00 to 18:00, exchangers usually work longer. Some financial institutions are also open on Saturdays (until lunchtime), but Sunday is always a day off. Credit cards common payment systems are accepted both in large stores and in small souvenir shops. There are ATMs even in the provinces, and it is safe to use them: credit card fraud is rare in Estonia.
The Baltic Sea does not claim to be at the top of the list of places for beach recreation, but it also has its admirers. Connoisseurs of discreet northern beauty come to the Baltics, for whom white sand dunes framed by pine groves and pleasant summer warmth are ideal components of a comfortable vacation. On the list of the best beach resorts Vormsi, the town of Narva-Jõesuu and sand dunes are invariably present in Estonia:
- The Pärnu resort has a very long history. It began in the first half of the 19th century, and at that time people came to Pärnu for mud and sea water baths. Today the resort's beach is considered one of the most beautiful in Estonia.
- The sand dunes in Laulasmaa are singing, and everyone who has vacationed in this picturesque Estonian resort confirms this. The beaches of Laulasmaa are very popular with both children and adults. The sand that covers them is especially soft and clean, the entrance to the sea is gentle, and therefore the water warms up already in mid-June. By the way, there is a spa center in Laulasmaa, where guests are offered several different wellness complexes... The arsenal of doctors and cosmetologists includes paraffin and ozokerite procedures, ultrasonic and laser skin rejuvenation and several types of baths.
- The swimming season on Vormsi island begins towards the end of June, when the Baltic waters warm up to + 22 ° С. The sandy beaches and infrastructure of Vormsi are great for family vacation: the entrance to the sea in the resort is shallow, the water is warm and calm, the portions in the cafes and restaurants are generous, the food is prepared from local organic products, and the guest houses are comfortable and comfortable. In addition to sunbathing on the island, you can have a good time on hikes and excursions to local attractions.
- Is another popular summer Estonian resort. Its beaches stretch for as much as seven kilometers and are considered one of the most comfortable and beautiful in the country. The infrastructure of the resort fully meets the needs of vacationers. The coastal strip is equipped with sun umbrellas, changing rooms and sun loungers, hotels are waiting for fans of special comfort and those who are not accustomed to overpaying for a night, and restaurants prepare and serve the best dishes national cuisine and European food. You can come to Narva-Jõesuu with the whole family - playgrounds, sports activities by the water, shopping and excursion programs in the city can make your vacation or vacations exciting and varied.
The Estonian Baltic coast fills up with holidaymakers already at the beginning of summer, but the water temperature in the Baltic Sea reaches optimal comfort values by the end of June. The beaches located within cities and resorts are equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay - changing rooms and toilets, fresh showers and sun loungers. Parking road transport near the beaches will most likely be paid.
Inventory for active entertainment on Estonian beaches are available for rent. You will find water skiing and boats, catamarans and boats, beach soccer and volleyball balls. Some resorts have diving schools, so if you wanted to learn how to dive, you can take your first lessons from professional instructors. The Baltic Sea is not the most scenic, but the opportunities for wreck diving in some of the resorts are quite impressive.
Active rest in Estonia
Despite its small size, the country is full of protected areas, the untouched nature of which becomes the main attraction for active travelers. Popular activities in Estonia include hiking, cycling, birdwatching and birdwatching. national parks.
Vormsi Island is a useful address for those who are used to spending their holidays on the move. On Vormsi there is clean lakes, virgin forests, swamps, which are inhabited by birds listed in the republican Red Data Book. All natural attractions can be seen by following the hiking trails on the island. Vormsi hiking trails are intended for walkers and cyclists, children and adults, sportsmen and amateurs. A beach holiday on the island can also be combined with active sports. Equipment for riding on inflatable rafts and motor boats are offered for rent.
Do you play golf? Estonia is ready to offer you a game on a full-size course in the Laulasmaa resort, which belongs to the Niitvälja golf club. For lovers of golfing agility, there are 18 holes on an emerald green lawn of perfect quality. In Laulasmaa, guests can cycle through the picturesque surroundings, follow the hiking trail along the bank of the local river, explore the abandoned palace and park ensemble Fall and admire the Treppoja waterfalls cascade. If you are fond of wreck diving, one of the best resorts in Estonia will also prove to be quite useful. At the bottom of the Baltic bay off the coast of the village rests a passenger steamer that sank in the middle of the last century.
Divers will also like the island of Osmussaar, the size of which is very small, but extreme and adventure can be found here with interest. Several sunken ships rest in the waters near the island, one of which is a German cruiser of the Second World War. There is also an underwater crater in the sea near Osmussaar, the nature of the origin of which scientists argue. The depth of the formation reaches 80 meters. Fans of observing bird migrations like to make excursions to the island: in spring and autumn, caravans of migratory birds pass over it.
Treatment in the country's resorts
The first sanatoriums and spas appeared in Estonia in the 18th century. Natural and climatic conditions, mineral waters, healing mud of the bottom silt of Estonian lakes and the air saturated with pine phytoncides form the basis of the treatment programs of republican health resorts and beauty centers.
The mineral waters of the resort have been known in the Baltics for the past several decades, but people began to use the mud of the local lake much earlier. The Värska sanatorium successfully treats diseases of the musculoskeletal and musculoskeletal systems. The procedures offered in the sanatorium are also useful for the rehabilitation of patients with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system and respiratory organs. A water center has also been opened in Värska, which is a modern medical and preventive institution with a water park, mud baths, a complex of several types of baths, a spa and massage rooms.
About four dozen wellness treatments in the arsenal of doctors of the spa sanatorium in Narva-Jõesuu, and each of them is developed in accordance with modern medical discoveries and methods. Additional health factors are the fresh air of pine groves, the healing mud of Estonian forest lakes and sea water Baltic. In Narva-Jõesuu, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, nervous and respiratory systems, bones and joints are successfully treated. The hotels of the city have their own spa salons with swimming pools, various saunas, baths and massage rooms.
TOP 5 best resorts in Estonia
A unique feature of Estonian resorts is the opportunity to relax in almost every one of them throughout the year. Regardless of the season, Estonian resorts have something to do for both active tourists and contemplators:
- Pärnu is consistently leading the list of the best and its first positions in the ratings are well deserved. Firstly, the resort has a beautiful sandy beach and all the necessary infrastructure for summer vacation... Secondly, in Pärnu you can conduct a series of treatment procedures, which will help with diseases of the joints, musculoskeletal system, lungs and skin. The spa centers of the resort have modern cosmetic programs performed using organic natural mud, mineral waters and seaweed. Thirdly, Pärnu is not boring. The city is becoming the site of many events - film festivals, music festivals and beach parties.
- The resort is quite small, but it bears the well-deserved title of the Estonian winter capital. There is a training center, which has been engaged in cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping and other winter sports since 1978. In the rest of the seasons in Otepe you will not be bored either. Guests of the resort can go hiking and play volleyball, compete for marksmanship in the shooting range and conquer the gym equipment. Works in the village literary museum and an exposition of old horse-drawn carts was opened, and in Otepiansky natural park there is a chance to observe representatives of rare bird species. In summer, the resort is ready to welcome fans of beach holidays: on the shores of Lake Pühajärv in the vicinity of Otepää there are wonderful recreational areas with all the necessary infrastructure.
- - the largest in Estonia, and its best resort is called. The history of the city dates back to the Middle Ages, and in Kuressaare you can visit ancient buildings and architectural landmarks that were built several centuries ago. The town is open interesting museums, craft workshops with master classes for all comers, and holidays and folklore festivals are held in the park next to the Kuressaare castle. Yet the main reason why tourists go to Kuressaare is sandy beaches with excellent infrastructure. Throughout their length, they are equipped with sun loungers and changing rooms, fresh showers and children's playgrounds. Professional lifeguards monitor the safety of the holidaymakers.
- Looking for an opportunity to relax in peace and meditate in silence? The Toila Resort awaits you at any time of the year. Firstly, it is famous for its thermal baths - a spa, the design of which is reminiscent of ancient Roman baths. The Toy Baths offer a variety of beauty and health treatments: from massage and sauna to salt bath and mud applications. The second indisputable advantage of staying in Toila is a huge number of opportunities for entertainment. In the vicinity of the resort there is the Varivara hiking trail, laid among the canyons and springs, and the former noble estates turned into museum complexes. Not far from Toila, the Alutaguse Adventure Park has been built with bungee jumping, tubing and tourist routes of varying degrees of difficulty. Naturalists will be interested in an excursion to national park... There is a museum in the reserve, the exposition of which is devoted to mineralogy and geology. The inhabitants of the park are typical representatives of the Baltic fauna.
- Adherents of the classics consider the best resort in Estonia - the city where the dull Baltic beauty was enjoyed even in pre-revolutionary times. Then the seaside embankment was built, on which the restaurant and the Kurhaus, decorated with wooden carvings, have survived. In Haapsalu, people have traditionally been treated with sea mud. They act as the main healing factor of local wellness programs today. The resort successfully helps patients with disorders of the musculoskeletal system and dermatological problems. In their free time from wellness procedures, guests of the resort enjoy tasting the best Estonian cuisine in restaurants and cafes and visit the resort attractions that were built several centuries ago.
Rest on best resorts Estonia can always be combined with educational excursions. Transport system country works perfectly and you can go on a trip to the sights of the capital and other cities completely independently. If you prefer to trust the professionals, choose any travel agency in Estonian resorts. Local guides will help you compose interesting route and will undertake the implementation of your most daring idea.
