Questions About Estonia: The Definitive Guide
An Antipodean travel company serving world travellers since 1983
Questions About Estonia for senior travellers.
Odyssey Traveller specialises in crafting unforgettable experiences for senior and mature-aged travellers interested in learning either as couple or solo travellers. Providing adventure and educational programs to escorted small group tours since 1983. Odyssey has built up a reasonable knowledge bank to answer questions about Estonia that travellers are likely to ask, as they make their plans to tour independently, or with us as part of a small group tour. We hope that this list of frequently asked questions and the answers we provide will help you with planning your next holiday.
Read on, but please do not hesitate to contact us via the website, or through email or chat if you have more questions about Estonia or our other tours.
FAQs
Estonia is one of the three states (the others being Latvia and Lithuania) known as the ‘Baltics‘, thanks to the fact that they are surrounded by the Baltic Sea to the west and north. Located in north-central Europe, the Baltics are at the crossroads between Scandinavia, Germany, Poland and Russia. The three states share many cultural and historic similarities, yet each has a distinct history and atmosphere.
Estonia is the northernmost Baltic country and the most Scandinavian in vibe. Located just 80 kilometres from Helsinki, Estonia and Finland share many cultural similarities, and many in Estonia identify as Nordic.
More than two thirds of the population speak Estonian as their first language. Estonian is part of the Uralic language group, one of only four languages spoken in Europe (along with Finnish, Hungarian and Maltese) that are not part of the Indo-European language family. In particular, it is closely related to Finnish. By contrast, Latvian and Lithuanian are part of the Baltic sub-group, and are closely related to the Slavic languages.
A significant minority of older Estonians speak Russian as a first or second language, thanks to Estonia’s long period of Russian and then Soviet rule. Many young people, especially in Tallinn, speak English as a second language, meaning that travellers should find themselves able to communicate easily.
The abolition of serfdom meant that the Estonian people were able to develop an ethnic and national consciousness. Improvements in education were rapid, and by 1886 98 percent of Estonian national army recruits were able to read.
In what is known as the ‘Estonian national awakening’, Estonian people were encouraged to take pride in their folk culture and language. Estonian theatre and song were performed publicly and the national epic, Kalevipoeg, was published in 1862.
Following the end of World War I, Estonia declared independence, but the new Soviet Union did not accept this. The Red Army invaded Estonia in 1918. With support from France and Britain, Estonia was able to defend itself, and an independent state was established in 1920 for the first time.
However, the new state, always weak, was greatly affected by the Great Depression. In 1934, Estonia fell to the authoritarian control of the former nationalist leader Konstantin Päts.
The history of Estonia is one of an over 800 year struggle against rule by outside invaders. Ancient Estonians probably lived a nomadic existence and practiced a local form of paganism. They had encounters with the Vikings, who were more interested in developing trade routes with Russia than in conquering the Baltics.
The first invasion of the Baltics came in the 13th century. The people of the Baltics had remained resolutely pagan into the Middle Ages, when the rest of Europe had long-ago converted to Christianity. Following Papal calls for a crusade against the ‘heathens to the north’, Danish and German knights invaded southern Estonia, taking control of the region in 1219.
For the next few centuries, Estonia was ruled by Denmark in the north and the German Teutonic Order in the south. In 1346, the Danish crown sold its sovereignty over northern Estonia to the Teutonic Order, who ruled for the next five centuries. The Germans dominated the government and church, while Estonians and Latvians became the serfs of their conquerors, tied to the land and required to work for the lord of the manor. Though Estonia became formally Christian, many ethnically Estonian people continued to practice nature worship and pagan rites for weddings and funerals, though this became increasingly integrated with Catholicism by the 14th century.
On the dissolution of the Teutonic Order in 1561, Estonia and Latvia came under the control of a succession of outside monarchies: Poland-Lithuania, Sweden and finally Russia. While under Swedish rule the lot of the peasants improved, leading to folk memory of the ‘good old Swedish period’, under Russia a particularly brutal form of serfdom – which affected virtually all of the Estonian people – was reinforced.
Finally, in 1804, Estonian peasants were granted the rights of private property and inheritance, and serfdom was formally abolished in 1816 and 1819.
If you’re visiting Estonia, make sure to spend some time in the quaint capital, Tallinn, home to a fairy-tale Old Town. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Tallinn’s Old Town was built between the 13th and 16th centuries, and reflects the city’s history as a prosperous Baltic Sea trading port. Make sure to visit the Dome Cathedral, the Town Hall, and the fascinating Estonian Open Air Museum where a traditional rural village has been recreated.
Outside of the Old Town, the neighbourhood of Kalamaja is worth visiting for an experience of modern Estonia. An industrial zone during the Soviet-era, Kalamaja is now home to trendy shops and art galleries and is the epicentre of Tallinn’s emerging foodie scene.
Though many visitors to Estonia focus only on Tallinn, the rest of the country has a lot to offer. The neo-classical university town of Tartu is a rival of Tallinn for charm – without the crowds.
The atmospheric ruins of Rakvere Castle, to the east of Tallinn, play host to historic reconstructions of 16th century life.
Nor is Estonia’s natural environment to be sneered at. With over 2000 islands, Estonia has an extensive and attractive coastline. Lahemaa National Park, known as the ‘Land of Bays’, is a hinterland of forests, lakes, rivers and bays, perfect for summer exploration.
For more tips about what to see and do in Estonia, we encourage you to read our previous Guide to the Baltic States.
Estonia is part of the European Common Currency Area, and thus uses the Euro.
The mildest weather is in the summer, between May and September, though July and August can get very busy in Tallinn. Reflecting this, Odyssey Traveller’s Tour of the Baltics leaves in May and September/October each year, allowing you to explore in pleasant weather yet avoid the summer crowds.
Most visitors come to Estonia as part of a broader tour of Europe or the Baltic States. If you’re interested in visiting Estonia, why not join Odyssey’s Tour of the Baltics?
The tour begins in Berlin and ends in St. Petersburg, weaving its way through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (with a visit to Helsinki) so that you can get a holistic view of this fascinating and diverse region – and the outside forces that have shaped it for so long. Odyssey Tours are led by local experts, allowing you to get a culturally authentic experience, and are geared towards mature and senior travellers, both couples and solo travellers.