Berlin is a city where families will feel welcome.
21.07.2023 - 07:37 / roughguides.com
Visitors to Estonia will encounter a mix of urbanity and wilderness, the medieval and contemporary. Here one will find crumbling castles and colourful designs permeating urban landscapes. An efficient transport system makes it easy to get around, and the tech-savvy, dynamic residents welcome visitors with open arms. Estonia is also one of the most budget-friendly destinations in Europe. Here's our pick of the best things to do in Estonia.
The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget , your essential guide for visiting Europe.
Visiting the island of Saaremaa, off the west coast of Estonia, is claimed by many to be one of the most authentic things to do in Estonia. Buses from Tallinn, Tartu and Pärnu come here via a ferry running from the mainland village of Virtsu to Muhu Island, which is linked to Saaremaa by a causeway.
The principal attractions are Kuressaare’s thirteenth-century castle, one of the finest in the Baltic region, and Kaali village, home to a giant Kaali meteorite crater thought to be at least 4000 years old, which makes a worthy detour.
Aerial view of Saaremaa city with the Kuressaare castle in the middle © Nordic Moonlight/Shutterstock
Tallinn, Estonia’s compact, buzzing capital, with its enchanting heart surrounded by medieval walls, has been shaped by nearly a millennium of outside influence. The heart of Tallinn is the Old Town, still largely enclosed by the city’s medieval walls. At its centre is the Raekoja plats, the historic marketplace, above which looms Toompea Hill, the stronghold of the German knights who controlled the city during the Middle Ages.
Raekoja Plats — the cobbled market square at the heart of the Old Town — is as old as the city itself. On its southern side stands the fifteenth-century Tallinn Town Hall (Raekoda). It boasts elegant Gothic arches at ground level, and a delicate steeple at its northern end. At the head of Lossi Plats the pink Toompea Castle stands on the site of the original Danish fortification. The building is now home to the Riigikogu, Estonia’s parliament.
Exploring Tallinn's Old Town — one of the best things to do in Estonia © ESB Professional/Shutterstock
The Old Town is the tourists’ favourite part of Tallinn, but at weekends the locals wander in the parks on the east side of Tallinn Bay. The best-loved of these is Kadriorg Park, a name synonymous with affluence, nature and, most of all, tranquillity. Most of it remains a wooded, informal park, planted with lime, oak, ash, birch and chestnut trees and punctuated by open fields.
Among the more developed exceptions are the large rectangular Swan Pond with fountains and a beautiful white gazebo, which provide a fittingly romantic introduction to the park.
Berlin is a city where families will feel welcome.
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