Estonia tourist information

Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northeastern Europe. Estonia has land borders with Baltic country Latvia (339 km) to the south and Russia (229 km) to the east. It is separated from Finland in the north by the narrow Gulf of Finland and from Sweden in the west by the middle part of the Baltic Sea. Its coastline is 3794 km long. Estonia has been a member state of the European Union since 1st May 2004.

Places to go in Estonia ...

Kuressaare Parnu Tallinn

Estonia lies on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea on the level northwestern part of the rising east European platform between 57.3° and 59.5° N and 21.5° and 28.1° E. Average elevation reaches only 50 metres (164 ft), and the country's highest point is the Suur Munamägi in the southeast at 318 metres (1,043 ft).

Oil shale (or kukersite) and limestone deposits, along with forests which cover 47% of the land, play key economic roles in this generally resource-poor country. Estonia boasts over 1,400 lakes (most very small, with the largest, Lake Peipus, (Peipsi in Estonian) being 3555 km²; 1372 sq. mi), numerous bogs, and 3794 kilometers (2,357 mi) of coastline marked by numerous bays, straits, and inlets. The number of islands and islets is estimated at some 1,500, with two of them large enough to constitute their own counties, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa.

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Cuisine ^*

Historically Estonian Cuisine has been simple peasant food, which today is influenced by many countries. Today it includes many typical international foods. The most typical foods in Estonia are black bread, pork, potatoes and milk-related products. Estonian food preference have historically depended heavily on seasons.

Seasons

Summer and Spring - Traditionally in summer and spring, Estonians like to eat everything fresh - berries, herbs, vegetables and everything else that comes straight from the garden. Hunting and fishing have also been very common, although nowadays hunting and fishing are more of popular hobbies. Today it is also very popular to grill outside in summer.
Winter and Christmas - Traditionally in winter jams, preserves and pickles are brought to the table. Estonia has been through rough times in the past and thus gathering and conserving fruits, mushrooms and vegetables for winter has always been essential. Today gathering and conserving is not that common because everything can be bought from stores, but preparing food for winter is still very popular in countryside and still has somewhat ritual significance. Estonians have often considered blood sausage (verivorst), jellied meat (sult) and sauerkraut "typical Estonian foods", but nowadays those are mostly are eaten at Christmas. Also, typical sweets of Christmas are apples, mandarins and gingerbread.
Black Bread - Black rye bread accompanies almost every food in Estonia. Instead of wishing "bon appetite" Estonians sometimes say jatku leiba ("may your bread last"). Historically, the bread has had almost sacred status - if a piece of bread was dropped on the floor, it had to be kissed after picking up. If Estonians go abroad they often say that they miss black bread the most.

Fish
Being a country with large coastal line, fish has also been very important. Estonia has national fish, raim (Baltic small herring). Sprat, flounder and perch are also popular.

Drinks
Most typical drink is milk. Traditionally popular drink is also kali. Estonians are also proud of their beer.

Desserts
Specific desserts include kissel, curd snack and kama. Of pastries, rhubarb pies have been popular.

Other foods
Other specific popular foods include cottage cheese and head cheese.

Transportation

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History After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940, it regained its freedom in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Terrain Marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south.

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Languages Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, other

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Religion Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Word of Life, Jewish

Ethnic Groups Estonian 65.3%, Russian 28.1%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Belarusian 1.5%, Finn 1%, other 1.6% (1998)