This small country welcomes you with unspoilt nature, rich traditions and history as well as modern entertainment facilities.
Estonia is a diverse country that ought to suit the taste of even the most pretentious visitor. There are ancient defensive walls, medieval fortresses and cobbled streets coupled with leafy parks, romantic coasts, deep forests, sandy beaches, wooden windmills, modern hotels, luxury restaurants and tourist farms.
Location:
Estonia lies along the Baltic Sea, just below Finland. Tallinn, Estonia’s capital city is only about 40 miles south of Helsinki, across the Gulf of Finland. Sweden is Estonia's western neighbour across the Baltic. Russia is to the east, with St. Petersburg just across the north-eastern border. To the south is Latvia with its capital city Riga. You can depart from Tallinn's international airport and in less than two hours be in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Riga, Moscow, St. Petersburg, or Vilnius.
Climate:
The climate in Estonia is temperate, characterised by warm summers and fairly severe winters. The weather is often breezy and humid due to the proximity of the Baltic Sea. Average temperatures range from 20.9° C in summer (usually July is the hottest month) to - 8°C in winter. Although occasionally the temperature may rise to 30°C and above in summer or sink below - 23°C in winter, it is very usual at our latitude. Bring your umbrella and a light raincoat in case of occasional showers.
Money:
The national currency of Estonia is called the Kroon and was introduced on 20 June 1992. The Kroon is abbreviated as EEK. The smaller unit is called the Sent, 1 kroon = 100 sents. The kroon is pegged to the EURO at 1 EUR = appr. 15.65 EEK. Foreign currencies can be easily exchanged in banks and exchange offices. There are exchange offices in several hotels, in the port of Tallinn, at the airport, the railway station and many other places.
Banks are open from Monday to Friday between 9.00 and 16.00. Most banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Currency exchange offices are open from Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00 hours; on Saturdays from 09.00 to 15.00 hours. Some are also open on Sundays.
Cuisine:
Traditional Estonian food has its roots firmly in the countryside, relying heavily on pork, potatoes and garden variety vegetables. The main culinary influences were from Germans, who ruled over Estonia for so many centuries. The Estonian restaurant scene is now amazingly diverse, especially in Tallinn. There are Indian, Tex-Mex, Thai and Georgian restaurants, as well as Hungarian, Japanese, Chinese and Greek ones.
Tipping:
Hasn't yet developed into an exact science here in Estonia, so many visitors end up following the tipping custom of their home country. Reservations are recommended for better restaurants, especially for Friday and Saturday evenings.
Tipping: Tips generally aren’t included on bills and tipping is only now gaining popularity in the country. If you feel the service merits a tip, 10% is seen as the customary amount to leave.
Language:
A number of people in Estonia speak English, but also Finnish, German, and Russian, so do not be afraid to ask for directions or help in a foreign language
Electricity and plug converters:
The electricity supply in Estonia is 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs are in use.
Local Time:
Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +2 hours
Opening hours:
Most shops are open between 09.00 and 19.00 on weekdays and shorter at the weekends. You can also find some shops, which are open until 23.00, some are even 24 hours.
Holidays:
Banks, offices and shops are closed on the following public holidays:
1 January New Year's Day
24 February Independence Day
March/April Good Friday
1 May May Day
May/June Whitsun
23 June Victory Day
24 June Midsummer's Day
20 August Re-Independence Day
25 December Christmas Day
26 December Boxing Day
