11 Days Highlights of Estonia

About the destination: One of Europe’s most charming cities, Tallinn is a perfect mixture of medieval and modern, with its narrow cobbled lanes filled with baroque architecture, and its wild nightlife. Estonia's capital city has been dubbed the ‘New Prague’ but this city stands out on its own. The World Heritage-listed Old Town has plenty of distractions for even the most exigent traveler. Best explored on foot, Tallinn’s evocative Old Town is replete with castles, Russian Orthodox churches and Dominican monasteries. These historic gems share the streets with old merchant houses and medieval meeting halls where visitors can witness locals displaying centuries-old artisan traditions of glassblowing, weaving and pottery, and, why not, take a peculiar souvenir back home. At night the Old Town transforms. Inside its ancient walls travelers will be able to party in steamy nightclubs, slinky lounges, expat bars and colourful gay clubs until the early hours of the morning. Outside the medieval quarters, there's lots to see. On the fringes of the old borough a new district is emerging, with gleaming new hotels, offices and plenty of restaurants, cafés, boutiques and nightclubs. Anyone arriving in Tallinn with the idea of an old Soviet Bloc grey city will be as surprised by this new skyline as they will be by the charming old core. Tallinn is proud of its old soul but it is also fashion forward, vibrant, colorful, cultural and wild.

About the destination: Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia and Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual centre of the country, especially since it is home to the nation's oldest and most renowned university, the University of Tartu. The city also houses the Supreme Court of Estonia and the Ministry of Education and Research. MAIN TOURISTS ATTRACTION • Main building of the University of Tartu. • Old Town. • Town Hall Square. • Soup Neighborhood. Neighborhood where all of the streets are named after soup ingredients. • Former Soviet Airfield. • Ahhaa science center.

About the destination: Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Livonia in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Old town with buildings even from medieval times • Beautiful wooden villas • Beach park and promenade • Pärnu, Lydia Koidula and Modern Art Museum and City gallery • Pärnu Town Hall. In 1804, the Russian czar Alexander I stayed in this house during his visit to Pärnu. A new art nouveau building with neo-baroque details was completed in 1911 to the north side of the town hall. • Church of Jekaterina. Completed in 1768, the Church of Jekaterina is the most style pure and ample baroque church in Estonia. The church has influenced the development of orthodox church architecture in whole Balticum. • Seegi Maja. That is known to be the oldest building in Pärnu. It was built in 1658 on the remains of the old almshouse of the Holy Spirit's Church as a shelter to the sick and the cripples. Based on research on the wooden raft under the basement of the building, the old almshouse dates back to 1250-1350. • Statue of Raimond Valgre. The musician Raimond Valgre who brought the town a lot of fame, can today be found sitting in the park near Kuursaal, as a bronze statue. • Eliisabet's Church. Inaugurated in 1750, is the most outstanding sacral building of the Baroque period in Estonia. One of the best organs in Estonia is in Eliisabet's Church and the place is popular as a concert hall among music lovers.

About the destination: Narva is the only location in Estonia that offers an unobstructed view of Estonia’s neighbour Russia. The Hermann Fortress, which looks across the Narva River to the Russian castle on the other side, is the best-preserved castle in Estonia. Narva is largely populated by Russian language speakers and the city has fine examples of Soviet architecture.