The what? Yeah, I know, almost no one (outside of Europe) has heard of the Baltics or knows where they are. To be honest, I used to mix up the Baltics with the Balkans all the time. I began to keep them straight after having visited both regions in 2017. But isn’t so hard to remember: The Baltics are three formerly Soviet countries located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. See? We can remember that.
But three tiny formerly-belonging-to-Russia countries…could there possibly be three weeks’ worth of things to see? ABSOLUTELY! I spent three weeks there one summer and wished for more time! Once you start your journey, you’ll keep finding out about more and more things you’ll want to visit.
Week 1: Estonia
Tallinn
Whether you take the short ferry ride over from Helsinki (which may or may not be worth visiting) or fly into Tallinn airport, you will most certainly not be disappointed by Estonia’s capital city. The UNESCO protected old town is quite possibly the most enchanting old town I have ever visited. There’s a medieval wall you can even walk on top of in certain parts and tons of church towers to climb. If you’re able to get the “like a local” map DEFINITELY GET IT! It has tons of cool suggestions and places to eat. My hostel had them and as well as one for Vilnius, Lithuania, which I wish I had grabbed because I didn’t find it again later.
After spending about a day in the old town, check out Telliskivi City, a trendy up-and-coming area of town. Make sure to stroll through the flea market if you’re lucky enough to be there on Sunday. Complete your visit of Tallinn with a few hours at Seaplane Harbour, a nautical museum dedicated to boats in an old airplane hangar. There are so many interactive exhibits and boats to check out, it’ll bring out the kid in you for sure!
Lahemaa National Park
While in Tallinn, you should not miss out on an excursion to Lahemaa National Park. The park is enormous and there are a ton of neat things to see in it, so I would recommend going with a guide. Even if you rent a car, you’d need to know what things you want to see. I went with Victor, a private tour guide who is super knowledgeable on all things Estonian. The tours vary depending on what everyone wants to see – not to worry, the group size is small (4 to 7 people!), making the tour very personal and fun.
Tartu
Next, I went on to Tartu, an old university city with really cool ruins of a cathedral turned library/museum. The city is adorable, but would be livelier when it’s NOT summer vacation. It was a quiet, peaceful city, but I would imagine more interesting and bustling when classes are in session.
On my own Estonia tour, I passed through Viljandi for a day on my way to Pärnu. But if I were to do it again, I would go to Haapsalu (I heard it was really nice) from Tallinn, then to Pärnu and finish in Tartu. Viljandi can be visited in just an afternoon, and that includes walking 12 kilometers around the beautiful lake and a jaunt through the castle ruins.
Finally, if the weather is good, spend a couple of days lounging on the beach in front of the fancy hotels in Pärnu. Even in July, the wind was chilly on the beach. Most people show up for a few hours in the afternoon when the sun is strongest instead of making it an all-day affair. In case of rain, there are a few interesting sights in the cutesy town center.
Tallinn is clearly Estonia’s shining star and rightfully so. With extra time, I would definitely spend it in Tallinn as you can easily find things to do or just enjoy wandering in the old town and around. Another option would be to spend multiple days in Lahemaa either camping or staying in one of the coastal towns.
Traveling through more of the Baltics? Be sure to check out Week 2: Latvia and Week 3: Lithuania – coming soon!