4 Things to Do in Estonia

Claire — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 20:19:28 +0000

Found in northeast Europe on the fringes of Russia, Estonia is another under-appreciated but beautiful Baltic country. Nature is a big part of life here and much time is spent outdoors. Once you arrive, it’s easy to see why; the landscapes and national parks have avoided interference and are naturally beautiful, just as they should be. The capital city Tallinn with its Old Town, dripping in medieval history, draws in plenty of visitors and you will find a wide selection of things to do elsewhere too. Here’s my pick of 4 things to do in Estonia which will hopefully open your eyes to the potential of a holiday in Estonia.

Discover the Medieval Old Town of Tallinn

A major lure of Tallinn is the fantastically well preserved medieval Old Town. A rabbit warren of twisting cobbled streets flanked by eye catching architectural delights, a trip to the Old Town takes you back to 15th century and beyond. Uncover the church spires dotted amongst the streets and sip a coffee in a half hidden café. There is plenty to see and more to learn during your explorations! A fairy-tale town indeed, the shops, monasteries, museums and restaurants are the icing on the cake.

Tallinn, Estonia by David Pursehouse

Escape it all on Estonia’s Islands

As I mentioned earlier on, the beauty of Estonia is one of its favoured attributes and it extends even further onto the islands which float just off the west coast. Interestingly, there are close to 1,500 with the largest and most visited including Hiiumaa, Kihnu, Ruhnu and Vormsi. Stop at the most popular island, Saaremaa, for a visit to the medieval castle in the island’s only city and be sure to sample the delicious local beer! Life passes at a calm and comfy pace on the islands and you can soak up the beaches and forests with little interruption. Enjoy!

Visit Jagala Waterfall

We’ve all heard of Niagara Falls in North America and even if you haven’t visited, you are likely to have at least some idea as to how impressive it is. Well, Jagala Falls is Estonia’s answer to Niagara Falls. No more than 8 metres tall, it is the width of the waterfall which makes it so striking, spanning more than 50 metres across. Only 4km from the mouth, the waterfall is found in the lower course of the Jagala River in northern Estonia. It’s an attraction that can be visited for free throughout the year and is an ideal spot for a summer picnic but the best time to visit is definitely in winter when it is covered in ice and takes on a completely different, and somewhat mystical, appearance! Pick up one of the many rental cars in Estonia and see for yourself!

Jagala Waterfall, Estonia by Aigars Mahinovs

Jam out at a Music Festival

Estonians love their music, there’s more than enough evidence of this fact from a glance at their annual summer festival calendar! Celebrating all types of music from around the world, no matter what your taste you will likely find an event to get your feet tapping. Plan your trip to Estonia to coincide with Ollesummer Festival, a 4 day event held in Tallinn in July which features a variety of musicians and artists; it’s an event not to be missed. For something a bit more authentic, head to the town of Viljandi in south Estonia for its annual Folk Music Festival. Rest assured that there are plenty more to choose from!

So, there you have it; a taste of the opportunities that Estonia has to offer. Whatever you are after from a holiday, you will probably be able to find it here and the best part is that you won’t have to share it with thousands of other people!

Bio: Kerri Ware is a travel blogger and writes for EconomyCarHire.com, a car hire broker offering great price car hire in Estonia. Follow us on Twitter @economycarhire.

The post 4 Things to Do in Estonia appeared first on Europe Explored.

Geographical midpoint of Europe and European Union

Claire — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:32:07 +0000

It is quite hard to determine where is the midpoint of Europe – it depends on the boundaries estimation of Europe that are changing from time to time. Several calculations exist and there are several suggested places as the midpoint of Europe.

Since the last re-estimation in 1989, the official Geographic Centre of Europe is according to Jean-George Affholder, a scientist at the Institut Géographique National (French National Geographic Institute), in Lithuania, 26 kilometres north of the capital city, Vilnius, near the village of Purnuškės (Bernotai).

Centre of Europe by Palmerop at the English language Wikipedia

But there are more different locations that are still fighting for being the midpoint of Europe:

the small town of Rakhiv, or the village of Dilove near Rakhiv, in western Ukraine
Bernotai, or Purnuškės, near Vilnius, in Lithuania
a point on the island of Saaremaa in Estonia
the village of Krahule, near Kremnica, in central Slovakia
Suchowola, north of Białystok, in northeast Poland; and Toruń, in north-central Poland
a point near Polotsk in Belarus
s memorial near Tállya, Hungary

The geographical center of European Union is changing as well along with the growing of European Union. Here are the centers of European Union:

12 members: In 1987 – the middle of France, in the village of Saint-André-le-Coq, département of Puy-de-Dôme, région of Auvergne, and next was shifted after the reunification of Germany in 1990 some 25 km north-eastward, to the place called Noireterre in the village of Saint-Clément , département of Allier, the same région of Auvergne. A small monument commemorating the latter discovery still exists in Saint Clément.
15 members: (1995–2004) – Viroinval, Belgium, a monument there records that finding.
25 members: (2004–2007), in the village of Kleinmaischeid, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
27 members: Since January 1, 2007, with the inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union, a wheat field outside of the German town of Gelnhausen, in Hesse, 115 km east of the previous marker