Things to do in Estonia
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Kompressor
Eat one of the enormous, stuffed pancakes and you'll be full for the rest of the day. The large hall and casual atmosphere make it a great hang-out too; the big tables make it easy to chat up locals.
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Olde Hansa
If you'll splurge just once in Tallinn, here's where to do it. This medieval-themed restaurant (more authentic than kitsch!) boasts first and foremost the most ebullient and friendly service in the city, plus exotic meats (elk, wild boar) and homemade delights like juniper cheese and honey beer. It's a fun atmosphere inside or out on the terrace, and the food and its creative presentation is always first-rate.
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Toomemägi (Cathedral Hill)
Rising behind the Town Hall, Toomemägi is a splendidly landscaped park, with walking paths meandering through the trees. This hill is the reason for Tartu's existence, functioning on and off as a stronghold from around the 5th or 6th century. Atop the hill is the imposing Gothic cathedral Toomkirik (dome church) built by German knights in the 13th century.
The cathedral was rebuilt in the 15th century, despoiled during the Reformation in 1525, used as a barn, and partly rebuilt in 1804-07 to house the university library, which is now the Museum of University History. Inside you'll find a reconstructed autopsy chamber and other exhibits chronicling student life.
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Student's Lock-Up
The Student's Lock-Up is fascinating; it's where 19th-century students were held in solitary confinement for various infractions. Back then, if you failed to return library books on time, you'd net two days in the attic; insulting a lady, four days; insulting a (more sensitive?) cloakroom attendant, five days; duelling, up to three weeks. Today one of these rather comfy rooms, with walls covered in original graffiti, is open for viewing.
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Town Hall
Raekoja plats (Town Hall Square) is dominated by the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe (constructed in the early 14th century, reconstruction 1402-04). Old Thomas, Tallinn's symbol and guardsman, has been keeping watch from his perch on the weathervane atop Town Hall since 1530. You can also climb the building's tower (11:00-18:00 Jun-Sep; adult/student around KR25/EEK15).
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St John's Church
North of the university, on the continuation of Ülikooli, stands the magnificent St John's Church. This brick church dates back to at least 1323, and is unique for its rare terracotta sculptures in niches around the main portal. It lay in ruins following the Soviet bombing raid in 1944. Today it is once again open - after 16 years of renovation.
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Toy Museum
Set in one of Tartu's oldest buildings (dating back to the 1770s), the Toy Museum is a big hit with the under-eight crowd. Dolls, model trains, rocking horses, toy soldiers and tons of other toys on display date back 100 years. If all those unobtainable toys have unearthed your inner child, there's a playroom upstairs for more hands-on activity.
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Café Wilde
This richly decorated place serves good coffees, decadent homemade cakes and light sandwiches. Its namesake is Peter Ernst Wilde, who opened a publishing house on the premises in the 18th century, though the pub also pays tribute to two literary Wildes: Oscar Wilde and Eduard Wilde. For heartier dining (and drinking) head to the upstairs pub.
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Vanaema Juures
Vanaema Juures (Grandma's Place) was one of Tallinn's most stylish restaurants in the 1930s and still ranks as a top choice for Estonian fare. The antique-set dining room is slightly formal and the menu, whilst specialising in authentic dishes such as pigs' trotters, has plenty of options (even for vegetarians).
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Voskresensky Cathedral
The Russian Orthodox Voskresensky Cathedral, built in 1898, is situated north of the train station. On the square in front of the train station is a monument to the Estonians who were loaded into cattle wagons here and deported to Siberia in 1941.
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La Dolce Vita
Thin-crust pizzas come straight from the wood-burning oven at this charming pizzeria. You'll also find pastas, salads and classic but casual décor (red-and-white checked tablecloths, Fellini posters). There's a patio at the back.
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Narva Castle
The imposing Narva Castle is an absolute must-visit. Built by the Danes at the end of the 13th century, it faces Russia's matching Ivangorod Fortress across the river, creating an architectural ensemble unique to Europe.
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Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
The still-active 19th-century Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral dominates Lossi plats at the top of Pikk jalg, sited strategically across from Toompea Castle, Estonia's traditional seat of power.
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Town Museum
Restored after damage during WWII, Narva Castle houses the Town Museum and the castle grounds are the refuge of Narva's statue of Lenin - the only fully intact one left in the Baltics.
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Ranna Café
Overlooking the beach, this handsome new three-storey café boasts several outdoor terraces and a laid-back ambience perfect for sipping cocktails at sunset.
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Jazz Café
A bit disappointing for jazz-lovers, this indoor-outdoor café still makes a lively spot for a drink. Live performances most Fridays.
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Observatory
Atop Cathedral Hill is the old Observatory, set in a grand 1810 building. It's open by appointment, so phone ahead.
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Old Town Hall
North of the castle, the baroque Old Town Hall, built between 1668 and 1671, is impressive.
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Naissaar
Naissaar, at 44 sq km, has a lively history, thick forests (covering 85% of the island), and even a boulder with a circumference of nearly 27m! There's a 19th-century cemetery for English sailors from the Crimean and Russo-Swedish wars, which attests to the island's military history.
In fact, Naissaar has been a bulwark for defending the capital since the Great Northern War. A railway was even built before WWI for a speedier build-up of armaments. Curiously, from 1917 to 1918, tsarist troops took the island and tried to form their own government. Soviet military traces remain (the island was closed until 1995), with an old army village, gun batteries, empty mines and…
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Toomkirik
Estonia's oldest church, Dome Church (Toomkirik) was founded in the early 13th century by the earliest Danish conquerors of the region. It stands on Toompea hill which, with its fine views over the town and harbour, became the birthplace of Tallinn when the German Knights of the Sword built a fortress here around 1230.
Incidentally, the hill is also sacred to native Estonians, who consider it the legendary burial mound of Kalev, the heroic first leader of the Estonians. Although the site of the church was first consecrated in 1240, the edifice of this magnificent Lutheran cathedral church dates from the 15th and 17th centuries, with the tower added in 1779.
Among other…
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Võporzova and Tonja
Võporzova and Tonja, a few kilometres north of Värska on the west side of Värska Bay, are classic Setu villages. In Võporzova there's a monument to folk singer Anne Vabarna, who knew 100,000 verses by heart. Võporzova homesteads typically consist of a ring of outer buildings around an inner yard, while Tonja's houses face the lake from which its people get their livelihood.
Traditional Setu holidays are still celebrated. The biggest feast of the year, Lady Day, falls on 28 August (though it is celebrated only in Pechory), close to which the Day of the Setu Kingdom is held. The Day of Setu Lace is 1 March and midsummer celebrations are held on 6 July in accordance…
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Pühajärv
The islets and indented shore of 3.5km-long Pühajärv, on the southwest edge of Otepää, provide some of the area's loveliest views. A 12km nature trail and a bike path encircle the lake, making it a lovely spot for a walk. The lake was blessed by the Dalai Lama when he came to Tartu in 1992, and a monument on the eastern shore commemorates his visit.
According to legend, Pühajärv was formed from the tears of the mothers who lost their sons in a battle of the Kalevipoeg epic. Its islands are said to be their burial mounds. Major midsummer St John's Day (Jaanipäev) festivities take place here every year. If energy levels are low after the walk to the lake, recharge at…
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Rakvere Castle
Rakvere's star attraction, Rakvere Castle was built by the Danish in the 14th century, though the hillside has served many masters over its 700 years: Danes, Russians, Swedes and Poles. The fortress was badly damaged in the battles of the 16th and 17th centuries and later turned into an elaborate manor in the late 1600s.
Extensive reconstruction was completed in 2004, and today the castle contains exhibits related to its medieval history with medieval-style amusement that's aimed mostly towards small children (make a candle, make a nail at the blacksmiths, pony rides), though the adults can try their hand at archery. Don't miss the medieval torture chamber. Concerts and…
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Bishop's Castle
Haapsalu's unpolished gem is the 13th-century Bishop's Castle. Today the fortress stands in partial but very picturesque ruins. A turreted tower, most of the outer wall and some of the moat remain. To learn about the castle's history and see some dramatically displayed cassocks and medieval weaponry, don't miss the museum and dome church. The church is actually a Roman-Gothic cathedral, with three inner domes - the largest such structure in the Baltics - and its acoustics are phenomenal.
The cathedral was not strictly Roman Catholic from the start, due to the lukewarm welcome Christianity received in these parts. It was assimilated into the Episcopal stronghold in the…
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Palmse Manor
The restored Palmse Manor and park at Palmse, 8km north of Viitna, is the showpiece of Lahemaa. In the 13th century a Cistercian monastery occupied the land, and it was later developed as a private estate by a Baltic-German family (the von der Pahlens) who ran the property from 1677 until 1923 (when it was expropriated by the state).
Fully restored to its former glory, the manor house, dating from the 1780s, contains period furniture and fittings. Other estate buildings have also been restored and put to new use: the ait (storage room) is a summer exhibition hall; the viinavabrik (distillery) houses a hotel and restaurant; the kavaleride maja (house of Cavaliers), once a…
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