爱沙尼亚玩乐指南

Tallinn, the capital, has a UNESCO-listed old town of cobbled lanes, towers and guildhouses beneath Toompea hill, topped by the onion domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Outside the walls are the baroque Kadriorg Palace and park, and the creative quarter of Telliskivi. Helsinki lies across the gulf, a couple of hours away by ferry.

Tartu, the university town on the Emajõgi River, has a university dating from 1632, a hill of ruins and a student-led calm. Pärnu is the summer beach resort on the Gulf of Riga, with a long sandy shore, spa tradition and wooden villas. Out at sea, the island of Saaremaa has windmills and a bishop's castle at Kuressaare, and Lahemaa National Park, east of Tallinn, combines bogs, boulders, manor houses and fishing villages.

Black rye bread, smoked fish, sour cream and cured meats make up the traditional table, and kama, a roasted grain flour, is mixed with buttermilk for dessert. Saunas are a part of life, and song festivals gather thousands of singers every five years. Midsummer, around 23 June, brings bonfires, and winter brings snow and Christmas markets.