About Estonia

Estonia is a low, flat country covering 45,226 square kilometers. It is about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. Estonia has a long, shallow coastline (1,393 kilometers) along the Baltic Sea, with 1,520 islands dotting the shore.

The two largest islands are Saaremaa (literally, island land), at 2,673 square kilometers, and Hiiumaa, at 989 square kilometers. The two islands are favorite Estonian vacation spots. The country’s highest point, Suur Munamägi (Egg Mountain), is in the hilly southeast and reaches 318 meters above sea level. Estonia is covered by about 1.8 million hectares of forest. Arable land amounts to about 926,000 hectares. Meadows cover about 252,000 hectares, and pastureland covers about 181,000 hectares. There are more than 1,400 natural and artificial lakes in Estonia. The largest of them, Lake Peipsi (3,555 square kilometers), forms much of the border between Estonia and Russia. Located in central Estonia, Võrtsjärv is the second-largest lake (270 square kilometers). The Narva and Emajõgi are among the most important of the country’s many rivers.

Estonia has a temperate climate, with four seasons of near-equal length. Average temperatures range from 16.3°C on the Baltic islands to 17.1°C inland in July, the warmest month, and from -3.5°C on the Baltic islands to -7.6°C inland in February, the coldest month. Precipitation averages 568 millimeters per year and is heaviest in late summer.

Spring arrives in March or April and is usually sunny but chilly.

Summer – The average temperature in summer (June to August) is 18°C; however, the temperature rise up to 30°C for shorter periods. You can find most of the Estonians in the sea then.

Autumn (September to October) is typically the wettest season.

Winter (November to February) can be fairly cold with a lot of snow, and the temperature may drop below -20°C, usually in January or February.  The average daytime temperature in those two months remains around -5°C. With -20°C, the sea freezes and you can drive from mainland to the islands on the ice road.

Central Tallinn is very compact and easy to get around, and reaching farther out destinations is simple thanks to the city’s network of buses, trolleys and trams.
The public transport network operates from 6:00 to 23:00 (some lines until 24:00). The ticket system works on a random-inspection basis, so you can board via any door and don’t have to show anything to the driver. You must, however, have a validated ticket or you risk a €40 fine. Some riders are entitled to use the system for free: children under school age (under 7), an adult travelling with a child under 3 years of age, registered Tallinn residents (using a personalised Smartcard and carrying ID).

Buses around Estonia – https://www.tpilet.ee/en

Trains –http://elron.ee/en/

Estonian National Opera – Designed by A. Lindgren and W. Lönn and completed in 1913, the art nouveau/classicist Estonia theatre and opera house was the largest building of its kind in Tallinn at the time. The original building was destroyed during the Soviet bombings in March 1944. However, it was renovated in the latter half of the 1940’s. Good to know: The first Estonian parliament convened in the concert hall on 23 April 1919.

Tickets – http://www.opera.ee/en/piletiinfo/

Von Krahl Theatre –was established in 1992 by the initiative of the current theatre director, Peeter Jalakas, and his company at that time Ruto Killakund. Von Krahl started to operate as a so-called project theatre without a permanent company or support from the state or local government in the ‘black-box’ spaces of a former public theatre, repaired with minimum resources. 

More info and tickets –www.vonkrahl.ee

Vene Theater – Russian Theater of Estonia is the country’s only professional theater working in Russian. Theater sees its purpose in the preservation and continuation of the Russian theatrical traditions. Today the troupe of Russian Theater unites together graduates of different theatrical schools. The theater building is considered to be one of the most perfect theater buildings in Scandinavia.

More info and Tickets –www. veneteater.ee