Travel again at last! That’s what Elisa and Paul Stoll thought when they flew to Estonia for the first week of July. It was important to them at their travel destination that there was neither a travel warning nor a quarantine obligation. Estonia has already met these two points. In addition, the flights to Tallinn are currently still relatively cheap and the distance to Germany, with a little over 2 hours of flight time, is absolutely within limits. But that’s not all. On site they should find out what other advantages there are due to Corona, but also in view of the time of year in Estonia.
1. Hardly any tourists
Yes – that’s definitely a big plus of Corona (mainly from the tourist’s point of view, of course), because there is currently hardly any tourism in the small country. The capital Tallinn in particular can take a deep breath, as cruise ships are not expected to land here for two years. This is not only good for the environment, but also for the cityscape. And at the other, otherwise highly frequented tourist hotspots, we only meet a few Estonian families. Otherwise, it has to be said, even under normal circumstances, Estonia is not really touristy. We have the many beautiful forest hiking trails and paths along the Baltic Sea to ourselves.
2. The bear is on the loose in Estonia
Both our “Wild Estonia” trip and our “Estonia for self-drive” trips include a night in the bear observation hut. An absolute highlight for Elisa and Paul, because here you can observe the shy and above all crepuscular animals up close. The special thing about it is that you can watch the brown bears, of which there are around 300 specimens in this area, in their natural behavior. Because the bears do not see, hear or smell us. As soon as we arrive at the hut, we should be as quiet as a mouse and carefully scan the area. And sure enough – we’re lucky! Six bears show themselves to us that night, as well as four raccoon dogs, two deer, a wild boar, squirrels and colorful species of birds such as the bullfinch or the blood lineage. Bears are almost always seen on a trip to Estonia.
3. Summer, sun, sunshine
Summer also prevails in Estonia, with pleasantly warm temperatures between 20 ° C and 30 ° C. Ideal for a swim in the Baltic Sea or in one of Estonia’s many moors. Apart from that, the weather is ideal for a picnic in one of the moss-covered spruce forests or for a boat trip on the beaver river. Activities such as canoeing or cycling are also really fun when the sun is shining. In addition, it is light for a very long time in Estonia in summer, the sun does not set until half past 11 a.m. and rises again at 4:27 a.m. That means more light for observing bears and other animals.
4. Hardly any corona restrictions
During our trip through Estonia we sometimes forgot that Corona still exists. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that there are hardly any restrictions here due to the good corona development. In the supermarket, for example, you don’t have to wear masks and otherwise you can hardly see any other people – especially when you are out and about in your own rental car. Only the 2 + 2 distance rule (only 2 people together with a distance of 2 meters to other people) should be observed, even if this is rather difficult for the Estonians – because they prefer to keep more than 5 meters away from other people.
5. In Estonia, people like to get an extra sausage
At Hotel Altmõisa külalistemaja, for example, the sausage comes from an ecological farm in the region – you can taste it too. And the other dishes can also be seen or eaten. Freshly baked bread, with vegetables and fruits of the season, i.e. cucumbers, sugar peas, potatoes, blueberries and blueberries. In addition, the delicious herbs from the garden, such as dill and basil. The food in Estonia is quite meat or fish heavy, but almost always freshly prepared and very tasty. In autumn there will soon be forest mushrooms, dumplings and sauerkraut again. And before we forget, we would like to take this opportunity to recommend the pancakes filled with minced meat in the Rohuaia Kohvik restaurant in Rakvere, which you can enjoy as a strengthening breakfast after the bear hut.
6. More moor!
The Baltic country is known for its extensive moorland. Here you can find many orchids, carnivorous plants and other bizarre forms of life. The extensive network of planks invites you to discover this exciting landscape. If you like it a little more unusual, slip into special bog shoes and explore the wet area on foot. A guide then explains the interrelationships of the moor ecosystem and takes care not to damage the sensitive vegetation. What you should not forget, of course, are swimwear. Because here you have the rare opportunity to swim in the natural moor lakes. The reddish colored water is said to have a healing effect.
So Estonia is definitely worth a trip this year, as Elisa and Paul can now confirm from their own experience. They will be happy to answer any further questions you may have, including about the flight situation.
