Latvia
RussiaFirst settlers at Pulli
About 11,000 years ago, after the ice of the last glacial era had melted, people settled at Pulli on the banks of the Pärnu river in south-west Estonia. It is the oldest known settlement in the country.
Northern Europe
Estonia
A small, green northern country of forests, bogs and more than two thousand islands, with a medieval capital, a famous love of choral singing and some of the most digital public services in the world.
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Overview
Estonia at a glance
Estonia is the northernmost of the three Baltic states. It sits on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, with the Gulf of Finland to the north, Latvia to the south and Russia to the east, where the border runs through the wide Lake Peipus. The land is low and flat, with an average height of only about 50 metres. Forests cover about half of the country, bogs and mires almost a quarter, and off the west coast lie the large islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa among more than two thousand smaller ones.
People have lived here since at least 9000 BC. In the 13th century crusaders from Denmark and Germany conquered the land, and for the next seven centuries it was ruled in turn by German knights, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and the Russian Empire, while Tallinn and Tartu grew rich as Hanseatic trading towns. A national awakening in the 19th century, carried by newspapers, poetry and song festivals, led to the declaration of independence on 24 February 1918.
Estonia was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. It regained full independence on 20 August 1991 after the peaceful 'Singing Revolution', joined the European Union and NATO in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2011. Today it is a parliamentary republic of about 1.36 million people, known for e-government, internet voting and tech companies such as Bolt and Wise.
CapitalTallinn
PopulationAbout 1.36 million (1 January 2026)
Official languageEstonian
CurrencyEuro (€), since 1 January 2011
AreaAbout 45,300 km²
GovernmentParliamentary republic
Highest mountainSuur Munamägi ('Big Egg Mountain'), 318 m, in the south-east near the borders with Latvia and Russia. It is also the highest point in the Baltic states
Longest riverThe Võhandu, a little over 160 km, the longest river that lies entirely within Estonia. It flows into Lake Peipus
NeighboursLatvia and Russia by land. Finland lies across the Gulf of Finland, only about 80 km from Tallinn to Helsinki, and Sweden across the Baltic Sea to the west
Drives on theRight
Calling code+372
The story
A short history of Estonia
Estonia's story runs from Stone Age hunters on the Pärnu river, through crusades, Hanseatic trade and centuries of Danish, German, Swedish and Russian rule, to a national awakening in song, two declarations of independence and a peaceful return to freedom in 1991.
9000 BC 1219 Danes capture Lindanise
King Valdemar II of Denmark landed at Lindanise, on the site of today's Tallinn, and defeated the Estonians. A Danish legend says the Danish flag fell from the sky during the battle, and the name Tallinn is often explained as 'Danish castle'.
1227 Saaremaa is the last to fall
After years of raids and revolts, the island county of Saaremaa surrendered to the crusaders, the last Estonian county to do so. The land was divided between Denmark, the German knights and bishops.
1248 Tallinn gets town rights
Reval, as Tallinn was then called, adopted the law of Lübeck and received full town rights. It became a rich member of the Hanseatic League, trading between Novgorod and the cities of the west.
1343 St George's Night Uprising
On St George's Night, 23 April 1343, Estonians in the north, and later on the islands, rose up against their foreign rulers. The rebellion was crushed by 1345, and in 1346 the Danish king sold his Estonian lands to the Teutonic Order.
1561 Northern Estonia turns to Sweden
During the Livonian War, Tallinn and the nobles of northern Estonia swore loyalty to the Swedish king. Swedish rule, later remembered as 'the good old Swedish time', lasted until the early 18th century.
1632 University of Tartu founded
King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden signed the founding act of a university in Tartu, then called Dorpat. It is still the country's oldest and best-known university.
1710 Russia takes Estonia
During the Great Northern War, Russia under Peter the Great conquered the whole of Estonia. It remained part of the Russian Empire for the next two centuries.
1869 The first song festival
The first Estonia-wide song festival was held in Tartu, with 822 singers and 56 brass players. It became a symbol of the national awakening, and the tradition continues today.
1918 Independence declared
On 24 February 1918, between the retreat of the Russian troops and the arrival of the German army, the Salvation Committee declared the independent Republic of Estonia. The day is still the national holiday.
1920 Peace Treaty of Tartu
After the War of Independence, Estonia and Soviet Russia signed a peace treaty in Tartu on 2 February 1920. Russia promised to give up all claims to Estonia for ever.
1940 Soviet occupation
Following the secret Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union occupied Estonia in June 1940 and annexed it in August. Occupation, war and deportations followed, and Estonia lost about a quarter of its population in the Second World War.
1989 The Baltic Way
On 23 August 1989 about two million Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians joined hands in a human chain about 675 km long across the three countries, a peaceful protest against Soviet rule.
1991 Independence restored
During the failed coup in Moscow, Estonia declared the restoration of its independence on 20 August 1991, crowning the 'Singing Revolution'. It joined the United Nations the following month.
2004 Joins the EU and NATO
Estonia joined NATO on 29 March 2004 and the European Union later the same year.
2011 The euro arrives
On 1 January 2011 Estonia adopted the euro, replacing the kroon and becoming the 17th member of the eurozone.
At the table
What to eat in Estonia
Estonian food is northern farm and coast cooking: dark rye bread, pork, potatoes, barley, dairy and fish from the sea and lakes, with German, Swedish, Russian and Finnish influences. A festive meal starts with a cold table of pickles, cold meats, sausages, potato salad, herring and the pink beetroot and herring salad called rosolje. Then comes a soup or a hot main course, always with rye bread on the side, and it ends with something sweet with coffee. In summer people eat everything fresh from the garden and grill outdoors, and in winter jams, pickles and preserves come to the table.
Main courseRecipe
Mulgi porridge
mulgipuder
Mulgimaa, in southern Estonia
Mashed potatoes cooked together with pearl barley and topped with fried pork. It is simple, filling farm food from the south.
The name means 'porridge of the Mulks', the people of the Mulgimaa region, where a lot of barley is grown.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 150 g pearl barley, rinsed
- 1 kg floury potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
- 200 g smoked streaky bacon or pork belly, diced
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 30 g butter
- Salt
Method
- Put the barley in a large pot with about 1 litre of salted water and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and a little more water if needed, so that everything is just covered. Cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes and barley are soft.
- Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a pan until golden, then add the onion and fry gently until soft and lightly browned.
- Drain off most of the remaining cooking water, keeping a little. Mash the potatoes and barley together with the butter, adding some of the cooking water to make a soft porridge. Season with salt.
- Serve in bowls with the hot bacon, onion and fat spooned over the top.
Main courseRecipe
Mulgi sauerkraut
mulgikapsad
Mulgimaa, in southern Estonia
Sauerkraut slowly stewed with lard, pork and pearl barley until soft. It is often served with potatoes.
Mulgikapsad is on the list of Estonian cultural heritage and is often called a national dish. The barley was added to make the dish cheaper and more nourishing.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg sauerkraut
- 600 g pork belly or pork shoulder, cut in large pieces
- 100 g pearl barley, rinsed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- About 700 ml water
- Salt, and boiled potatoes to serve
Method
- Put the sauerkraut, pork, barley and onion in a heavy pot and pour over the water.
- Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer very gently for about 1.5 hours, stirring now and then and adding a little water if it gets dry.
- When the pork is tender and the barley soft, stir in the sugar and taste for salt.
- Serve hot with boiled potatoes. It tastes even better reheated the next day.
StarterRecipe
Sprat sandwich
kiluvõileib
The Baltic coast, now eaten all over Estonia
An open sandwich of dark rye bread with butter, spiced salted sprats and a slice of boiled egg.
The sprat sandwich is a must at celebrations of Estonian Independence Day on 24 February.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 8 slices of dark rye bread
- Soft butter
- 16 to 24 spiced salted sprat fillets (or canned smoked sprats, see the last step)
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- A small red onion, finely chopped, and some fresh dill or chives
Method
- Butter the slices of rye bread.
- Lay two or three sprat fillets on each slice.
- Put a slice of hard-boiled egg on top of the fish.
- Finish with a little red onion and chopped dill or chives, and serve at once.
- Spiced sprats are cured in salt and spices, not cooked. Pregnant women, young children, older people and anyone with a weak immune system should use canned smoked sprats instead, which are cooked.
Main course
Blood sausage
verivorst
All of Estonia, above all at Christmas
Sausage made of pig's blood, barley groats, pork and marjoram, baked in the oven until the skin is crisp. It is eaten with lingonberry jam, and sometimes with butter or sour cream.
Verivorst is a traditional Christmas food. In December the shops sell it in many shapes and sizes.
Starter
Jellied pork
sült
All of Estonia
Pieces of pork set in a soft, clear aspic made from the gelatinous parts of the pig. It is served cold with horseradish or strong mustard, or with a little diluted vinegar poured over.
Sült is a traditional Christmas dish. In the past, farmers cooked the pig's head and legs into sült after the autumn slaughter.
Bread
Dark rye bread
leib, or rukkileib
All of Estonia
Dense, dark sourdough bread made from rye. It is eaten with almost every savoury meal, from breakfast to dinner.
Estonians began baking leavened rye bread about a thousand years ago, and the word for bread became another way of saying 'food' itself.
Snack
Small savoury pies
pirukad
All of Estonia
Small pastries, often made with puff pastry, filled with meat, cabbage, carrots, rice and egg, cheese or fish. They are sold in every bakery and are often served with a cup of clear broth.
Sweet pirukad are just as popular, with fillings such as apple, berries or marzipan.
Main course
Grilled pork skewers
šašlõkk
Arrived from the Soviet Union, now eaten all over Estonia
Chunks of marinated pork grilled on skewers over an open fire. It is a favourite at summer barbecues, including Midsummer.
Shashlik arrived in Estonia during the Soviet period and became a favourite at private gatherings. Grilling outdoors in summer is now very popular.
DessertRecipe
Kama
kama
Southern Estonia, now eaten everywhere
A fine flour of roasted barley, rye, oats and peas, stirred into buttermilk, kefir or milk and eaten without cooking. With sugar and berries it becomes a light, nutty dessert or breakfast.
Kama was farmers' fast food: the roasted flour kept well, was easy to carry and needed no baking.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons kama flour (sold in Baltic and Nordic shops)
- 500 ml kefir or buttermilk
- 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar or honey
- 200 g blueberries or other berries
- Whipped cream, if you like
Method
- Put the kefir or buttermilk in a bowl and stir in the sugar or honey.
- Add the kama flour a spoonful at a time, stirring well so that no lumps form. It should be thick like a yoghurt.
- Fold in most of the berries.
- Spoon into glasses, top with the rest of the berries and a little whipped cream if you like, and serve at once.
Snack
Curd snack
kohuke
Popular across the former Soviet Union, much loved in Estonia
A small bar of sweetened curd cheese, often filled with jam or caramel and coated in chocolate. It is sold in the dairy section of every shop and must be kept cold.
In 2013 Estonia made a world-record curd snack weighing 537 kilograms.
DessertRecipe
Kringel
kringel
All of Estonia
A large, braided ring of sweet yeast dough, often flavoured with cardamom. It is one of the most popular Estonian cakes and is served in slices with coffee.
The Estonian kringel is traditionally braided, which makes every slice striped.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g plain flour
- 250 ml lukewarm milk and 7 g dried yeast
- 1 egg, 75 g sugar, 75 g soft butter and a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- For the filling: 100 g soft butter, 80 g sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 beaten egg for brushing
Method
- Mix the yeast into the warm milk. Add the flour, egg, sugar, butter, salt and cardamom and knead into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and leave to rise for about 1 hour, until doubled.
- Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 30 by 50 cm. Spread with the soft butter and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll it up from the long side into a tight log. Cut the log in half along its length with a sharp knife, leaving one end joined.
- Twist the two halves around each other with the cut sides facing up, then shape into a ring or a figure of eight on a lined baking tray.
- Leave to rise for 30 minutes, brush with beaten egg and bake at 200°C for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Cool a little before slicing.
Dessert
Gingerbread biscuits
piparkoogid
All of Estonia, at Christmas
Thin, crisp, spiced gingerbread biscuits in many shapes, sometimes decorated with white icing. They are baked and eaten above all at Christmas.
Gingerbread is one of the typical Estonian Christmas treats, together with apples, mandarins and lingonberry jam.
Drink
Birch sap
kasemahl
Forests and farms all over Estonia
The clear, slightly sweet sap tapped from birch trees. It is drunk fresh, or left to ferment for a few days, when it turns pleasantly sour.
Birch sap can only be collected for a few weeks at the turn of winter and spring, when the sap rises in the trees.
Drink
Vana Tallinn
Vana Tallinn
Tallinn
A sweet, dark liqueur made with Jamaican rum, herbs and spices. It is served on the rocks, in coffee, in cocktails or in mulled wine.
The name means 'Old Tallinn'. The liqueur has been made continuously since 1960.
Table manners
- Before eating, people wish each other 'Head isu' (enjoy your meal).
- When glasses are raised, people say 'Terviseks', which means 'to your health'.
- Dark rye bread comes to the table with almost every savoury dish.
- A festive meal begins with a cold table of pickles, cold meats, potato salad and herring before any hot dish.
- At Midsummer, on the night of 23 to 24 June, people gather around bonfires to grill, eat and drink late into the light night.
Cities
9 cities to know
Estonia's towns are small by European standards. Medieval Tallinn on the north coast is by far the largest; university town Tartu is the heart of the south; Narva faces Russia across a river; and seaside resorts, castle towns and island ports make up the rest.
Tallinn Capital
Harju County
The capital and largest city, home to about 450,000 people. It lies on a bay of the Gulf of Finland, only about 80 km south of Helsinki. Its walled Old Town is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe.
- The Old Town and Toompea hill
- Kadriorg Palace and park
- Tech companies such as Bolt and Wise
Tartu
Tartu County
The second-largest city, with about 97,000 people, on the Emajõgi river. Often called Estonia's intellectual capital, it is home to the oldest university and the Estonian National Museum, and was a European Capital of Culture in 2024.
- The University of Tartu, founded in 1632
- The Estonian National Museum
- The birthplace of the song festivals
Narva
Ida-Viru County
The third-largest city and the easternmost, on the Narva river, which forms the border with Russia. Most of its roughly 52,000 people are Russian speakers. The old town was almost completely destroyed in 1944.
- Hermann Castle, facing Ivangorod fortress across the river
- Its border location
Pärnu
Pärnu County
A seaside town on Pärnu Bay, where the Pärnu river meets the Gulf of Riga. It has been a resort since the first bathing house opened in 1838, and it was a Hanseatic town in the Middle Ages.
- Its long sandy beach
- Spas and rehabilitation centres
- The nickname 'Summer Capital'
Viljandi
Viljandi County
A small hill town of about 17,000 people between Pärnu and Tartu, first mentioned as a town in 1283. The ruins of one of the largest castles of the Livonian Order stand in the town.
- The Viljandi Folk Music Festival in late July
- The castle ruins
- White roses, the town symbol
Rakvere
Lääne-Viru County
A town in northern Estonia about 100 km south-east of Tallinn. Its oldest name, Tarvanpea, means 'head of an aurochs', and a large aurochs sculpture is one of the town's sights.
- Rakvere Castle, with medieval life shown for visitors
- The Aurochs sculpture
Kuressaare
Saare County (Saaremaa)
The main town of Saaremaa, the largest island, and the westernmost town in Estonia, with about 13,000 people. It faces the Gulf of Riga and grew up around a bishop's castle.
- Kuressaare Castle
- Spas
- Trips to the Kaali meteorite crater
Haapsalu
Lääne County
A quiet seaside resort on the west coast, chartered in 1279 as the seat of the bishops of Ösel-Wiek. For centuries it was the centre of the Estonian Swedes.
- Healing sea mud, used since 1825
- The bishop's castle
- The August Blues Festival
Võru
Võru County
A small town on Lake Tamula in the hilly south-east, founded in 1784. The doctor and writer Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald lived here and wrote the national epic Kalevipoeg.
- Kalevipoeg and Kreutzwald
- The Võro dialect and culture
- The nearby hill Suur Munamägi
Landmarks
Places everyone should see once
Tallinn
Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn
A walled medieval town of cobbled lanes, merchants' houses, church spires and a town hall square, most of it built between the 13th and 16th centuries. It keeps its Hanseatic street plan almost intact and has been a World Heritage Site since 1997.
UNESCO World Heritage
Tallinn
Toompea Castle
A castle on Toompea hill above the Old Town, where an Estonian stronghold stood before the Danes took it in 1219. Today it houses the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu. The flag of Estonia is raised on its 48-metre Tall Hermann tower every day at sunrise.
Tallinn
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
An Orthodox cathedral with five onion domes, built on Toompea hill in 1894 to 1900, when Estonia was part of the Russian Empire. Its largest bell weighs about 16 tonnes.
Tallinn
Kadriorg Palace
A baroque palace built from 1718 for Tsar Peter the Great and his wife Catherine; its name means 'Catherine's valley'. It stands in a large park by the sea and houses an art museum.
Tallinn
Tallinn Song Festival Grounds
The open-air grounds where the national song festival is held every five years, under a great arched stage built in 1959. In 1988 huge crowds gathered here to sing patriotic songs during the Singing Revolution.
Tartu
Tartu Old Observatory (Struve Geodetic Arc)
The old university observatory on Toome Hill, where the astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve worked. It is the first point of the Struve Geodetic Arc, a chain of survey points used to measure the size and shape of the Earth, listed by UNESCO in 2005.
UNESCO World Heritage
Narva
Hermann Castle
A medieval castle founded by the Danes around 1256 on the Narva river. Its tall Hermann Tower faces the Russian fortress of Ivangorod directly across the water, where the border runs today.
Kuressaare
Kuressaare Castle
A square stone castle built for the bishops of Ösel-Wiek from the late 14th century, surrounded by later earthworks and a moat. It is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Estonia and houses the Saaremaa Museum.
Near Rakvere
Lahemaa National Park
The 'Land of Bays', founded in 1971 on the north coast east of Tallinn: forests, raised bogs, boulder-strewn beaches and four old manor houses, including Palmse and Sagadi. It was the first national park in the former Soviet Union.
Near Kuressaare
Kaali Meteorite Crater
A group of nine craters on Saaremaa, made when a meteorite broke up and struck the island about 3,500 years ago, by the main estimate. The largest is about 110 metres across and holds a small round lake.
Fun facts
Things you might not know
- 01
The Skype software was written by four Estonian developers, Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, Jaan Tallinn and Toivo Annus, for founders from Sweden and Denmark. It was first released in 2003 and retired by Microsoft in 2025.
- 02
In 2005 Estonia became the first country in the world to hold nationwide binding internet voting, in its local elections. In the 2023 parliamentary election, more than half of all votes were cast online.
- 03
Since 1 December 2014, people from anywhere in the world can apply to become an 'e-resident' of Estonia and use its online services to run a company, without living there.
- 04
Estonia has 2,355 islands, counting those in lakes and rivers, and 2,222 of them are in the Baltic Sea. The largest is Saaremaa.
- 05
Kiiking, an Estonian sport invented by Ado Kosk in 1993, means swinging a giant steel swing all the way over the top in a full circle. The winner is the one who can do it with the longest swing arms.
- 06
The national song festival has been held since 1869, usually every five years. The joint choir has had more than 30,000 singers performing for an audience of 80,000.
- 07
On 23 August 1989, about two million people held hands in the Baltic Way, a human chain about 675 km long through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
- 08
The Kaali crater on Saaremaa was made by a meteorite, by the main estimate about 3,500 years ago. It is one of the few meteorite impacts known to have happened in a populated area.
- 09
The highest point in Estonia, and in all three Baltic states, is only 318 metres high. Its name, Suur Munamägi, means 'Big Egg Mountain' because of its round shape.
- 10
Unlike Latvian and Russian, the languages of its land neighbours, Estonian is not an Indo-European language; its close relative is Finnish. It has no grammatical gender, no separate future tense and fourteen noun cases.
- 11
The Estonian flag is called 'sinimustvalge', simply 'blue-black-white'. It flies from the Tall Hermann tower in Tallinn, raised every day at sunrise to the sound of the national anthem.
- 12
Forests cover about half of Estonia. The national bird is the barn swallow, and the cornflower has been the national flower since 1969.
- 13
Lake Peipus, on the border with Russia, is the largest lake in Europe shared by two countries and the fifth-largest lake in Europe.
Estonian words
20 words to start with
Pronunciation is written the way it sounds; the capital letters show where the stress goes. Audio is coming soon.
Basics
- tereTEH-rehhello
- aitähAI-tahthank you
- palunPAH-loonplease, or you're welcome
- jahYAHyes
- eiAYno
- vabandustVAH-bahn-doostsorry, excuse me
Food and drink
- leibLAYBbread (dark rye bread)
- kalaKAH-lahfish
- juustYOOSTcheese
- vesiVEH-seewater
- kohvKOHVcoffee
- õluUH-loobeer
Getting around
- rongRONGtrain
- bussBOOSSbus
- praamPRAHMferry
- tänavTA-nahvstreet
Time
- tänaTA-nahtoday
- hommeHOHM-mehtomorrow
Numbers
- üksEWKSone
- kaksKAHKStwo
Say it like a local
Useful phrases
Tere
TEH-reh
Hello
The everyday greeting, at any time of day
Tere hommikust
TEH-reh HOHM-mee-koost
Good morning
Greeting someone in the morning
Tere õhtust
TEH-reh UHH-toost
Good evening
Greeting someone in the evening
Head ööd
HEH-ahd URD
Good night
Saying goodnight before bed
Head aega
HEH-ahd AH-eh-gah
Goodbye (literally 'have a good time')
Leaving a shop, café or friends
Nägemist
NA-geh-meest
See you, goodbye
A friendly goodbye, 'until we see each other again'
Kuidas läheb?
KOO-ee-dahs LA-hehb
How are you?
Asking after someone you know
Hästi, aitäh
HAS-tee, AI-tah
Fine, thank you
Answering 'How are you?'
Minu nimi on ...
MEE-noo NEE-mee ohn
My name is ...
Introducing yourself
Meeldiv tutvuda
MEHL-deev TOOT-voo-dah
Nice to meet you
After being introduced
Kas te räägite inglise keelt?
KAHS teh RAA-gee-teh EENG-lee-seh KEHLT
Do you speak English?
Politely asking before you start in English
Ma ei saa aru
MAH ay SAH AH-roo
I don't understand
When you have not followed what was said
Kui palju see maksab?
KOO-ee PAHL-yoo SEH MAHK-sahb
How much does this cost?
Shopping at a market or in a shop
Kus on tualett?
KOOS ohn TWAH-let
Where is the toilet?
In a café, museum or station
Arve, palun
AHR-veh, PAH-loon
The bill, please
At the end of a meal in a restaurant
See oli maitsev
SEH OH-lee MAIT-sehv
It was delicious
Thanking your host or the waiter after a meal
Head isu!
HEH-ahd EE-soo
Enjoy your meal!
Before eating, said to everyone at the table
Terviseks!
TEHR-vee-sehks
Cheers! (literally 'to health')
Raising a glass
Appi!
AHP-pee
Help!
In an emergency
Local tips
Before you go
Euros and cards
Estonia uses the euro. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; the main exceptions are some parking machines and small rural farms, so carry a few coins.
Wear a reflector after dark
Estonian law requires pedestrians to wear a small reflector in the dark. It matters most on country roads in winter. Reflectors are cheap and sold in supermarkets and kiosks.
Driving: lights on, no alcohol
Headlights must be on at all times, everyone must wear a seat belt, and the drink-driving rules are very strict, so do not drink at all if you are driving. The usual limit is 90 km/h in the country and 50 km/h in towns.
Tipping
Tipping became common only after 1991 and is not expected everywhere. In restaurants about 10% is usual for good service, and taxi drivers often keep the change.
Use official taxis
Take taxis with 'TAKSO' signs, a price list in the back window and a working meter, or book through an app. Unmarked taxis are illegal.
Entry rules
As of September 2026, Estonia is in the Schengen area. Visitors from countries such as the UK can stay up to 90 days in any 180 days without a visa, and on arrival may be asked to register fingerprints and a photo under the EU's new Entry/Exit System.
A quiet, reserved style
Estonians value personal space and quiet conversation, and may take a moment to think before answering. Smiling at strangers is less common than in some countries, and this is not unfriendliness.
Emergency number
The emergency number for police, fire and ambulance is 112, all over Estonia.
Sources (61)
- Estonia (Wikipedia)
- Statistics Estonia: Population
- History of Estonia (Wikipedia)
- Suur Munamägi (Wikipedia)
- Võhandu (Wikipedia)
- Telephone numbers in Estonia (Wikipedia)
- Left- and right-hand traffic (Wikipedia)
- Estonian language (Wikipedia)
- Battle of Lyndanisse (Wikipedia)
- Saint George's Night Uprising (Wikipedia)
- University of Tartu (Wikipedia)
- Estonian Song Festival (Wikipedia)
- Estonian Declaration of Independence (Wikipedia)
- Estonian War of Independence (Wikipedia)
- Baltic Way (Wikipedia)
- Singing Revolution (Wikipedia)
- Estonian cuisine (Wikipedia)
- Mulgipuder (Wikipedia)
- Mulgikapsad (Wikipedia)
- Kama (food) (Wikipedia)
- Curd snack, or kohuke (Wikipedia)
- Kringle, or kringel (Wikipedia)
- Vana Tallinn (Wikipedia)
- Birch sap (Wikipedia)
- Blood sausage, or verivorst (Wikipedia)
- Head cheese, or sült (Wikipedia)
- CDC: Preventing Listeria infection
- Pirozhki, or pirukad (Wikipedia)
- head isu (Wiktionary)
- terviseks (Wiktionary)
- aitäh (Wiktionary)
- Tallinn (Wikipedia)
- Tartu (Wikipedia)
- Narva (Wikipedia)
- Pärnu (Wikipedia)
- Viljandi (Wikipedia)
- Rakvere (Wikipedia)
- Kuressaare (Wikipedia)
- Haapsalu (Wikipedia)
- Võru (Wikipedia)
- Saaremaa (Wikipedia)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Estonia
- Tallinn Old Town (Wikipedia)
- Toompea Castle (Wikipedia)
- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn (Wikipedia)
- Kadriorg Palace (Wikipedia)
- Tallinn Song Festival Grounds (Wikipedia)
- Struve Geodetic Arc (Wikipedia)
- Hermann Castle, Narva (Wikipedia)
- Kuressaare Castle (Wikipedia)
- Lahemaa National Park (Wikipedia)
- Kaali crater (Wikipedia)
- Skype (Wikipedia)
- e-Residency of Estonia (Wikipedia)
- Kiiking (Wikipedia)
- Flag of Estonia (Wikipedia)
- Lake Peipus (Wikipedia)
- Estonian phrasebook (Wikivoyage)
- Estonia (Wikivoyage)
- GOV.UK Foreign travel advice: Estonia, entry requirements
- GOV.UK Foreign travel advice: Estonia, safety and security
