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Estonia, the northernmost of the Baltic states, is having its moment in the sun. With a groundswell of design hotels, buzzy restaurants, and detour-worthy wellness destinations, the nation of just 1.3 million people is emerging as Eastern Europe’s new hotspot, giving travelers reason to skip neighboring Scandinavia in favor of a more underrated design- and culture-filled getaway.
While capital city Tallinn typically steals the spotlight, even the country’s lesser-known towns and islands (there are more than 2,000 of them) are coming into focus. The second-largest city, Tartu, famed for its neoclassical architecture and heavyweight museums, has been crowned the European Capital of Culture in 2024. And last year, Estonia became the first Baltic country with its own Michelin guide; its 34 starred selections range from a two-starred temple of gastronomy in Tallinn to a quaint coastal inn in the beachfront village of Võsu.
Even the country’s intangible heritage is getting recognition. Estonian director Anna Hints’s Sundance award-winning documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood—the country’s contender for best international feature at the upcoming 96th Academy Awards—sheds light on the nation’s UNESCO-protected smoke sauna culture. A traditional session, which lasts from three to five hours at a time, may incorporate chanting, the smoking of meat, cold plunges, and the sloughing of skin using a birch bath “whisk.”
Best of all, thanks to the country’s extensive bus, train, and tram system (in 2018, Estonia became the largest free public transport zone in the world), it’s possible to get around without cracking open your wallet. Here’s what not to miss.
Where to Stay
Estonia is dotted with more than 1,000 castles and historic houses, many of which, like the 16th-century Pädaste Manor, on Muhu Island, have been converted into hotels. But there are just as many accommodations suited to travelers with more modern tastes, from the newly opened Nunne Boutique Hotel in Tallinn’s Old Town to treehouse-style retreats like the Jägala Juga Nature Resort Spa and Maidla Nature Retreat, both of which are within striking distance of the capital.
On Saaremaa, the largest of Estonia’s islands, Swedish-born entrepreneur Maria Tamander and English cinematographer John Mathieson recently launched Pilguse Residency, a boutique hotel and creative retreat set on 220 acres of pine forests, freshwater springs, and reed marshes. Guests can stay in a stone-walled manor house, a glass-windowed cottage, or a mirrored cabin complete with a fireplace and private deck.
Starting in 2024, Mathieson, a frequent collaborator with Ridley Scott, will host weekly film workshops and masterclasses dedicated to subjects like editing and costume design. Rounding out the offerings are traditional smoke sauna sessions, outdoor activities (horseback riding, hiking, foraging, kayaking), and gin- and vodka-making at the on-site distillery.
What to Do
Capital city Tallinn has one foot in Estonia’s tradition-rich past and the other in its creativity-fueled future. After strolling around the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its “exceptionally complete and well-preserved” medieval city, head to the Tallinn Design House to peruse apparel and wares from homegrown brands such as August and Ennos. The cool kids congregate in the Telliskivi Creative City, a former industrial area now home to a spate of creative businesses and art venues, including Fotografiska, the Juhan Kuus Documentary Photo Centre, and the Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava performance art theater. The Noblessner seafront quarter has a similar gritty-turned-glossy vibe; the former submarine factory is now a creative hub anchored by the Kai Art Center and the Temnikova & Kasela gallery.
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In Tartu, Aparaaditehas is a Soviet-era factory turned beehive of creativity, home to the popular Müürilille flea market, contemporary galleries like Kogo, and even a rooftop sauna and garden. Another essential stop is the Estonian National Museum, housed inside an angular glass-and-concrete building on a former Soviet airfield just outside the city. Set aside at least two hours to pursue its airy exhibition halls, which are filled with artifacts from the country’s Soviet occupation and post-1991 independence, such as copies of the first Estonian-language newspapers.
Where to Eat
Estonia’s culinary renaissance has been years in the making, but the arrival of the Michelin Guide catapulted the country’s top kitchens to the highest ranks of culinary stardom. And while the national cuisine shares a Nordic flair for all things foraged and fermented, Estonian food is its own thing: every family has a different interpretation of time-honored recipes like the fuchsia-colored rosolje salad made from beets, sour cream, and pickled herring.
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In Tallinn, the two-Michelin-starred 180 Degrees Restaurant serves the country’s most ambitious multi-course tasting menus, while Restaurant Lee has Nordic and Japanese influences—expect dishes like blood sausage okonomiyaki with pickled mustard seeds and lingonberry and salted plum compote. The trendy, zero-waste restaurant at Fotografiska is another must-visit, as is Kampai by Kim Mikkola, a buzzy izakaya-inspired “food bar” in the shipyard area of Noblessner.
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But for a truly authentic taste of Estonian hospitality, you’ll need to skip the big cities and motor out to small hamlets and family-owned farmsteads like Restoran Kolm Sosarat, a traditional wooden house in the village of Lüllemäe (population 200) near the Latvian border. The seven-course tasting menus draw customers far and wide, and about 80 percent of what’s plated is pulled from the on-site farm.
Where to Drink
Estonians love their cider—many families, particularly in the south, grow apples and bottle their own product. To try a more grown-up version, head out to Jaanihanso Ciderhouse, an hour and a half south of Tallinn, to try cider made using the méthode champenoise, or Champagne method, which involves fermentation inside the bottle, yielding a more complex and sophisticated taste.
While Estonia isn’t a wine-producing country (yet), the Järiste Winery near Tartu is making delicate rosés and other varieties from 20-year-old vines, along with wines pressed from sour cherries and other fruit. For spirits, don’t miss the Junimperium Gin & Distillery in Tallinn’s Telliskivi Creative City. Stick around after the distillery tour to relax in the stylish bar and sip cocktails made from a selection of award-winning gins, some of which incorporate homegrown botanicals like sloe berries and rhubarb.
Where to Sweat It Out
Don’t be surprised if there’s mention of a mythical “smoke eater” during your first smoke-sauna session. Estonia’s 800-year-old bathing ritual is a deeply spiritual and sacred practice, believed to purify the air and cleanse the spirits. Unlike standard saunas, the Estonian smoke hut is heated by an open fire without a chimney; the hot sooty air is let out via a window or crack in the door just before people file in, kicking off a three- to five-hour process that involves cold plunges, chanting, whistling, and the smoking of meat above the sauna’s benches.
In Tallinn, wellness-seekers can try out a modernized version of the ritual at Iglupark, in the Noblessner district, featuring a series of sleek black saunas with ladders descending into the sea. Meanwhile, in Soomaa National Park, visitors are free to use an innovative floating sauna built by students from the Estonian Academy of Arts. But for the most authentic smoke sauna session, head to Mooska Farm, in Võru country, which appears in Anna Hints’s “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” documentary. Here, guests strip naked and plunge into a pond’s icy waters before filing into the sauna’s rug-lined benches. A sauna master drums, rings bells, and chants in the local Võru dialect, encouraging participants to breathe deeply and produce guttural sounds. For extra fortitude, maybe buy a few bottles of homemade beer.