Must See

Haapsalu

This seaside resort located on the western coast of Estonia has been popular since the 19th century. Its sea mud is said to have a curative effect, and the town is the ideal place to get away from it all with its romantic wooden houses and tree-lined avenues. There's also a Railway Museum and a 13th century castle and church.

Narva

The city of Narva is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River. It is one of the oldest towns in the country, and dates back to at least the 12th century. The Herman Castle, built in 1223, is the oldest architectural monument. Other notable buildings include a Baroque town hall (1668-71), Swedish mansions of the 17th century, and remains of Erik Dahlberg's fortifications.

Parnu

This popular summer holiday resort is situated in the southwest of the country, on the banks of the Pärnu River where it emerges into the Gulf of Riga. Established in the 13th century, the town is known as a seaport and a health resort and boasts a 3 km- (2-mile-) long sandy beach and a spa hotel, famous for its mud bath treatments.

Pirita

Pirita is a seaside resort, located just outside the capital, where its pine-forested parks and good beaches make it a popular destination for Sunday rides and bathing. Nearby is the 314-metre high Tallinn TV Tower, whose 21st floor observation deck offers picturesque views over the city and its surroundings and, on a clear day, the coast of neighbouring Finland.

Puhtitsa Convent

This beautiful nineteenth-century Russian Orthodox nunnery, located in the village of Kuremae in north-eastern Estonia, draws thousands of pilgrims every year.

Saaremaa Island

Saaremaa is the largest of Estonia's islands, and can be reached by ferry from Virtsu on the Estonian mainland to Muhu island, which is itself connected to Saaremaa via a causeway. Visitors can hike or cycle across this unspoiled island, or see stone churches, old windmills, fishing villages and a restored Episcopal castle dating back to the 13th century.

Tallinn

Tallinn is a charming capital with a medieval old town, the Vanalinn. Its cobbled streets, red-capped towers and pretty spires are surrounded by ancient city walls with imposing gates. Raekoja Plats, the cobbled market square and general hub, is as old as the city itself. It is dominated by the fifteenth-century Town Hall, on top of which sits Vana Toomas, a sixteenth-century weather vane that is the city's emblem.

Tallinn's Toompea Castle is one of the oldest and grandest architectural monuments, built on a hill in the centre of the city, and offering some spectacular views. The castle now houses the Estonian Parliament. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn's largest and grandest cathedral, is also built on the Toompea hill. It was constructed at the end of the 19th century, when Estonia was part of the Russian tsarist empire and named after the Prince of Novgorod.

Tartu

Tatru is the country's second largest city, and is often considered its intellectual and cultural centre, as it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Notable sights around the town include the Vyshgorod Cathedral, the 18th century Town Hall, the old Lutheran St. John's Church and the university's Botanical Garden.

National Parks

Estonia has three national parks - Lahemaa, Soomaa and Vilandsi - with almost totally unspoiled and untouched forest and swamps, picturesque old fishing villages and historic manor houses. There's also the Matsalu Nature Reserve and Käina Bay Bird Reserve, where eagles, storks and a variety of wetland birds may be spotted.