Types of Tourism in Estonia
BEACH
The west coast of Estonia is a great place for a beach holiday, here are such resorts as Pärnu and Haapsalu. Now the most popular among foreign tourists is the actively developing resort of Narva-Jõesuu (Ust-Narva) on the coast of the Gulf of Finland in the north of the country. It is located north of Narva, in a pine forest. The local white sand beach stretches for 13 km. Pine forests on dry sand dunes and fresh sea air create a special healing microclimate in Narva-Jõesuu. In addition, there is a source of healing mineral water “Auga”.
Resorts of Pärnu and Haapsalu are mostly health related. Even in the country’s capital, Tallinn, there is a beautiful city beach – Pirita. It is located on the eastern outskirts of the city and has a length of over 4 km. There is also a yachting center with a harbor and an entertainment beach complex with gyms, bars and restaurants. This beach is a favorite vacation spot for the townspeople, so it gets crowded during the summer months. Check top-medical-schools.org for travel information in Estonia.
DIVING
Diving in Estonia It is best to practice in early spring or autumn when the water is clearest. Visibility at this time of the year can reach 15 m. On average, during the year, visibility is 3-5 m. The most popular among divers is the coast of Saaremaa. There are plenty of wreck diving spots here, as there are several shipwrecks in the coastal waters, such as the wreck of the Wilhelm Telbyvshoe (a 40-50m merchant ship that ran aground in 1917) and a place called Veere Port. The environs of Tallinn are also suitable for wreck diving, but the most interesting is the underwater sea fortress, which was built under Peter I in the early 18th century, but was never completed. There are 3,500 cubic meters of honeycomb log boxes filled with rocks underwater.
AT Estonia has many lakes where you can also dive. Visibility in them is worse than in the sea, but there is more biodiversity – you can meet pike, roach, perch, rudd, ruff, burbot, eel or carp, as well as swim through the impenetrable jungle of algae.
TREATMENT
The healing muds of the Pärnu and Haapsalu balneological resorts are known all over the world.
Haapsalu is located on the shores of the bay of the same name. It was founded in the 13th century and by the beginning of the 19th century it began to be considered a major resort. Members of the Russian imperial house loved to relax here. For treatment in Haapsalu sea sulphide silt mud is used, they help with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, postoperative and post-traumatic adhesions and scars, chronic skin diseases and gynecological diseases. Here you will be offered therapeutic exercises, underwater massages, mud and herbal baths and paraffins. Pärnu
resort is located 130 km south of Tallinn. Local balneological centers specialize in cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, diseases of the peripheral nervous system and conduct relaxing and anti-stress programs. Mud applications, therapeutic herbal and mineral baths will help get rid of these ailments. ECOTOURISM in Estonia there is a national park, 4 nature reserves and 30 reserves. In these protected areas, you can walk along marked hiking trails and see various landscapes and rare plants, birds and animals.
Lahemaa National Park is the largest nature protection complex in the country, located in southern Estonia. It has a total area of 72,500 hectares, of which 25,090 hectares are sea and 44,410 are land. Raised bogs and forests are preserved here in their original form, and the unique fauna of Estonia is also presented.
The nature protection zones of the Estonian islands are also interesting. The small island of Abruk with a small nature reserve, located 6 km from the southern coast of Saaremaa, is the most visited place for eco-tourists. Diverse bird communities can be seen on the island of Hiiumaa, in the Käina Bay and in the Matsalu Nature Reserve. On the island of Saaremaa, there are the Viidumäe Nature Reserve, where 1/3 of all relict plants of the country are collected, and the Vilsandi Nature Reserve, as well as the geological reserve of Lake Kaali (a lake of meteorite origin, about 3 thousand years old).
SKIING
There is a region in Estonia called “Estonian Switzerland”. This is Thaw in southern Estonia. Ski lovers can choose from 9 local hills with slalom tracks. The slopes are 200 – 300 m high and moderately steep. For more than 10 years Ottepa has beenknown as the winter sports center of Estonia. In 1934, the first ski jump was built on the Apteekrimägi mountain, the second one is now on the Tehvandi mountain.
ACTIVE LEISURE
The best areas for kayaking and canoeing are the sandy cliffs of the high banks of the Ahja River. There are also fast-flowing rivers and “lazy” rivulets. The hiking season opens immediately after the rivers are freed from ice and ends with the first frosts. If you have never sailed a canoe before, experienced instructors will teach you the basic techniques of kayaking and canoeing.
Hiking is best done in national parks and protected areas, where special routes have been laid for tourists.
EXCURSIONS
Estonia is an ancient country, where many historical monuments have survived to this day.
