Travelling by car in Estonia: Best places to visit from an experienced traveller
Text Mikko Virta Photos by Jaakko Ahti, Sven Začek, Rainer Süvirand, Riina Varol, Tatiana Metsala
Jaakko Ahti is fascinated by Estonia's old castles and ruins. He mentions Toolse, Vasknarva, Rakvere, Narva and Haapsalu, among others. The photo shows the Kuressaare Castle.
Jaakko Ahti from Finland is an experienced visitor to Estonia. He first visited when he was in high school in 1994. Ahti ventured outside Tallinn a couple of years later during a “joyful bus trip to Saaremaa.” Since then, Estonia has captivated him.
“During that trip, something struck me in such a way that I became more and more interested in Estonia. I can’t pinpoint one thing, but the whole country interested me: the people and the language, the food, the culture, the music, and the architecture,” he says.
Those who know Ahti well will know that he particularly enjoys travelling around Estonia in his own car. His social media updates often feature locations like Saaremaa, Valga, and Narva. He says he made his first car trip to Estonia about twenty years ago, with Haapsalu as his destination.
“One of the things I did there was to test how fast my VW Golf could go on the runway of the former Haapsalu military airport. Since then, I’ve been travelling around Estonia so much, both personally and for business, that I stopped counting the number of trips years ago,” says Ahti, who works as a project manager for special and themed cruises at Viking Line.
According to Ahti, the best thing about summer in Estonia, apart from the natural attractions, is the people and the relaxed atmosphere in almost every town and village. “Estonians know how to create a relaxed and fun summer vibe that resonates with me. There are so many music events, and every village has a summer restaurant where it’s easy to get food on the way.”
“Above all, Estonia has a somewhat more central European feel, thanks to its old culture. It’s different from Sweden, for example, which is a Nordic country,” he says.
Estonian food culture also receives praise. “There is the traditional ‘pork and potatoes’, but in Estonia, both in Tallinn and elsewhere, there is a boldly experimental cuisine, and you can get very high-quality food even in small towns.”
Jaakko Ahti, who has toured Estonia extensively, has a number of favourite destinations.
“There are many favourites, but three stand out above the rest. Number one is definitely Saaremaa, especially the city of Kuressaare,” he says.
“Saaremaa is like Estonia in miniature: within short distances, you can find magnificent nature, from high coastal cliffs to stunning sandy beaches, such as Tuhkana and Mändjala in North Saaremaa near Kuressaare, and from barren junipers to deciduous forests. Kuressaare offers a wide variety of restaurants to suit all tastes. The cultural offerings include opera days, and the castle itself is worth a day visit.”
Another of Ahti’s favourite destinations is Ida-Virumaa. “The city of Narva is a very fascinating destination with many interesting sights,” he says.
“The castle is well-known, but it’s worth taking a guided tour of the bastion corridors inside the city walls, seeing the city’s landscape from the tower of Alexander Church, which has an interesting exhibition on Narva’s history, and taking a guided tour of the huge former Kreenholm factory site.”
According to Ahti, Narva Venice is also worth a visit. There are marinas with “local men’s man caves.” For a drink, he recommends going to the “bohemian beach bar Club RO RO” in Narva harbour, from where you can take a summer boat trip along the Narva River to Narva-Jõesuu.
“The third place is the Wagenküll Spa in southern Estonia, an old castle-like manor house near the Latvian border. For my taste, it’s the most fascinating spa for adults, built in the basement of the ‘castle’ inside stunning stone walls and vaulted arches.”
“The place itself is very peaceful, ideal for couples or groups of friends who want to enjoy a quiet spa weekend and good food. It also works well as a place to stay for a stopover when visiting places like Tõrva and the twin city of Valga-Valka,” he adds.
Jaakko Ahti doesn’t have to think long to find the most special place from his trips to Estonia.
“The most special place is definitely the abandoned mining town of Viivikonna near Sillamäe in eastern Estonia. I found it in Terhi Pääskylä-Malmström’s “Extreme Eesti” travel guide, which featured some of Estonia’s most unusual destinations.”
“The town was built in the 1950s but has since been deserted as mining activities have declined. There are still a few inhabitants, but otherwise, the place has gradually been reclaimed by nature as the houses have been abandoned,” he says.
“I also wanted to visit the site because the music video of my favourite Estonian artist, Kerli, ‘Army of Love,’ was filmed partly in Viivikonna and partly in the Kreenholm factory complex in Narva.”
In terms of nature, Jaakko Ahti highlights the Taevaskoda river canyon in southern Estonia, the Rummu mining lake and sunken buildings west of Tallinn near the ruins of Padise monastery, and the Valaste waterfall and the “fossil beach” below it in eastern Estonia as special places.
So where should you take your car this summer?
“There’s always a good reason to go to Saaremaa! But there are two other places I would recommend,” says Jaakko Ahti.
“Tartu, which is the European Capital of Culture at the moment, is a very good destination for a driver. The drive from Tallinn to Tartu has also been shortened a bit with the completion of the new four-lane motorway halfway to Paide.”
“Tartu has some really nice restaurants, the magnificent Toome Hill, the interesting University Garden, the bohemian Aparaaditehas area, the very interesting Estonian National Museum (ERM), the exciting apartment blocks of Annelinn, and also a few spas for those who need them.”
“I would also encourage you to head towards eastern Estonia. If you want to ‘start gently’, head for the town of Rakvere and the Aqua Spa hotel there. From Rakvere, you can easily make a day trip by car to, for example, Narva and start exploring East Estonia in a lighter way,” he says.
“For those staying in Rakvere, Rakvere Castle is also a good place to visit, as well as the interesting Estonian Police Museum, Päts Sahver Bakery and Café, and Pikk Street, which I think is one of the most beautiful streets in Estonia thanks to its beautifully restored old houses.”
Jaakko Ahti’s three recommendations for summer in Estonia
1. Saaremaa
“In Saaremaa, time stands still in a positive sense. When the ferry docks at the shore of Muhu, a sense of relaxation and serenity settles into the car.”
2. Narva
“The city of Narva is a very fascinating destination with many interesting sights.”
3. Tartu
“Tartu, which is the European Capital of Culture at the moment, is a very good destination for a motorist.”
Travelling by car in Estonia – tips and recommendations
According to Ahti, there are a few things to keep in mind when travelling to Estonia by car.
“Traffic in Estonia runs very smoothly and the roads are in very good condition, actually better than in Finland. Fuel prices are cheaper than in Finland, so it’s worth filling up before you get home. Distances are short, so you can see a lot in just two or three days. There’s no need to be nervous about driving in Estonia, just get in your car and head out of Tallinn!”
“I have driven thousands and thousands of kilometres in Estonia over the years, and I have never seen or experienced anything that felt unpleasant. The car has always been left alone in the car parks. Of course, you should not leave valuables in sight, just as you should not leave them anywhere else. Personally, I find Estonian traffic very safe, flexible and smooth,” says Jaakko Ahti.
“Digitalisation works really well, whether it’s public transport or ferry services on the Estonian islands. And I personally recommend the Waze app, because it’s very intuitive and based on communication with other users.”
To learn more about this and similar topicsEstonia Travel Guide Jaakko Ahti Narva Road Trip in Estonia Saaremaa Tartu Travelling by Car in Estonia
