Introduction to Estonia – Part 2

Tallin – continued;

It has very many beautiful lakes, sparklingly clear rivers and thick pine forests which you should not miss. You will also find many islands dotted with fishing communities and visited by huge flocks of migrant sea birds. All of which combine to make Estonia a unique place to visit.

The nightlife of Tallinn is an attraction for some but there are better places in Europe. However, the country' s wide open spaces offer a range of open-air activities that are worth the trip. There is canoeing and rafting on lakes and rivers, sailing and other water sports on the Baltic coast, wildlife viewing expeditions and cycling on forest trails.

As a northern European country in the same northern latitudes as St Petersburg and southern Scandinavia, Estonia has long, light summer evenings that make it perfect for sightseeing, or for an active holiday exploring its beautiful heartland.

In this part of the world, you can find that winter days can be quite short and chilly but they also have a splendour all their own. Once winter really arrives then snow covers the fields and forests and there is ice on the lakes, the rivers and the Baltic Sea. It really is a memorable experience and if you are a photographic fan then everywhere you look provides another fantastic shot.

The Land

Estonia is located on the south shore of the Gulf of Finland, at the eastern end of the Baltic Sea, at latitude 59° north and longitude 26° east. The land area only consists of 45, 226sq km. making it one of Europe’s smallest countries.

The Climate

The climate, being on the Gulf of Finland is both maritime and wet. It has moderately cold winters and cool summers. The influence of the Baltic Sea moderates winter temperatures, which may be 4°C warmer on the coast than inland. Winter temperatures from November to March are around freezing, with daytime high temperatures rising to only 4°C. This means that you get snow cover for up to five months of the year inland. In summer, the maximum daytime temperature is normally around 22°C but occasionally when you get a period of clear skies it can rise to around 28°C.

The shallow offshore waters often freeze in winter, however, with the long summer hours of sunshine, which reach 19 hours at their peak, the Baltic waters can be surprisingly warm in July and August and allow you to go swimming. Rainfall is around 6m per year but 1. 50m of that falls as snow.

Continued in part 3