Welcome to Estonia!

Official name: Republic of Estonia

Area: 45 227 sq. km

Location: North East Europe

Population: 1.3 million

Capital city: Tallinn

Official language: Estonian

Medieval and Modern - A blend of Old and New First-time visitors are amazed by Estonia's historic ambience. Imagine strolling past Medieval walls and gates, Gothic churches and curious little lanes lit with old-fashioned lamps. At the same time Estonia's cities are surprisingly modern, with the latest high-tech conveniences always at hand. It's this combination of old and new, Medieval and modern, that gives Estonia its unique flavour.
50% of Estonia's territory is covered by forests and 20% by bogs. That means nature areas in Estonia are never far away, no matter where you are. If you want to escape civilization and enjoy a walk in the forest, you can be there in as little as ten minutes.

For more please visit www.visitestonia.com

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia and it lies on a historically unique crossroads by the sea. It is the place where east and west and Northern and Central European cultures meet. Its Old Town forms part of UNESCO’s World Heritage.
Here culturally-minded visitors can explore a vast range of museums, churches and handicraft workshops.

For additional information please visit www.tourism.tallinn.eng

Location: Tallinn is located in Northern Europe in the north-western part of the Baltic Sea region, 80 km south of Helsinki, across the Gulf of Finland. 59’26’ North latitude, 24’46’ East longitude. Distance to Stockholm: 380 km, to St. Petersburg: 400 km, to Berlin: 1030 km.

Climate: The climate in Estonia is temperate, characterized by warm summers and fairly severe winters. The weather is often breezy and humid due to the proximity of the Baltic Sea. Average temperatures range from + 20, 9’ C in summer (July is the hottest month) to –8‘C in winter. Although occasionally the temperature may rise to 30’ C and above in summer or sink below – 30’ C in winter, it is very unusual at our latitude.

Inhabitants: About 410.000 and almost a half of that are Estonians, 40 % Russians and 10 % smaller communities of people from Belarus, Ukraine and Finland.

Language: Estonian language that belongs to the Finno-Ugric language group. English, Finnish and Russian are widely spoken.

Religion: Predominantly Protestant (Lutheran) but also Russian Orthodox community.

Local time: Eastern European Time, GMT + 2 hours.

Public holidays: January 1st (New Year's Day), February 24th (Independence Day), March/April (Good Friday), May 1st (May Day), May/June (Whitsun), June 23rd (Victory Day), June 24th (Midsummer Day) August 20th (Re-Independence Day), December 24th (Christmas Eve), December 25th (Christmas Day), December 26th (Boxing Day).

Currency: The official currency in Estonia is EURO.

Credit cards: Major credits cards are accepted at hotels, restaurants, shops and the leading banks.

Opening hours: Banking hours Monday-Friday 09.00AM-04.00PM. Most banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Currency exchange offices are open from Monday to Friday 09.00AM-06.00PM and on Saturdays 09.00AM-03.00PM. Shops are open Monday-Friday 09.00AM-07.00PM and Saturday 09.00AM-04.00PM. Some remain open until 08.00PM; 09.00PM or 10.00PM and some are open on Sundays. Number of supermarkets and exchange offices are operating around the clock.

Telephone: IDD system is available at all hotels. GSM and NMT net are in wide operation.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 hertz, European-style 2-pin plugs are in use.

Taxi: All licensed taxis charge according to the meter.

Visa: Estonia belongs to EU and Schengen Visa area regulations apply. For further information regarding the visa requirements please visit the website of Estonian Foreign Ministry: www.fm.ee

Tax-free: Tax-free purchase is available in the airport upon departure. The shops have a reasonable choice of goods.

Airport: Tallinn Airport is situated 5 km from the city center. The terminal has recently been completely reconstructed. For more detailed information about the international flights to Tallinn please visit the airport website http://www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng.