Recommendations

 

Even though we have quite a packed programme for you, hopefully you will have some time for yourself to really take in what Estonia has to offer. We have put together some recommendations that we thought might interest you, if you're not sure where to start, from districts to visit, restaurants to try to things you could buy in local supermarkets. Hope it helps!

 

TALLINN

Districts to visit

Old town - UNESCO World Heritage Listed, truly well-preserved and magical
Kalamaja - bohemian neighbourhood, named among the 40 coolest neoighbourhoods in the world by TimeOut magazine
Telliskivi - creative district with lots of great restaurants, bars and street art
Kopli - used to be quite a dodgy area but now it's one of the more hipster areas of the city, we especially recommend visiting the Põhjala factory and Karjase sai bakery. 
Kadriorg - colourful wooden buildings, a more upscale district, Estonian president's palace and beautiful Kadrioru park
Rotermann - a very modern area in the city centre. Good place for shopping. 

 

Museums/monuments/what to do

Fotografiska - a photography museum with locations in Tallinn, Stockholm, New York, Berlin and Shanghai
Sea Plane Harbour - Estonian Maritime Museum, has been the most popular museum in Estonia for years, truly unique and newly renovated (located near the Kalamaja disctrict)
Tallinn city hall - this is not the city hall in the conventional sense, but a huge abandoned concert and conference venue in the city centre, by the sea. We recommend going on the roof, bring a snack and hang out there. Very nice sunsets!
Song festival grounds - you have hopefully heard that Estonians regained their independence in 1991 by singing. We recommend watching the movie The Singing Revolution to understand our history a bit more. And then visit the place where the song festivals take place every 5 years. And then come back for the next song festival in 2025. 
Kadriorg palace and park - Estonian president's palace and a beautiful park around it. 

Kumu - Estonian Art Museum (located in Kadriorg)

 

Restaurants 

Barbarea - located in Kopli, in Põhjala factory, fine dining, delicious seasonal local dishes
Vegan restaurant V - the most popular vegan restaurant in Estonia, a very cozy restaurant in the old town
Chakra - really nice Indian food, located in the old town
Rataskaevu16 - really great seasonal food, vegetarian options available, great service always, located at Rataskaevu 16 in the old town
Olde Hansa - medieval restaurant, they also offer bear meat, quite touristy but tasty food, located in the old town
F-hoone - very nice lively atmosphere, variety of food on the menu, located in Telliskivi creative district (in the same area, we also recommend Lendav Taldrik for Indian food)
Viru food hall - easiest and fastest way to grab food in the city centre, located in the Viru shopping centre. 

 

Nightlife

Telliskivi district - nice area for drinks (Möku, Põhja Konn, Kivi Paber Käärid, Junimperium, Suhe, Park'la in the summer)
Old Town - Must puudel, Winkel, Mikkeller Old Town

 

 

TARTU

Districts to visit

Karlova - bohemian neighbourhood with wooden buildings
Supilinn - district by the river where every street is named after food ingredients (Supilinn literally means Soup town)
Toome hill park - located in the city centre, very green and calm
Widget factory - (Aparaaditehas in Estonian) a creative area in Tartu with nice restaurants and shops

 

Museums/monuments/what to do

Estonian National Museum - a very impressive building for anyone who loves architecture and the exhibitions are very interactive and give a great overview of our history and culture
A. Le Coq brewery - one of the most popular beer companies in Estonia, their brewery (oldest brewery in Estonia!) is located just 5 minutes from EMÜ campus
Ahhaa Science Centre - if you're interested in science and the fun side of it, this is for you. 
Tartu University Botanical Garden - located in the city centre, a serene place to relax. 
Boat tour - everything in Tartu revolves around the river, so if you have a chance, go for a boat ride. 

 

Restaurants

Kolm Tilli - street food and best pizza in Estonia, located about a 15 minute walk from the city centre, in the Widget Factory (Aparaaditehas)
Crepp - they have really great salads and crepes
La Dolce Vita - every local's favourite Italian restaurant
Pompei - quite fancy Italian food, very tasty though
Püssirohukelder - translates to Gun Powder Cellar, has the Guinness World Record for pub with the highest ceiling

 

Nightlife

Möku - students' favourite bar
Kivi - very bohemian, nice courtyard
Väike Kuuba - mojito bar by the river, everyone's favourite place in the summer
Shooters - best option for a party almost every night of the week
Pühaste kelder - best selection of beers in Tartu
Illegaard - another students' favourite, open quite late and also serve food until late
Pirogov park - located next to Lydia hotel and right behind Tartu city hall where many of you are staying, the only public place where you're allowed to drink outdoors. So it's very popular to buy a drink from a shop nearby and go there with friends. 

 

ESTONIA IN GENERAL

If you have time before or after the event to visit places outside Tallinn and Tartu, here are a few options. 

Narva, the most north-Eastern point of Estonia – this town borders Russia, so it’s an interesting vibe but the town itself is quite pretty in its own way. About 3 hours from Tallinn. 
Viru bog – if you want to do nature then this is the easiest bog to visit from Tallinn and bog hikes are what we do in Estonia. 
Rummu quarry – quite a wild old quarry located next to an old prison. Very blue water, nice for a swim. Close to Tallinn!
Pärnu – summer capital of Estonia, the most popular beach is there, fun in the summer but mostly when the weather is nice. About 2 hours from Tallinn. 
Saaremaa island - the biggest of our 2222 islands
Lake Peipsi and the Onion route - located between Estonia and Russia, lake Peipsi is the biggest trans-boundary lake in Europe, and the road that winds by it is called the Onion route because locals grown onions there and sell them on the side of the road. This area is very beautiful and has lots of nice places to stop, have lunch and go for a swim. 
Viljandi - the so-called folk capital of Estonia where every summer, a huge folk music festival takes place. The small town has some of the most beautiful views in Estonia from the Viljandi Castle Ruins on Lake Viljandi. 

WHAT TO BUY

Not that we think you need to buy anything but just in case you'd like to get something local to remember your visit, here are our recommendations

Food
- Kalev is the local chocolate brand, you can find it in every shop
- Rye bread - you get this with almost every dish in most restaurants, it is more common in Estonia than white bread, definitely try it
- Estonian dairy products - when you go to a supermarket in Estonia, you will see a very wide variety of yoghurts, cottage cheeses, kefirs, ICE CREAMS that are made in Estonia and we recommend you to try them. 

Clothes, accessories
- Reet Aus upcycled clothes 
- Tanel Veenre earrings
- Suva socks