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| Tallinn |
A certified Green Destination, has moved up five places in the Euromonitor Sustainable Travel Index 2023 www.euromonitor.com
The Baltic country of Estonia, in Northern Europe, has more than 1,500 islands and a diverse terrain that takes in rocky beaches, oldgrowth forest and many lakes.
The capital, Tallinn is known for its preserved Old Town. Over half of the country is forested and with some of the cleanest air in the world.
The European Green Capital 2023
Tallinn is the European Green Capital 2023, with its UNESCO medieval old town and new urban redevelopments outside the city walls, easily discovered on foot, by e-scooter.
Exploring further afield can be undertaken by eco-friendly trams and buses.
Eco-conscious accommodation
A wide range of eco-conscious accommodation is available with 40 properties having Green Key certification.
The restaurants offer cuisine using local ingredients and seasonal menus including the Michelin Green star, zero-waste Fotografiska.
There are also public drinking water taps across the city. Local markets such as the Katariina Guild and the Master’s Courtyard have craftspeople and designers making products on site.
The Baltic Station Market houses local produce, vintage and antique shops and Central Market offers food and handicrafts.
Rummu Quarry
An hour’s drive out of Tallinn is the blue lagoon of the submerged limestone Rummu Quarry. Its former prison, now underwater, is a converted nature reserve with watersports on the lake and hiking around its mountain.
Pärnu
The coastal town of Pärnu has a sandy beach, promenade, and coastal meadow nature reserve, and has been listed in the top 100 sustainable locations in the world, by Green Destinations, the EU founded international organisation focusing on sustainable tourism.
One-fifth of the is covered in forest groves, tree-lined avenues, parks, and home gardens.
The sea, rivers, beaches, promenades, parks and forest groves make Pärnu a place of genuine natural diversity.
Saaremaa
The island of Saaremaa, together with the other western islands, belongs to the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme.
Here is the Vilsandi National Park, with 20 protected nature and landscape reserves, some 36 flowering orchid species and nature and hiking trails.
It is also a lure for birdwatchers in autumn and spring as birds stop by during their annual migrations. The forest and the sea play a vital role in the diet of the islanders, with restaurants often naming the farm where ingredients are sourced.
Fish caught in the morning is on the menu by lunchtime.
Tartu, European Capital of Culture in 2024
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| Tartu |
One of the projects in the Tartu 2024 programme is Curated Biodiversity which promotes the maintenance and restoration of biodiversity in Tartu’s parks and green spaces with activities for different generations.
The city is compact and good for walking and cycling, offering an easy-to-use Smart Bike Share with over 750 bicycles or use the public bio-gas buses to explore.
The Smart Bike Share and bio-gas buses can be combined as both ticketing systems use the same card. www.tartu2024.ee/en/
* Samantha at visitestonia@goshpr.co.uk
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