4 Good Reasons for Coming to Estonia!

The increasing number of tourists indicates that Estonia has become a popular destination; focus on the preference of short trips that includes its neighbors, Lithuania and Latvia.

There are several elements which effectively encourage the blooming of tourism in the country. Not only its beautiful natures, but also the intellectual inventions, recreated by Estonians which have become globally recognized.

Firstly, IT development.

Skype, which was invented by Ahti Heinla, Pritt Kasesalu and Jaan Tallinn (the same person who was also behind the file sharing software Kazaa)  is the best example being now the most well-know internet voip application.

Apart from the reputation of Skype, the hi-technology of Estonian identity card is also quite famous since its uses move from the “traditional” one to giving Estonian citizens the possibility of voting, signing documents and paying public transport tickets connecting simple card readers to personal computers.

Then history…

Estonian History is not less interesting than its IT development especially since the country experienced several different dominations such as the Danish, German, Swedish, and Russian ones and this left visible influences on Estonian tradition, culture, and people lifestyle.

The Old town, situated in the center of Tallinn, is the important evidence of the legend of Estonia. But yet, churches, museums, and monuments are easily found in almost every part of Tallinn, and its second and third largest cities, Tartu and Pärnu, which represent the legend of this wonderful country as well.

Thus, it is not doubtful anymore why Estonia is now promoted to be the cultural capital of Europe for the year 2011.

…nature…

The abundance of the natural resources is another factor which attracts a great number of tourists to the country. The found peat and mud nearby the coast of Baltic Sea currently seem to be the most recognized among spa business since all of Estonian spa services emphasize on using the two natural sources of Baltic sea.

Beside the abundance of flora, the fauna of Estonian forests and its coasts is still significantly important since more than 65 species of mammals are found in the area.

…and, why not, even food!

Lastly, marzipan, a sweet made of almond and sugar, has to be mentioned as it is the most well-known snack, orginally made by local pharmacists.

Tallinn’s Town Hall Pharmacy, the oldest pharmacy in Europe, was the first place where marzipan was made in 1422.

Georg Stude is probably the most famous place you must visit if you want to taste proper marzipan but, if you are not so into this kind of almonds-based sweets, then you can try the different meats flavored with local herbs while –possibly- drinking an Estonian beer for experiencing a nice and tasty evening.