Here in Estonia, we simply love our saunas... Sitting in the hot steam naked with your friends and time to time hitting each other with branches of birch trees - what's not to like? It sounds simple and understandable to locals, but confusing to visitors. So, here is a simple overview of everything you need to know about the sauna culture in Estonia. 1. Local honor the sauna If you have seen how red people get in their faces when sitting in a hot sauna, then it is easy to imagine what Estonians would look like if you were to say something inappropriate about Estonian sauna culture. Locals do not appreciate it if someone suggests that a sauna is only a Finnish thing. In reality, saunas are as popular, if not more popular, in Estonia than they are in Finland. People have saunas in central Tallinn apartments, in all public swimming pools, and in their cottages. Many go to the sauna at least once a week, some go every day, and excuses for going vary from business meetings to family reunions. 2. How to use an Estonian sauna the proper way? The sauna procedure itself is simple. You stay in the hot 100°C sauna until you get "comfortably warm". To cool yourself down, you either take a shower or sit in a cozy room in front of the sauna, where you can have a cold drink or some snacks. People normally do at least 2-3 of these sauna rounds, but some can spend the entire evening in the sauna, going in and out several times. The perfect sauna experience would be in a small countryside house with a lake or a river nearby. Locals love to dip themselves into the water or jump into the snow or an ice hole
Here in Estonia, we simply love our saunas… Sitting in the hot steam naked with your friends and time to time hitting each other with branches of birch trees – what’s not to like? It sounds simple and understandable to locals, but confusing to visitors. So, here is a simple overview of everything you need
Oh, the weather outside may be frightful, but Tallinn is truly delightful… Visiting Estonia in winter is exciting because it offers so many unique activities you simply won’t find in most other countries. Yes, it can be cold — and by the time you’ve gathered the courage to head outdoors, pulled on your warm mittens, silly winter hat, and heavy boots, you want to make sure the effort is worth it. That’s exactly why we’ve created a collection of unique, custom-made winter tours, designed only for private groups and not listed anywhere else. These experiences combine several winter activities in one day, allowing you to make the most of your stay in Tallinn — and the few precious hours of daylight we get during the Nordic winter. 1. Snow-Shoe hiking followed by a picnic by the frozen waterfall Snowshoe hiking is the perfect invitation to step into winter’s untouched beauty - no crowds, no noise, just you, nature, and the crisp echo of snow beneath your feet. With no special skills required, it’s ideal for beginners, families with teenagers, and anyone wanting to explore the outdoors safely and comfortably. After enjoying the forest and bog-walk on snow-shoes, we head to the frozen Jägala Waterfall, where icicles and icy blue colours create a spectacular winter scene. Enjoy hot tea, a light snack, and a little Estonian schnapps to warm up while admiring the frozen waterfall up close. This nature tour combines our two tours: snow-shoe tour and picnic by the Frozen Jägala Waterfall. 2. Cross-country skiing lesson & a relaxing sauna Before you picture skiing in Estonia, here’s something you should know: our highest peak is lower than the highest peak in the Netherlands — yes, the famously flat country. So downhill skiing isn’t really our thing. Instead, we’re passionate about cross-country skiing, also
Oh, the weather outside may be frightful, but Tallinn is truly delightful… Visiting Estonia in winter is exciting because it offers so many unique activities you simply won’t find in most other countries. Yes, it can be cold — and by the time you’ve gathered the courage to head outdoors, pulled on your warm mittens,
Visiting Estonia in winter is exciting, as it offers so many winter activities and things to do, which are hard to find in most other countries. It can be cold in the winter, so when you finally get yourself together to head outside, put on your warm mittens, silly winter hat, and heavy boots (read more about winter clothing from the blog post here). Then, you want to make sure that your effort of enduring the cold is worth it. Here are some of our most popular winter tours that allow you to enrich your stay in Tallinn and make the most of the few hours of daylight we have each day. 1. (Frozen) Jägala Waterfall and Picnic Estonia’s largest natural waterfall is changing every day during the winter. It might be frozen or partly frozen. If the winter has not been too cold, the waterfall does not freeze, but it has a lot of water and is a fantastic site to visit. Our Jägala Waterfall and Picnic Tour brings you up close to this frozen spectacle before treating you to a delicious outdoor picnic with homemade Estonian snacks and warm drinks—a treat for the senses in a picture-perfect winter setting. 2. Cross-Country Skiing – Learn a New Skill in Tallinn Want to try a winter sport loved by locals? Our Learn to Ski in Tallinn tour is a fantastic way to learn cross-country skiing, Estonia’s national winter sport. Our expert instructors will guide you through the basics in some of the best skiing tracks in Tallinn, ensuring that even complete beginners have a great time gliding through the snow. One thing to note before considering skiing in Estonia: the country's highest peak is lower than the highest peak in the Netherlands, which is often considered a very flat country. Therefore,
Visiting Estonia in winter is exciting, as it offers so many winter activities and things to do, which are hard to find in most other countries. It can be cold in the winter, so when you finally get yourself together to head outside, put on your warm mittens, silly winter hat, and heavy boots (read
