Luxury Vacations in Estonia

A land wreathed in wood smoke and bird song, Estonia is a small country with large, wide-open spaces. Lighthouses stand guard on its coast, windmills turn amid wildflower meadows.

It’s a country with more than 2,000 islands, scattered over the Baltic Sea, most of them uninhabited. Space to stretch out, roam around, learn how people live here. First under Danish rule, then Swedish, followed by German and Soviet occupation, it’s only been on the travel map for 30 years – but fast regained its identity and acquired fresh skills. Folklore and homespun cooking have come to the fore alongside a newfound status as an eastern Silicon Valley. The tradition of smoke saunas is a national obsession. The capital, Tallinn, is a medieval time-capsule, with sugar-spun spires and candle-lit restaurants where pewter pots of mead are clanked – but also home to a reborn industrial district with bars and galleries. The real draw, though, lies outside, bog-shoe walking across mysterious wetlands, hiking the Jagala waterfall and birdwatching on the Paljassaare Peninsula – while its white sands make it a surprising beach destination. A deeply immersive, breathe-in-deep country.