10 unusual attractions to see in Estonia

What to do with your family, children, friends, guests, or colleagues in Tartu? Are you looking for new experiences and great photos? You have come to the right place! The Upside Down House is an exciting and dizzying experience where all of this is possible. The Upside Down House has furniture, a refrigerator, and everything else which is usually found on the floor – but here, they are on the ceiling. Well, actually, they are on the floor, but here, the ceiling is the floor. But wait – maybe it is you that is upside down? The house is also slightly sloped to test your balance. All of this is confusing, funny, and exciting. :) The visit takes about 30 minutes – during this time, you will experience the house fully and are able to take cool pictures as well!

Piusa Caves Visitor Centre houses a museum, a seminar room for 50 people, a café and a handicrafts room for children. We provide guide services, educational excursions, workshops and seminars for schools. You can visit the observation platform at the Show Cave when accompanied by the guide. The Piusa sandstone caves are the result of hand-mining glass sand during 1922–1966. The biggest wintering colony of bats in East Europe is located in the caves. Ticket includes: access to exhibits and nature films at the Visitor Centre, a guided tour to the closed observation platform of the Show Cave.

Altja is a typical seaside village, with all of its houses stretching along one street. The village was first mentioned in written records in 1465. The Uustalu and Toomarahva farms at Altja are typical coastal farms and have been restored by Lahemaa National Park. On the headland of Altja, you can see the fishing net sheds which were reconstructed on the basis of old photographs and the memories of the villagers. The village also has its own swing and tavern, where you can try local dishes.

Would you like to listen to the sounds of the forest or hear your own thoughts better in silence? Then come to Võru County to a fir forest by the RMK Pähni Nature Centre where you'll find forest megaphones – three gigantic wooden megaphones with a diameter of three metres, each named Ruup. Ruup invites you to read forest sounds and offers hikers a possibility to rest their feet and their minds. Here, you can sit, sleep, think and listen. You can select between a small and a large view, depending on which direction you look in the Ruup. Ruup is an open library with only one book – the nature.

The exciting and fascinating history of the city of Paldiski and the Pakri Peninsula along with the local nature are more than worth discovering as they offer many surprises. Here you'll find a fortress of Peter the Great, the Muula hills, a lighthouse, Amandus Adamson Studio Museum, Leetse Manor, St. Nicholas' Church, St. George's Church, the Paldiski Naval School, and the cliffs. In addition, you can see the rich heritage from the area's time as a military campus when civilians were prohibited from entering this town. The programme can be adjusted to suit your specific needs! Duration: up to 2 hours. A bus tour: max 55 people A walking tour: 10–25 people A tour in Estonian: 45 euros. Interesting fact: the area of Paldiski is the second largest in Estonia, second only to Tallinn, covering the peninsula in addition to the city.

The Smoke sauna traditions of Old Võromaa have found their honoured spot on the list of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of the world. At Mooska Farm, you can try a piece of this ancient Estonian heritage for yourself. A traditional sauna session lasts at least three (3) hours and the smoke sauna of Mooska Farm can comfortably accommodate eight people. The rich aroma of burning wood is complemented by a whispered note of meat smoked in the sauna, birch boughs, and sauna honey. Since it's located next to a pond, during the winter, you can quickly dip yourself in the nearby icy waters. The sauna's cost includes two boughs, hand-made soaps, sauna honey and herbal tea. For an additional fee, you can also receive a juniper bough, towels, a sauna hat, a bathrobe and some homemade beer.

Sangaste Castle is one of the 21 Southern Estonian places worth discovering that are marked with a yellow National Geographic window. If you are interested in culture and history, it is definitely worth a visit. Sangaste castle and park were fashioned after the famous Windsor castle in England. The magnificent halls, architecture and history of the castle make this a good place for a big wedding, get-togethers or spending the night in a genuine castle. The castle restaurant serves local food and real rye vodka made from Sangaste rye. In addition to the castle, the stables, dairy, barn, water tower and arboretum are also open for visitors.

Kirna Manor house and park are considered among the top five places in the world with the most ancient power. When a dashing white stone manor house was built in Kirna, it could be seen from far away from the top of the hill. Unfortunately, there is not much of this former glory left, but the manor is gradually getting it back and new rooms are opened to guests one after another. The manor has a natural treatment and healing centre. Great emphasis is placed on mental health. The manor hosts various lectures, workshops, concerts, salon evenings, and exhibitions. Kirna is a place where every person is always welcomed, cared about, and loved.

Would you like to have a real taste of mining? All you need to do is put on your wellies, grab a warm jacket and take a lamp because where else than in the subterranean world would you hear, see and feel the same things as the men who toiled away in below ground every day? The mining museum also has an Enrichment Factory. As an educational experience, it demonstrates the journey of oil shale, tells how energy is created and showcases information on the subject of future trends in the energy sector. Please note! Ticket sales for the underground museum end two hours before the museum is closed, and ticket sales for the Enrichment Factory end an hour before closing time.

The double-terraced waterfall is located on the Narva River, just above the city. Kreenholm Island is located between the two terraces. The famous Kreenholm Textile Factory was built on the shore of the waterfall in the 19th century and was the largest factory in the Russian Empire at that time. In 1913 more than ten thousand people worked there! A compact complex of industrial architecture developed around the factory that included the factory, a hospital, workers' barracks, directors' houses, and Kreenholm Park. The buildings were built in the English style using red brick. The Kreenholm brand is known far beyond Estonia. The territory of the manufactory is closed, but there are guided tours on Sundays.

Kiviõli Adventure Centre is located on the slopes of the old ash hill to the north of the town centre. The hill is divided into two – one half is a ski slope with downhill trails, a snowboarding park, and a snowtubing run. In the summer, it transforms into running tracks, as well as tracks for downhill and mountain vehicles, and a 700-metre-long zip-line. The other half is the Motocross centre, featuring Estonia’s first world championship course, which is 1,950 metres long and has a height difference of 26 metres. There is a large car park for competitors, an area for washing motorcycles, a system designed to keep the course wet, tunnels beneath the course, and lighting along the full length of the trail. The biggest event here in the summer is the two-day Kiviõli Motocross Festival. Kiviõli Adventure Centre offers activities for the entire family!

The lighthouse at the northern part of the Juminda Peninsula on the northern coast helps ships navigate. The lighthouse was built in 1937 and obtained its today's height and shape in 2006. During the Soviet era a rocket base under the strict surveillance of border guard was located on the peninsula.  In August 1941 a naval battle with the highest victim count was held at the end of the creek of the Juminda Peninsula. Juminda Peninsula has also been mentioned on several occasions in the stories of the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg (Son of Kalev). The lighthouse can only be viewed from afar. But the history of the peninsula is so fascinating that you'll find a day's worth of exploring there!

If you would like to visit and stay overnight in one of the smallest and most special countries in the world, you should head for the Sorcerer’s Kingdom in the Primeval Valley of Lake Uhtjärv. You will be welcomed by the Chief Sorcerer, Uhti, who will show you the possessions of the Sorcerer’s Kingdom and tell you its legends. In the Sorcerer’s Kitchen you can taste a variety of meals - Rumpel-Pumpel’s dinner is particularly good. There are enough leisure activities for you, your family and friends for the whole day, but you should definitely try one of the most unique sports – broom throwing. You can stay overnight in cosy rooms, or if you're seeking a more extreme experience, you will probably find that sleeping in the little huts on their chicken legs is an interesting thing to try!

The Pesapuu watchtower is 30 meters high (the top observation platform is 27 meters from the ground) and it resembles a tree with two bird nests.  The architect Karmo Tõra was the original author of the idea. The watchtower is eye-catching during both the day and the night. In the evening, lights of different colours are turned on to shed light on the so-called bird nests or observation platforms and the so-called golden egg on the top of the tower. Tourists that reach the top are offered picturesque views of the Nightingale Valley and the rest of Võru County. Pesapuu is opened around the clock.

The crystal clear light greenish blue lagoon of Rummu quarry and the adjacent artificial hill are an unbelievably unique combination and an extraordinary destination for a day trip. At the Rummu quarry the following awaits you: a hike around the mountain and amazing views, a water park, pedal boats, SUP boards, a summer cafe, a disc golf park, diving, concerts, sporting events, sunbathing on the beach and swimming. You can also take part in a tour of Murru Prison with an audio-guide or a tour guide! It is a place that will not close! Come to Rummu!

Soomaa National park and high water trips await you! The most memorable way of enjoying the Fifth Season - the period of spring flooding in the national park - is canoeing through its waters along roads, through forests, past farmhouses and over fields. Instructors from Ahja Matkad OÜ go canoeing and hiking in Soomaa in all sorts of conditions, both in summer and the Fifth Season. An instructor always accompanies visitors during the period of flooding so as to guide you and ensure that your trip is both interesting and safe.