When a visit to the supermarket becomes the highlight of your day, a trip to nature feels like a full-blown getaway. Whether you happen to be in Estonia right now, or just doing research online – here are our suggestions for the best nature experiences in Estonia.
Nature at your doorstep
Estonians flock to nature, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Photo by: Visit Estonia
Hiking trails in demand
Estonian landmass is almost 51% forest with more than 2,000 kilometres of hiking trails at your disposal, including:
20% of Estonia's territory is taken up by national parks. This means that you are at all times roughly 15 kilometres away from the nearest bog at any given point. Estonia is also coastal, with 3,800 kilometres of coastline dotted with over 2,000 islands. Wildlife cameras are set up all across the country to stream the everyday lives of grey seals, birds, and bears that roam in Estonia. Please see below for links to specific cameras. If you'd like to learn more about Estonian nature, you can even take an online workshop offered by the Estonian Natural History Museum.
Run a virtual marathon
Tartu Forest Marathon, known as the biggest cross-country running event in the Baltics, brings around 10,000 participants to the track each spring. Due to all public events being prohibited in the spring of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 38th Tartu Forest Marathon will take place as a virtual race instead. Participants can choose between the 4 traditional distances of the regular forest marathon: 42, 24, 10 or 5 km. The great news is that it is up to each participant to decide where to run, so you can participate wherever you happen to be in the world right now. All virtual runners will be awarded with a magnificent medal of Tartu Forest Marathon.
