Beautiful old towns, healing nature, interesting culture and delicious food can be found all over the world, but Estonians add a special touch to it.
- When you think of scuba diving, you probably imagine the blue coast of a tropical country, with coral reefs teeming with fish. Well... there's no coral in Estonia, but there is an unexpected place with blue water that's perfect for diving. It just happens to be a flooded former prison and quarry complex in Rummu (40 min drive from the capital Tallinn).
Karina Oliani, TV host & adventurer
"It's really a unique place, I've never seen anything like this!"
- Do you think that swing sets only belong on children's playgrounds? Think again. The sport of kiiking, invented in the 1990s in Estonia, lets you live your childhood dream of swinging 360 degrees in the air. There are several aspects that distinguish a kiiking swing from a regular swing. First and foremost, you can change the height of the swing, which is measured by the height of the swing shafts that connect the swing seat to the spindle. Moreover, swinging on kiiking swings is generally done in an upright position and by using a specific squatting technique, which differs greatly from regular swinging methods.
Petra Martin, Bayern 2 journalist
"My heart was pumping a lot and I was afraid, but I might try it once more!"
- Estonian smoke sauna is listed by UNESCO as an item of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Compared to typical saunas, smoke saunas are chimneyless and heated by trapping the smoke from a wood-fire for hours. Before entering, the smoke is released, and temperatures reach up to 100 degrees Celsius. To get the full sauna experience, you'll also have to fearlessly jump into a frozen lake and let yourself whipped with a bundle leaves known as a whisk. Sweating in a soot-covered chamber, submerging in freezing water, and getting beaten probably sounds like torture to most people. For Estonians, these are the right ingredients for a relaxing Saturday night.
- Life in Estonia can be rustic and ultra-modern all at the same time. Satoshi Miyagawa, a technology and education promoter from Japan, came to establish e-Residency and learn about Estonia's digital revolution but along the way, he ended up on a giant island making 'wasabi' the #EstonianWay from a wild, local plant called wild garlic. Thanks to its intense flavour, wild garlic banished harmful microbes from the body and aids with digestion.
Satoshi Miyagawa
"It's like the Italian pesto made out of basil, but instead of basil you use this."
- Choral music is deeply intertwined with Estonian culture and history. In fact, the largest national event is the Song and Dance Celebration, which draws crowds of over 100,000 people. It's held every five years with the next one taking place June 30th to July 2nd 2023.
Bob Chilcott, a British choral composer, conductor and singer
"The Estonian way, the call that, and that's lovely!"
- U.S. rapper and award-winning superstar Post Malone jumped out of a concert in Estonia for a session on the Estonian-made Mash Machine. By instantly mixing vocals, melodies and drums, he pumped out some sweet beats to set off a backstage party.
