Saaremaa was a wonderful island and we enjoyed spending our time there. Unfortunately, we didn't do the island of Hiiumaa. But you should also save a few highlights for your next vacation.
Muhu Island 2.0
In the evening I stupidly played Popeye. Our bathroom sink had been draining badly for days and when I was getting ready to go to bed in the evening, I tried to pump the water a little by hand. Well, big shit, the sink broke. It now has a complete crack from one side through the middle to the other. Yes, October will be busy, when we are at home, a new sink will probably be made. Let's see how far Basti can manage to repair it at least in such a way that it can be used.
After we deal with the world's best rye bread and homemade herb butter in Liiva have covered, we drove on to Üügu Kliff. Here we walked a bit and took some photos. Then it went on towards the ferry and back to the mainland.
You can find more tips about Muhu here at Travel Sisi.
Haapsalu - Venice of the North
When we arrived in Virtsu there was a car wash, where we first freed our polar bear from dust and insects. It's unbelievable how much is accumulating there. We then made an appointment with our dear friend in Haapsalu. There we then took a look at the small port town. The parking lot was right on that Episcopal Castlewhich dates from the 14th century. Sebastian wanted to go to the castle, but a mass was being held.
In the direction of the promenade we walked through cute little streets with lots of little wooden houses. On the promenade you could see the Kurhaus, but only from the outside, as they had a closed party. The promenade was very long, but you had a wonderful view over the water. In the middle of the water there was also a polar bear to be seen.
Haapsalu is also called the Venice of the North. Of course we looked at bridges and rivers and wondered why it should be called Venice. Later we read that it was only called that because of the inflows. Well, we were a bit disappointed ...
Dirhami - cute little marina
For the night we drove to Dirhami harbor and were rewarded with a wonderful view. We stood right behind the beach and had a view of the sea. At the marina there was a restaurant where we had dinner in the evening. Harbor stop, only fish dishes and a vegetarian one. Very tasty, well-arranged portions and not that cheap. But since we had a lot of freedom, we thought we'd treat ourselves to it.
Tallinn - capital of Estonia
After a quiet night we are on to Padilski to a Cliff hazards. Padilski is a slightly larger city by the sea, which has mostly industrial areas. It was amazing to drive around town and only see businesses. In contrast, the other side only had poor houses. A bit depressing to see something like that. The cliff was different from the previous ones. It was made entirely of slate. You could see the individual layers through the breaks. When we got back to the bus, 2 jet jets shot over the water along the coast. They were super deep and loud, but also nice to look at at times.
At first we thought about spending the night on the cliff. Where we stood we also had a great view over the water. However, we didn't feel quite as comfortable as several small transports drove back and forth a few meters away and loaded and unloaded items. In addition, we wanted to go to the vet with Finja the next day because of the worming treatment she needs for Finland. And since we wanted to give her rest for 1-2 days before the ferry crossing, we wanted to do that with the vet as soon as possible. So after a long lunch break we drove towards Tallinn to a campsite not far from the vet.
The next day we went to the vet early and Finja received her worming treatment. Back on the square, we did a lot on the bus, washed the laundry and did a little bit of work on the homepage. The weather was also great and we achieved a lot. In the evening dark clouds and rain came and continued the next day. Since we had booked the ferry for 2 days later, we drove to Tallinn and stood at the port. Before that, we had done a bulk purchase and had our gas bottle refilled.
We went to Tallinn with our friend, had a look around and ate something. After a not so great night because of the suitcase passengers and a small truck that had to be behind our cars in the morning, we made our way to the FreeWalkingTour made into town. The tour went about 2 hours through the old town, which is just a dream. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. There are an unbelievable number of buildings and remains of walls from the 14th to 16th centuries. In addition, many street sections are cobblestone, which at times was not so pleasant to walk.
The Town Hall Square with the town hall itself forms the center of the old town. On the top of the tower of the town hall is the "Old Thomas" who has been fulfilling the task of protecting the city since 1530. In a legend of Tallinn he is mentioned as a courageous city servant who threw himself into a host of enemies to protect his city. There are many cafes and restaurants around the square.
The "Three sisters" we have also found. Here, too, you can see the different construction methods of the centuries. Today they are a single hotel complex.
It went up to the Toompea. Up here you can find the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is reminiscent of the time of the Soviet Union.
Two walls and three towers remain from the medieval castle. From the place behind the walls you have a wonderful view over the old town and you can see a lot of towers that belong to churches. Opposite the cathedral is the representative castle, which is now known as the houses of Parliament serves. The Freedom Square with its victory monument means independence for Estonia and serves as a reminder of the First World War.
After the 2h we went to eat in a small pancake house, because even the locals consider them to be the best in Tallinn. We can only confirm this. When we were back at about 6:00 p.m., we first put the car in the middle in the hope of having a better night. With Sabrina and Jan von Pietstraumreise.de, whom we met on the way, we sat outside and chatted for a long time.
After a better night we got up early and drove to the ferry around 11 a.m. The departure was around noon and was also quite calm from the waves. At 2.15 p.m. we were in Helsinki, Finland.
You can see more pictures in the Estonia photo gallery look at.
Our conclusion on Estonia:
Estonia is just beautiful !! We only saw the west side, but it was really terrific. Through Saaremaa we spent most of the days in the Baltic States in Estonia and it was actually not enough. We were more than impressed by the capital Tallin. The old town is so cute with its alleys and old buildings. We will definitely not have been to Estonia for the last time.
General travel tips:
- Top places in Estonia: Saaremaa island, capital Tallinn, place Haapsalu, Laheema National Park
- Currency: Euro
- Capital: Tallinn
- Language: Estonian. You can get on very well here with English.
- Internet: Excellent network. Usually 4G is available everywhere at a good speed.
Tips for traveling with a motorhome or car:
- Drive: There is a 24-hour light requirement in Estonia. Don't forget, otherwise it will be expensive! The alcohol limit is 0.0%. There are some fixed speed cameras, but we usually saw a lot of mobile speed cameras. It is better to keep a little below the specified speed. The locals drive quite defensively, so that you can spare your holiday budget and your nerves.
- Refueling: Diesel or gasoline is generally a little cheaper than in Germany. On the ADAC homepage you can find out an approximate value per liter, country and currency.
- Refill gas bottle: Anyone traveling on to Finland should check their gas supplies in Tallinn and have them refilled if necessary. In Finland there are only bottles with one (Epsilon sign) refilled on the gas cylinder. There is a gas station in the industrial area that refills the bottles for a small price. The operators have all common adapters ready. The gas station “Autogaasi tankala” can be found here: Betooni 3, 11415 Tallinn, Estonia
- Pitches / campsites: Apart from the big apps like Park4Night for parking spaces and Camping.Info There is still a special app for campsites in Estonia RMK Loodusega koos which shows all official fire pits, toilets and nature park routes.
- Traveling with a dog: An EU pet passport with a valid rabies vaccination and a chip are required. If you want to translate from Estonia to Finland, the dog must be wormed 24-120 hours before the trip. You can get the appropriate wormer treatment, which your dog can best tolerate, from your local veterinarian beforehand. The veterinarian in Estonia will then testify to your gift to the dog. With the ferries from Tallink and Eckeröline, the dog can be taken in the vehicle or in a separate cabin for the approx. 2 hours without any problems.
- Shop: The big supermarkets are open Monday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Smaller shops in the country are also generally open every day, but the opening times can vary greatly.
