IMAGE:^GETTYSAAREMAA
Estonia’s largest and most populous island
almost feels like a country in its own right.
Visitors can expect windmills, castle ruins,
and plenty of choice when it comes to spas
— mainlanders particularly enjoy driving
here for weekends of relaxation. While that ’s
over a causeway and via the island of Muhu in
summer, in winter the route includes a section
on an ice road. Saaremaa’s history of Viking
raids and 20th-century warfare is fascinating,
but the island’s USP is even more intriguing: a
group of nine craters — the biggest, 110 metres
in diameter — caused by a meteorite called
Kaali, which is believed to have crash-landed
here around 7,500 years ago.
VILSANDI
Lying just off the west coast of Saaremaa,
Vilsandi is a national park whose importance
as a wildlife haven was recognised as far back
as 1910, when it was designated as a maritime
bird reserve. Today, the white-tailed eagle and
Eurasian eagle-owl are among the 247 species
THREE TO TRY BALTIC ISLANDS
that draw birders here each summer. Its human
population, meanwhile, is limited to just a
handful of residents, including rangers charged
with looking after the place. Keep an eye
out for 16th-century Loona Manor, the most
significant building on the island, which dates
as far back as the Middle Ages.HIIUMAA
The country’s second-largest island has a
faintly New England feel to it, with a series
of historic lighthouses and easy access to
the wilderness. Kõpu Lighthouse has been
standing for almost 500 years in the middle of
a forest and can still be visited and climbed.
Despite its age, that tower is in much better
condition than the Soviet-era buildings
littering the northern part of the island.
Elsewhere, the pretty coastal town of Kärdla is
home to around 3,000 people, a small museum
detailing island life and some excellent cafes.
The largest settlement on the island, it also
has its own airstrip — handy if you don’t fancy
taking the ferry back to the mainland.ROOTED IN TRADITION
Estonians will tell you
that the world’s first
Christmas tree was
erected and decorated
in the centre of Tallinn
in 1441. Just don’t be
in a rush to repeat this
to any Latvians — they
claim they’re the ones
behind the traditionMORE INFO
Telliskivi Creative City. telliskivi.cc
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Junimperium Distillery. Õ«iÀÕ°ii
Põhjala Brewery & Tap Room.
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Hedon Spa & Hotel.
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Visit Estonia. ÛÃÌiÃÌ>°VHOW TO DO IT
Regent Holidays has a three-night trip
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i>ÃÞiÌ°VFor a small nation, Estonia has an astonishing number of islands (over 2,000, in
fact). Although many are uninhabited, several are home to thriving communities
— some with cultures and histories not just distinct from the Estonian mainland
but from each other — and make an excellent addition to a city break
Sõrve Lighthouse, on the
southern tip of Saaremaa64 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
WEEKENDER