Culture & Traditions

The people of Estonia tend to be reserved, soft-spoken, and polite, and they’re proud of their cultural identity. The official language is Estonian, but older generations still speak German, and there is a minority of Swedish speakers too. Lutheran Christian and Orthodox are minority religions, but most of the country identify as non-religious.

Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia, after Tallinn, and is home to one of Europe’s oldest universities. It was established in 1632 but was closed from 1710-1802. Tartu is considered the intellectual centre of the country and dubbed the ‘City of Good Thoughts’. Other sites to see in Tartu include the Lutheran St. John’s Church, the 18th century town hall, and the ruins of the 13th century cathedral It’s modern buildings of steel, concrete, and glass have been smartly designed, and blend in smoothly with the old world architecture.

The Old Town in Tallinn has Gothic spires, twenty-six watchtowers, winding cobblestone streets, and iron street lamps from earlier times. Some of its buildings date back to the 111th century. You can take a ‘Legends of Tallinn’ tour while you’re there, and learn about the origin of Tallinn’s former name, Reval, among other mythology and lesser known historical stories.

Within the Old Town also lives Toompea Castle. was originally constructed in the 13th century, and rebuilt in the 18th century. The tower is an important national symbol because tradition dictates that whichever nation flies its flag over it, rules Estonia.

Several holidays are observed in Estonia each year. Some celebrate various important historical days of independence like Independence Day, Victory Day, and the Estonian Restoration of Independence. And some holidays mark other globally recognized events like Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Spring Day (Kevadpuha) is the pagan celebration of the return of nature from its rest and is celebrated with picnics on the first Sunday in May.