Sometimes, Being Alone is Simply Right.
Paris, London, and New York City offer unique sights, but they are also jam packed with people. Crowds are not for everyone, especially when the goal is to enjoy nature’s quiet splendor. Eco-travelers looking for the joy of experiencing untouched environmental beauty and the splendor of being alone for just a little while in a crowded world will be amazed it took so long to discover the Republic of Estonia, located in Northern Europe on the Baltic Sea.
Normally, when you say something is “deserted,” it implies inaccessibility or even neglect or abandonment. In the case of Estonia, “deserted” means untouched, natural beauty offering travelers an opportunity to enjoy a mosaic of natural sites that include peat bogs, woods, lakes, forests, oceans, and islands. If you want private space to enjoy nature, then Estonia is the right destination. Yet, it cannot really be described as “far from the madding crowd,” because there is no madding crowd, nor do you have to go far away from the city to find environmental delights. Most of the gloriously deserted natural wonders are a short distance from Estonian cities like Tallinn, an intact medieval European city.
Estonia has a rich history that includes German conquests, a Danish invasion, a Swedish capture, and being a Soviet possession. Independent since 1991, it has focused on developing a market economy with great success. The country is now prosperous, claiming a medium to high income level. However, instead of sitting back and enjoying that prosperity, Estonians looked at their country and realized they lived in a natural jewel with many facets that needed protecting. Those facets include the sea, wetlands, forests, meadows, lakes, and diverse animal and insect species. There are mythical sounding creatures like the flying squirrel, barnacle goose, and the natterjack, and fairy tale lands like Lahemaa National Park on the north Estonian coast and the bird paradise Matsalu National Park. There is even the source of legends found in Estonia at the Kaali Meteorite Crater, created approximately 4,000 to 7,500 years ago. The meteor hitting the earth and forming the crater is believed to be the source of ancient stories about the death and rebirth of the sun.
Keeping Deserted Promises
However, you were promised deserted and quiet spots, where thoughts can be gathered while enjoying Estonia’s natural splendors. A trip to some of Estonia’s 1,500 island beaches is a good place to start, where there are miles of deserted beach, untouched nature, and quiet communities. On Kihnu Island, hours of solitude are possible. Moreover, eco-travelers will also appreciate the fact the island is a cultural preserve dating back over 3,000 years, when seal hunters and fishermen used the island as home base. Plan your trip carefully, and there will be plenty of opportunity to witness and participate in traditional holiday celebrations.
Another option is to bicycle around Vormsi Island, a landscape reserve, stopping to see 13th century Celtic crosses (the result of Scandinavian missionaries) and spotting rare, protected animal and plant species. In the throes of winter, the islands are connected to the mainland by an ice roads created by the freezing of the Baltic Sea. Yes...you can drive the ice roads for an unforgettable and quite unusual experience.
In Estonia, visitors get a rare chance to see traces of the Ice Age in the form of huge glacial erratic boulders, deposited by glaciers and sitting in solitary quietude on flat expanses of land along beaches. In central Estonia, the adventurous can take a bog-shoeing hike during the summer months or join a tour by boat if visiting the bog during the “fifth season,” the period of flooding resulting from melting snow. Soomaa National Park shelters five bogs of primeval beauty and lush native forests. If you remain quiet, perhaps you will spot one of the wood-spirits that Estonians once believed inhabited the forests.
Since Estonia is a treasure trove of pristine natural wonders, it is not surprising that the country promotes eco-tourism. Estonians have learned to live comfortably with nature, unlike many major cities that raze their landscape in the name of progress. Despite a long history of occupations, the people held on to their love of the land and a mere thirty minute drive from a city center places you in virgin forests, on a stunning coastline, or smack dab in the middle of a landscape nature reserve like Kõrvemaa, with underground water caves, ice marginal formations, bogs, 100 lakes, and so much more.
Estonia wants to encourage visitors interested in experiencing its gorgeous landscape, so eco-friendly tourist farms make it as easy as possible. Guests at these accommodations will eat organic foods, hike the bogs and forests, fish, paddle river canoes, go bird watching, and much more. Eco-spas, eco-labeling of tourism products, and the Green Key, an international eco-label for environmentally conscious businesses, are now embedded in Estonia’s modern culture.
Reminding All of Us That It Takes All of Us
The capital Tallinn is a blend of modern and historic. Modern Tallinn is the seat of government, while Medieval Old Town is one of the world’s best preserved ancient cities with cobblestone streets and buildings of medieval and Hanseatic (13th-17th century trade group) origin. After seven centuries, you can still walk the Town Hall Square and enjoy music, fairs, markets, and food, much like people did hundreds of years ago. Ancient Medieval fortress walls stand intact, and the 15th and 16th century St. Olaf’s Church is still actively used.
There is no doubt that environmentally friendly travelers should add Estonia to their list of destinations. This is a country that appreciates the natural jewels inside its borders and is doing everything possible to protect them for Estonians and the visitors they welcome. Estonia reminds all of us that it takes all of us to appreciate and protect natural wonders and the plant and animals that make each region unique. In today’s world, deserted means two things: few human imprints and unspoiled natural beauty. Estonia has both in abundance, making this a place where eco-adventures are an everyday occurrence. Deserted has never been so beautiful.
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