Located furthest north of the three Baltic states, Estonia is a charming country to visit. Yet, little is known about its culture and customs, which might discourage some from visiting, which is a shame! We’ve compiled a few interesting, surprising, and hopefully helpful facts about Estonia here. We’ll cover history, customs, mindsets, specialties, and more—you might learn something new and be inspired to visit.
Like its Baltic counterparts, Estonia is part of Europe, having joined the EU in 2004.
As a French citizen (or any EU citizen), you don’t need a passport to enter; a national ID card is sufficient.
And since Estonia is within the Schengen Zone, you won’t need to worry about a visa for stays up to 90 days every six months.
Estonia also uses the euro, so there’s no need for currency exchange. Convenient!
Estonian is the national language and uses a modified Latin alphabet with 27 letters, excluding some like C, Q, W, X, and Y and adding a few unique ones: š, ž, õ, ä, ö, ü.
Given Estonia’s proximity to Russia and historical waves of migration (more on that in the next section), over 20% of Estonia’s population speaks Russian, forming a significant Russian-speaking community.
English is also widely spoken, especially among younger generations, so you shouldn’t have much trouble getting by!
Estonia has experienced various periods of influence and occupation: from the Danes, Swedes, and Russians to the Bolsheviks during WWI and the Nazis and Soviets during WWII.
The country finally regained independence in 1991 with the Singing Revolution, which brought together 2 million Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians in a 687-kilometer human chain connecting the three Baltic capitals (Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn) as a symbolic demand for independence.
Today, Estonia remains independent, yet these experiences have deeply affected the country and its people, who saw waves of Russian arrivals during occupations.
Estonian culture has been a stronghold for Estonians during these difficult times, which is why Estonian culture and folklore are celebrated and preserved. Many events highlight these traditions:
Like their Baltic neighbors, Estonians don’t have access to Amazon, and thus they don't use the platform.
Personally, I’m not too keen on shopping from Amazon (even if it’s convenient and fast), so I think it’s quite refreshing. From what I’ve gathered, some Latvians have found ways to get Amazon products delivered through other channels. I’m not sure how many use such services, but I find it a positively surprising fact!
Estonian cuisine shares a simple Baltic base, featuring potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and fish (like herring and salmon).
It also has Nordic touches, with black rye bread called “rukkileib,” various pickled fish, and cold buffets inspired by Swedish traditions.
Among the local specialties, you’ll find “karask” (a barley flour delicacy served with honey and butter), herring stew, and “sült” (a veal head cheese often enjoyed at Christmas). Soups are also quite popular.
About tap water (not exactly a specialty, but since we’re talking food): it is drinkable, but it’s still preferable to opt for bottled water.
An interesting surprise: tart crusts (like puff pastry, shortcrust, and shortbread) are sold in square slices and frozen, rather than fresh!
Don’t be surprised during your stay if Estonians seem reserved or unwelcoming at first. It’s not personal; they’re just quite introverted. If you get to know them (a drink or two helps), you’ll see them open up more.
Since 2005, Estonia has a deposit system for plastic bottles, glass bottles, and metal cans. No matter the container, the deposit fee is €0.10. So, when you purchase a product with one of these containers, you pay an extra €0.10, which you can get back by returning it to one of the designated machines called Taaraautomaat, or Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs), commonly found in supermarkets. Once you return the containers, you’ll get the deposit back, usually as a store voucher or cash.
Estonia is one of only three countries in Europe (along with Latvia and Malta) that doesn’t have highways! This means that all roads are free for everyone, with no tolls or stickers required—one less thing to worry about.
Of course, watch out for speed cameras, but know that if you’re caught speeding for the first time (up to 40 km/h over the limit), instead of a fine, you’ll have an alternative option: wait for 45 to 60 minutes. You can choose which option suits you best. This surprising measure aims to raise awareness, as fines alone seem ineffective.
If you're driving in winter, note that winter tires are mandatory in Estonia from December 1 to March 1.
For car rentals, we recommend using DiscoverCars, a platform that compares hundreds of rental options to offer the best prices and rental terms. With DiscoverCars, you’ll get unlimited mileage, partial coverage, and theft protection—all with no hidden fees.
And if you’d rather not drive during your trip but still want to get from city to city, that’s possible too.
While the country is expanding its public transport network, including rail, buses remain the simpler and faster option.
With over 45,000 km², Estonia is a small country—just slightly larger than Switzerland (41,280 km²) and the smallest of the Baltic nations (Lithuania is 65,300 km², and Latvia is 64,580 km²).
Despite this, Estonia has the highest forest coverage of the three, with forests occupying 54% of its national area (European Parliament, 2019), equating to nearly 2.5 million hectares.
Additionally, Estonia features landscapes over 10,000 years old: peat bogs, which are water-saturated vegetative areas covering 20% of the country.
Complementing these natural areas are around 1,500 Estonian islands in the Baltic Sea, making up 5% of the territory. Moreover, Estonia boasts around 7,000 rivers, streams, and marshes, which cover another 20% of the land.
This abundance of natural spaces includes five national parks, as well as free camping areas provided by the government (with shelters, tables, barbecue spots, and even free firewood), making Estonia one of the greenest and most sustainable destinations in the world. 🌱
The only “downside,” if you can call it that, is that Estonia is very flat, with the highest peak reaching only 318 meters. If you're looking for mountainous terrain, you may want to look elsewhere!
To find hidden gems for accommodations in Estonia’s beautiful nature, you can use the following link or map:
Estonia is among the most digitally advanced countries worldwide:
Impressive, right? But there's more:
Estonia holds the world record for the number of startups per capita, with over 1,500 startups for its 1.3 million residents. (In comparison, the UK has 46,000 startups for almost 67 million people, and the U.S. has around 75,000 startups for 333 million people.) The country attracts innovators and developers, creating a fertile ground for new ideas.
This innovation is evident throughout the country. For example:
Those were our 10 essential facts about Estonia. We hope you learned something new, and that it’ll be helpful for planning your trip and enjoying your time there. Be sure to check out the tips at the end of the article, and if all this has inspired you to visit Estonia, you can book your tickets below:
Feel free to share your experiences and tips with other travelers in the comments.
1. Estonian winters are long and very cold. So if you’re not heading there specifically for the snow, we recommend visiting between May and September. Before May, melting snow makes trails impassable, and after September, the cold and snow return.
2. There’s a 1-hour time difference between France and Estonia. So, when it’s noon in France, it’s 1 p.m. in Estonia. It’s a small difference, but it’s worth considering when planning your arrival time, activities, or family calls.
France is in UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer, while Estonia is in UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer.
Comment faire pour trouver un contrat de travail en Estonie
Bonjour Valérie,
Nous n'avons pas travaillé en Estonie donc nous ne savons pas du tout comment ça se passe dans le pays. On ne voudrait pas te donner de fausses informations. Par contre tu peux regarder sur le site www.francaisaletranger.fr qui donne tous les conseils et sites à connaître dans ce but.
Bonne continuation ! 😉
Léa et Simon
How about we chat?