Drive out of Tallinn in almost any direction and you are soon among pine forest, bog and low, boulder-strewn shore. The four trips below take you to Estonia's oldest national park, its favourite beach town, a castle town to the east and another capital across the water. Buses and trains are comfortable, but services thin out away from the main routes, so check the last connection back before you set off, and keep the coast and the beach for a dry, calm day.
Lahemaa National Park: manors, bogs and a rocky coast
Photo: Raul Ling / Pexels, Pexels License
1 h 5 min to 1 h 50 minDirect buses run to Võsu; other connections need a change in Haljala.
about 1 h 8 min
Lahemaa, founded in 1971 as the first national park in the Soviet Union, stretches along the coast east of Tallinn: pine forest, raised bogs crossed by boardwalks, granite boulders left by the ice and old fishing villages. Palmse, a restored Baltic German manor with its park, is the classic first stop. On the shore, Käsmu, once known as the village of sea captains, sits on its own peninsula, and Võsu is a small summer resort with a sandy bay.
Tip: Without a car, make Võsu your base and follow the coast towards Käsmu on foot; Palmse has no public transport. With a car you can link Palmse, a bog boardwalk and the coastal villages in one loop. Either way, go on a dry day: the trails and the shore are the reason to come.
1 h 50 min to 1 h 55 minBuses leave Tallinn bus station about every half hour.
about 1 h 57 min
Pärnu, on the bay of the same name in the south-west, is where Estonians go to the seaside. A long, shallow sandy beach with lifeguard towers runs along the bay, backed by a park and old wooden villas, and the small historic centre is a short walk inland.
Tip: Go only on a warm, sunny day between June and August; out of season and under grey skies the town is very quiet. An early bus leaves you a long afternoon on the beach and still gets you back to Tallinn for dinner.
1 h 2 min to 1 h 17 minElron trains from Balti Jaam; the express trains are the quickest.
about 1 h 21 min
Rakvere, a small town east of Tallinn, gathers around a hill crowned by the ruins of its castle. The castle is run as a living museum of the Middle Ages, with plenty to try your hand at, which makes it a good outing with children; adult admission is €13. On the edge of the hill a large bronze aurochs by the sculptor Tauno Kangro looks out over the town.
Tip: Take a morning express, spend a few hours at the castle and in the streets below, and you are back in Tallinn by the evening. Only some trains are express, so check Elron's timetable for the day.
Weather:
Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland
Photo: Markus Winkler / Pexels, Pexels License
about 2 hTallink sails from terminal D, Viking Line and Eckerö Line from terminal A of the Tallinn passenger port.
The Finnish capital is a ferry crossing away. Helsinki Cathedral rises above Senate Square, the Market Square and the old Market Hall are down by the harbour, and from the Market Square small ferries cross to Suomenlinna, an island sea fortress on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Tip: Take one of the first fast crossings in the morning and one of the last ones back; even so, the cathedral, the market and Suomenlinna are about all a day allows, and more needs a night. Carry your passport or ID card, as the ferry companies ask for it even within the Schengen area.
