BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

Tallinn opens new cruise quay

Royal Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, became the first ship to berth at the Port of Talinn’s new €9.34 million cruise quay on 17 May.

Bringing more than 3,000 cruise guests to Tallinn, the 330-metre long Royal Princess – also the largest ship to visit Estonia to date – helped to officially open the new quay during a symbolic unmooring ceremony. The rite was performed by Allan Kiil, board member of AS Tallinna Sadam; Urve Palo, Estonia’s minister of economic affairs and communications; Taavi Aas, Tallinn’s deputy mayor; and Leho Alliksoo, head of the Estonian branch of BMGS construction company.

Built by BMGS next to the existing cruise ship quay in the Old City harbour, the new quay is 421 metres long, 20 metres wide and has a depth of 11 metres. It has been outfitted with an electricity supply, outdoor lighting, communications equipment and pipelines for supplying ships with utility water and removing wastewater.

The new quay will enable the port to moor cruise ships up to 340 metres in length, up to 42 metres in width and a draft of up to nine metres.

Discover nature in the city on a weekend trip to Estonia

Estonia is fast becoming a teeming tourist hot spot for a well-needed city break but there's a whole lot more to this picturesque country than its capital. We ventured on the road less travelled to discover the real Estonia.

Not many tourists venture further out than Tallinn's old town walls but as the avid adventurers we are, we explored the road less travelled. Check out what we did on our weekend trip to Estonia.

Where to stay?

The uber luxe St. Petersbourg Hotel is situated a teensy jaunt from the main square where you'll find the hustle and bustle of Old Town Tallinn. It's medieval charm and plush contemporary rooms have super comfy beds to fall into and large baths to soak your tired self after a long day of exploring.

Another awesome place to stay in the capital is the Savoy Hotel, situated where the city meets the old town walls. Its tradish rooms, art deco style and delish buffet brekkie make for a comfy stay.

Eat and drink?

Much to our delight, the food we experienced was out of this world. From the best steaks we've had in a long time to local delicacies like elk and fishy dishes, we ate and drank like queens.

Third tour operator cancels trip to Egypt

Goadventure has now also canceled its package tours to Egypt, citing possible unrest and the travel warning issued by the Foreign Ministry on Monday. 

GoAdventure said in a release last night that in place of the canceled tours, it would be offering packages to Turkish-occupied Cyprus and eventually, Turkey. Initially it said trips to Egypt would go on, and the latest planeload of tourists left Tallinn this week. All tourists will be brought home by April 12, the company now said. 

The Foreign Ministry said this week that due to the deteriorating security situation, Egypt, including its resorts, should be avoided as a travel destination, uudised.err.ee reported Tuesday. Novatours and Tez Tours will end their travel season earlier due to the warning, the Consumer Protection Board announced.

Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling to fly to Tallinn

From June 20, Spain’s largest low-cost carrier Vueling will start direct flights on the Tallinn-Barcelona line, announced Tallinn Airport.

Erik Sakkov, board member of Tallinn Airport, said that the Spanish carrier has made a very significant step. “Without fearing competition with Ryanair, they have taken this major step and we are very happy about it. We hope that this is the start of a long and beautiful cooperation, he said.

Vueling is Spain’s largest budget airline that was launched in 2004.

By now the airline has 70 Airbus aircraft and flies to more than 200 destinations in Europe, Northern Africa and Middle East. The company carried 14.8 million passengers in 2012. It is based in Barcelona’s El Prat Airport.

The airline will be flying to Tallinn with a 180-seat Airbus 320 as a seasonal route between 20 June and 12 September.

Toomas Hõbemägi

Air Lituanica launches route to Tallinn

From 12 March the airline Air Lituanica launches flights on the new route to Tallinn. Flights to the capital of Estonia will be operated on business days, in the morning and in the evening.

The plane will take off from Vilnius in the morning at 7.30 and from Tallinn to Vilnius at 9.00. In the evening the plane will depart from Vilnius at 17.55 and from Tallinn at 19.25. One-way trip will last 1 hour 5 min. A total of 10 flights will take place on the route Vilnius-Tallinn-Vilnius per week.

“Such a dense flight schedule will facilitate travelling for business clients: after going to Tallinn, they will have a chance to handle their business affairs and to come back to Lithuania on the same day,” Managing Director of tourism agency network West Express Egidijus Vaišvilas commented. "We have observed a growing interest in this route; therefore, we are planning that with favourable pricing, a part of clients will change their travelling habits and choose planes instead of buses or cars. I believe that this route will increase the scope of cooperation between West Express and Air Lituanica even more.

Žydrė Gavelienė, head of travel agency network Estravel Vilnius, adds that more flexible schedules will allow saving both time and money: "A convenient flight schedule will enable companies to save business trip costs – additional overnight stays will not be required; costs for daily allowances will reduce.” Estravel is hoping that the meetings and conferences of companies based in the Baltic countries will make a comeback to Vilnius because the arrival to Vilnius will become more convenient.

Flights will be operated by Air Lituanica aircraft Embraer 175 with 86 seats and a 50-seat aircraft CRJ 200 leased for several months.

Pädaste Manor, Estonia's most alluring hotel

“This year we were not blessed with the ice road,” says Kadri Keert, the guest relations manager at Pädaste Manor on the island of Muhu, the most alluring hotel in Estonia, if not the entire Baltic.

That may come as a relief to anyone booked to stay there next weekend when it reopens after its annual four-month hibernation. Unless you charter a chopper, the journey from Tallinn usually involves a couple of hours’ drive followed by a half-hour ferry ride from Virtsu. When the sea freezes, however, as it tends to at this time of year, at least in colder winters than this, the only route in is to take a 20-minute drive across the gelid sea, along a path marked out in juniper branches with its own unusual highway code. You cannot drive it after dark, nor at speeds between 15 and 25 miles per hour, which cause vibrations that can crack the ice. You must keep a minimum 820ft (250m) from the car in front. And you mustn’t wear a seatbelt lest the worst happens, and you have to make a fast exit.

Safely arrived at Pädaste Manor, however, and any anxiety will surely melt away. For this is a place of rare enchantment, of snowy silent wastes and clear crisp starry nights, of deserted shores and aromatic juniper forests, big skies and empty landscapes populated by boar, moose, seals, swans and only 1,500 or so people, sustained by fishing (though there’s also an ostrich farm) and spread thinly through its 80-odd square miles. Off-limits even to mainlanders during the Soviet Union thanks to its now-derelict nuclear-missile base, it feels like a land that time forgot.

Viking XPRS to change to Estonian flag today

Finnish ferry operator Viking Line announced that its Viking XPRS will make its first voyage under the Estonian flag today.

Until now the ferry has been in the Swedish registry. The festive event will start in the A terminal at 1.30 pm today.

Viking Line has not said how big a cost-saving effect the move would bring, but a year ago when the company started to consider the flag-change, Mikael Backman, CEO of Viking Line, estimated that the company may save up to 40% in labour expenses by the flag-change.

This means that annual saving could amount to about EUR 1m. One reason that is forcing Viking Line to consider the flag-change is the difference of the average salary in Estonia and Finland.

Viking Line’s main competitor Tallink has an edge in the fierce fight over passengers in Tallinn-Helsinki route due to having lower labour costs although it is now in bitter dispute with the Estonian trade union of seamen that is demanding between 15  and 20% pay rise.

Toomas Hõbemägi

Tallinn

The cobbled streets, quirky passageways and terracotta roofs of medieval Tallinn have earned a reputation as a pearl of Baltic Europe, yet it is still largely undiscovered by UK tourists.

The historic Estonian capital city’s Old Town dates back to 1050, when the first fortress was built on its limestone Toompea Hill that towers over the coast. Estonians take a great deal of pride in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site’s origins, with medieval-themed restaurants, museums and shop fronts taking you back to a different millennia. With its history deeply intertwined with neighbouring Russia and with Finland a close neighbour, there are touches of Scandinavia and the Eastern Block all over the place.

From being occupied by Nazi, Soviet and Danish conquerors over the years, this vibrant independent state is a cocktail of European culture. On landing in Tallinn’s small but refreshingly central airport we toured the grey, Soviet streets of the city before setting foot on the quaint cobbled passages of the elevated Old Town which is guarded by ancient fortified walls. Staying at the beautifully decadent St Petersbourg Hotel, at Rataskaevu 7, we were just a stone’s throw from the Old Town’s main Town Hall Square, which becomes a typically festive winter wonderland come the end of November.

TAP Portugal to launch Tallinn-Lisbon flights in summer

Portuguese carrier TAP Portugal will launch Tallinn-Lisbon flights in summer 2014, which makes several destinations in South America and Africa more accessible for Estonians, LETA/Public Broadcasting reports.

Tallinn Airport board member Erik Sakkov said that TAP Portugal will present its flight schedule in the coming days.

Sakkov said that opening the TAP Portugal route is a remarkable investment in the Estonian economy and will bring tourists to Estonia and will expand trade and export possibilities for Estonian businessmen at the South American market too.

"Addition of TAP Portugal to the list of carriers flying from Tallinn brings new destinations and possibilities to get to the Azores, Madeira, Cabo Verde islands and Brazil with just one stopover," said Sakkov.

The Lisbon flight will be the longest (3,314 km) regular flight from Tallinn. A319, A320 and A321 planes will travel the distance in nearly 5 hours.

British cruise company’s Christmas tour opens winter cruise season in Tallinn

Winter cruise season in Tallinn is opened on Friday November 29th by Fred Olsen ship Black Watch that brings about 700 British cruise tourists to the capital of Estonia. This season, Tallinn expects 7 winter cruise calls together with other special winter holiday travels.

During the Christmas themed winter cruise different Estonian Christmas traditions and habits are introduced, also seasonal shopping opportunities offered at Tallinn’s Christmas markets. Most of the British passengers head from the vessel that arrives at Tallinn Old City Harbour to excursions organized by tourism company Estonian Holidays. In addition to traditional sights like Tallinn Old Town, Kadriorg, Pirita and Tallinn panorama the tour also includes numerous Christmas related activities. For example, it is possible to taste traditional Estonian Christmas food and visit Tallinn Christmas market.

“The British Christmas cruise visits us already second year in a row and is also the opening cruise of this year’s seven winter cruises,” said Port of Tallinn’s head of Marketing and Communications Department Sirle Arro. “On Christmas day we are welcoming Birka Stockholm that brings Swedes to Tallinn to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season. In early January four more winter cruise calls will be made by cruise ships arriving from Russia. Russian cruise tourists are brought here during the traditional New Year’s cruises operated by Tallink and St. Peterline. The company Viking Line is also organizing New Year’s cruises on Viking Cinderella,” noted Arro.

The route of St. Peterline ship Princess Anastasia is made more special because of the holiday season. Alongside with traditional destinations Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn a visit to Riga is added.

About 9 500 cruise tourists are expected to visit Tallinn during the winter season this year.

As many as 100,000 Russian tourists to come to Estonia for New Year’s Eve

Tallinn hotels are preparing for another wage of Russian revellers who will be arriving to spend a New Year's Eve in Tallinn, writes Eesti Päevaleht.

Most hotels in Tallinn say that they are fully booked from December until mid-January. According to booking.com, 90% of hotels in Tallinn have no vacancies for the period. For Russians, the year-end is a long holiday period that ends only on January 9. Since Russians like to spent the New Year's Eve and Orthodox Christmas away from home, many have chosen Tallinn.

More and more Russians have found themselves travelling to Tallinn or some other Estonian town, especially in Northeast Estonia, for the New Year's Eve. Last year the tourism development centre of Enterprise Estonia estimated that there will be 80,000 Russian tourists in Estonia for the 2012/2013 changeover, which is 15,000 more than a year earlier.

This year, the interest of Russians towards spending the year-end in Tallinn is even bigger and could top 100,000 for the first time, especially since many Russians stay with their friends or relatives when in Tallinn.

Ilona Kbejan, tourism representative of Enterprise Estonia in Moscow, said that the interest of Russians towards Estonia is big and continues to grow. She says that typical Russians who spend their New Year's Eve in Tallinn are young and wealthy.

Toomas Hõbemägi

 

Estonian Air to add seasonal flights to Split to its network

New holiday destination -  the amazing Split in Croatia! From 10th of May 2014 Estonian Air will start seasonal flights from Tallinn to Split. The flights from 10th of May to 27th September will departure on Saturday and the flights from 18th of June to 27th August  will departure on Wednesday and Saturday.  » Read more about the offer

Telegraaf hotell : For lovers only

Kindle the fires of romance in five-star style. Spend two nights in a Junior Suite and much more.

Book now

Package includes:

• Accommodation in the Junior Suite (2 nights minimum)
• Delicious breakfast next morning in our Restaurant Tchaikovsky
• Bottle of sparkling wine, a bouquet of flowers and a fruit plate in your room upon arrival
• Romantic 3-course dinner with selected bottle of wine for 2 persons in an award-winning Restaurant Tchaikovsky
• Unlimited usage of Elemis SPA facilities (swimming pool, Jacuzzi, steam and dry saunas)

Price for two persons: 750 EUR (high season) - Price for two persons: 710 EUR (low season)

Extending the romance (add-on nights incl breakfast buffet) : from 270 EUR

Minimum stay 2 nights - Offer is valid upon availability.

A mini guide to the city of Tallinn

ESTONIA'S capital remains one of Europe's most beguiling walled cities, complete with cobbled streets, looming spires and brooding battlements.

HISTORIC BUILDINGS

Town walls

More than a mile of the original city wall remains, showcasing medieval fortifications and 26 defensive towers.

The Patkul lookout offers fairytale views, while at Suur-Kloostri you'll see the best-preserved section of the Lower Town walls. Take the Tallinn Old Town Walking Tour, an audioguide you can download or pick up from the tourist office.

www.audioguide.ee

Town Hall

Rising over the Old Town's main square, this is the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe. Built between 1371 and 1404, it was the seat of power in the medieval Lower Town. Old Thomas, Tallinn's symbolic guardsman, has been keeping watch from his perch atop Town Hall since 1530. You can find similar views by climbing the tower .

Toompea Castle

Toompea Castle is Estonia's traditional seat of power and the state flag flies from Pikk Hermann, the finest of the castle's surviving towers, which dates from 1371.

In the 18th century, the building underwent an extreme makeover at the hands of Russian empress Catherine the Great, converting it into the pink, Baroque-style palace that is now Estonia's parliament building. You can't go inside but a wander around the grounds provides decent photo opportunities.

riigikogu.ee

Estonia, Russia, Finland to forge golden tourism triangle

TALLINN - Estonia, Russia and Finland are planning to forge a golden tourism triangle as representatives from the three countries met at the first conference on tourism cooperation in Estonia's northeastern city of Narva on Wednesday.

The conference, running from Nov. 6 to 8, was attended by representatives of St Petersburg (Russia), South Karelia (Finland) and Ida-Viru county (Estonia), according to the report of Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR).

The conference was jointly organized by the three countries with the aim to develop tourism in Northeast Estonia and to promote cooperation.

Lithuania and Estonia saw substantial increases in air passenger volumes in 2012

In 2012, Riga International Airport suffered one of the largest reduction in passenger numbers amongst European Union airports, according to the EU's statistical office Eurostat, cites LETA. Meanwhile, Lithuania and Estonia saw substantial increases in passenger volumes in 2012.

Overall, passenger volumes in the EU in 2012 increased by 0.7% to 826 million, Eurostat informs.

Latvia saw a 6.7% reduction in passenger numbers last year to 4.76 million, which was the fourth largest reduction in the EU. Riga International Airport registered the sixth largest reduction in passenger numbers in 2012 amongst EU airports.

Meanwhile, Lithuania and Estonia saw substantial increases in passenger volumes in 2012 – Lithuania saw a 17.6% increase to 3.17 million, while Estonia registered a 15.5% increase to 2.2 million passengers.

The largest decrease in air passenger numbers in the EU last year was registered in Slovenia and Slovakia – by 14.1%, and 13.5% respectively.

According to Eurostat, London's Heathrow Airport had the largest passenger turnover in 2012 – 69.9 million passengers, followed by Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport – 61 million passengers, Frankfurt Airport – 57 million passengers, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport – 50 million passengers, and Madrid Airport – 45 million passengers.

European capital's delicacies reveal its rich past

During a too-brief visit to Tallinn, Estonia, this summer, I devoted an afternoon to an eye-opening tour that gave me a taste of foods served in the days when the city - the oldest capital in Northern Europe - was a rich Hanseatic League town named Reval.

After linking up with guide Iveta Mandla, a charming lady who leads groups through Tallinn's Old Town, we started off on a romp that included four tasting stops and had turned into a complete dinner by tour’s end.

Our first stop was the Old Town Pharmacy, the oldest in continuous use in Europe, for a sample of marzipan, the tasty confectionery made with sugar or honey and ground almonds from an "ancient recipe." No exact date chronicles when the pharmacy, thought to be the birthplace of marzipan, opened. But records show it already had its third owner in 1422.

The "raeapteek," as the pharmacy is called in Estonian, still stocks medicinal essentials such as aspirin and cough syrup. But at one time  patrons could also find things like swallow’s nests, burnt hedgehogs, bat powder - even unicorn horn powder - in the pharmacy inventory.

Later, a quick but fascinating stop at Haa Eesti Asi gave me a look at a foodie’s dream emporium. In between sampling several tasty foods, I jotted down the names of things that caught my eye including Estonian cheeses; flavored honeys; crackers made from blueberries, cranberries or black currants; as well as canned bear meat, wild bear terrine, moose meat, jarred eel and moose and horse sausage.

Fairytale fun in old Estonia : Tallinn is a rustic and charming city

AS you meander through Tallinn, it's not unusual for a pigtailed wench to beckon you into a pub for some roast boar and an ale.

With cobblestone houses and forts dating back to the 11th Century, visiting the Estonian capital is a bit like stepping into a fairytale. But within this ethereal atmosphere is a modern and vibrant city. Yes, there's the Town Hall Square with its traditional market and the world's oldest pharmacist (complete with remains of an ancient Mummy).

But Tallinn also hosts some top restaurants, shopping and places to stay. We chose the smart Telegraaf hotel in the Old Town, with spa, small swimming pool and sauna. Half medieval building and half newly renovated, the Telegraaf sums up Tallinn's beguiling mix of old and new. This place has hosted music royalty including Bob Dylan and Elton John. So we were in good company when having our exotic lime and ginger salt glow body rub in the Elemis spa.

With a population of less than half a million, Tallinn is like a toy town compared to other capitals. But it packs a lot in. The city has become a magnet for stag and hen weekends, creating a surplus of heaving bars and clubs along the winding streets in the Old Town. If that's not your scene, Hell Hunt (don't worry, it's not a Goth bar - the name translates as "The Gentle Wolf") is a laid back drinking spot away from the tourist crowd.

Conde Nast names Swissotel Tallinn 2nd of top 5 hotels in Eastern Europe

Swissôtel Tallinn has came second in the Condé Nast Travelers Readers’ Choice Awards 2013 in the category “Top 5 Hotels in Eastern Europe,” announced the hotel.

Nearly 80,000 people took part in the survey, casting 1.3 million votes rating the best hotels in Estonia, Finland, Romania and Russia.

Swissôtel Tallinn came second behind the Hotel Kämp in Helsinki. Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest Hotel came third while the fourth and fifth positions went to Russia; the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow coming in fourth with the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg fifth.

In August Swissotel Tallinn won two awards at the World Travel Awards ceremony.

Toomas Höbemägi

Rail Baltica Express – a vision of united Baltic Sea region

Last Tuesday, a departure ceremony of Rail Baltica Express, operating in the future Rail Baltica 2 route Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn and connecting the capitals of Baltic States, is held in Vilnius railway station (the main hall), informs BC the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Rail Baltica Express Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn – a vision of a united Baltic Sea region.

The Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania Rimantas Sinkevicius and Director of the European Mobility Network at DG Mobility and Transport Jean-Eric Paquet will be present in the event.

The conferences, held on board the train, will focus on the Rail Baltica 2 project. This project aims to build a railway connection between Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius and Warsaw continuing on to Berlin. It is one of the most important investment projects to be implemented in the Baltic Sea region. In addition, on 16 September, the Transport ministers from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland and Poland signed a joint declaration on the basic principles of establishing the Rail Baltica 2 joint venture.