Estonia Travel Guide

The most scenic of the three Baltic States, Estonia is a nation famed for its enormous forests, beautiful wetlands and remote offshore islands as well as for being one of Europe's most friendly and forward-thinking nations.

With its gorgeous medieval capital Tallinn attracting city breakers looking for a combination of grandiose architecture and happening nightlife, and its primeval forests and lake lands thrilling nature lovers, Estonia has become one of the hottest new travel discoveries in Eastern Europe.

Estonia is an unspoilt, sparsely populated country, nearly half of which is covered with forests. Wetlands, together with primeval forests, represent preserved communities which have for the most part been destroyed in Europe. More than 1,000 lakes (5% of the Estonian territory) dot the countryside, which is relatively flat - almost two thirds of the territory lies less than 50m (164ft) above sea level. While 7,000 rivers and streams carry rainwater to the sea, bogs and wooded swamplands of different types cover over one fifth of the country - a world index topped only by the northern neighbour, Finland.

Estonia's history, like that of its Baltic neighbours, has been one almost singly devoted to maintaining independence from its powerful neighbours, most notably Russia. Annexed by Stalin in 1940, Estonia never entirely became the Soviet republic it might have done, retaining its language and culture far more strongly than many other members of the USSR. At the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Estonia embraced independence enthusiastically and in less than two decades has undergone a transformation from lumbering communist society to gleaming example of forward-thinking transitional economy. Now an EU and NATO member, the future looks increasingly bright for this little-known but much-loved Baltic gem.

The charming Tallinn, perched the shores of the Gulf of Finland, will showcase its attractions as a European Capital of Culture for 2011.