Tere!
I’ve been doing quite a bit of digging into things to do during an upcoming trip to Eesti. After:
* heavily referencing https://www.visitestonia.com/en
* scouring Google Maps
* skimming threads here https://www.reddit.com/r/Eesti/comments/4a80ll/first_time_in_estonia_moving_to_estonia_a_few/
I’ve found there’s a gap in the advice:
What is there to do in the morning? It seems that almost every museum opens at 10 AM. On the days I’ll be in the cities (as opposed to visiting Lahemaa or other nature trails), is there anything to do other than wander around waiting for things to open?
I do have a list of things to see which aren’t museums, (and thus have no opening time) and it would be nice to organize my excursions (somewhat) logically so I’m not running all over the place.
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Here’s what I’ve come up with so far (knowing I won’t be able to do it all in 1.5-2 weeks). As you can see most everything that’s a pay-to-visit place has a 10 AM start. Let me know if there’s something big I’m missing or something I should remove. (I don’t drink alcohol, so morning/daytime activities are more important for me than nighttime ones.) (also-also, I do nature photography and I’m utterly overwhelmed by all the easy-to-access nature reserves and national parks!)
—
### **TALLINN:**
(city center, Vanalinn)
**Museums:**
* Estonian Museum of Natural History (10AM, every day)
* Niguliste Museum (10 AM, Tue-Sun)
* Vabamu (10 AM, Tue-Sun)
* Museum of Estonian Architecture (11AM, Tue-Sun)
* Fat Margaret Museum and Visitor Centre (10AM, every day)
* Kiek in de Kök Fortification Museum (10AM, every day)
**POI:**
* Toompea Castle (req. advanced booking for time)
* Katariina käik (24h)
* Tallinn town hall
* Tower available until 31 August (11AM, every day, 1 June through 31 August)
* Pharmacy Museum (10AM, Mon-Sat)
* Viru gate (24h)
* Freedom square (24h)
* Lühikese Jala väravatorn (24h)
(northern, Haabersti (drive))
**Museum:**
* Estonia Open Air Museum (10AM, every day)
(eastern, Kadriorg)
**Museums:**
* Peter the Great House Museum (11 AM, Wed-Sun)
* Kadriorg Art Museum (10 AM, Tue-Sun)
* Mikkel Museum (10 AM, Tue-Sun)
* KUMU art museum (10 AM, Tue-Sun)
#### **Just outside the city:**
(east of Tallinn)
**Lahemaa National Park:**
(south)
* Nõmmeveski waterfall (24h)
* Vasaristi cascade (24h)
* Viru bog study trail (24h) (southwest)
(north)
* Käsmu’s field of boulders (24h)
* Purekkari Cape (24h)
* Loksa beach (24h)
* Vihasoo birdwatching tower (24h)
* Altja fishing village (24h) (northeast)
(southwest of Tallinn, near road to Saaremaa)
**Matsalu National Park:**
* Haeska observation tower (24h) (north)
* Kloostri observation tower (24h) (south)
* Penijõe hiking trail (24h) (3.2 km, 4.7 km, 6 km or 7 km trails) (south)
### **SAAREMAA:**
* Pulli escarpment (Oiu escarpment) (24h) (0.4km) (if visiting, would do it on the drive in)
* Kaali Meteoritics and Limestone Museum (9 AM, every day)
* Kaali field of meteorite craters (24h)
* Koigi bog hiking trail (24h) (5k trail) (if visiting, would do it on the drive out)
(single day loop) (~3.5hrs total driving time, Kaali to Kaali)
* Loode tammik (oak park) (24h)
* Ohesaare bank (24h) (0.4km)
* Sõrve Lighthouse (10 AM, every day)
* Kuressaare castle (11 AM, Tues-Sun)
* Odalätsi spring (24h)
* Tagaranna (Ninase) limestone cliff and observation tower (24h)
* Panga cliff and recreation area (24h)
### **MUHU:**
* Üügu bluff (24h) (if visiting, would do it on the drive out from Saaremaa)
### **PÄRNU:**
(west, by car)
– Lindi Nature Conservation Area (24h)
– Kastna oaks (24h)
**Museums:**
– Pärnu Museum (10AM, Tue-Sun)
**POI:**
– Sindi rapids (24h) (by car) + disc golf (?)
### **TARTU:**
(thanks /u/errxor for the [helpful map guide!](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1CP8zAlCHyg1DLrzvudbX7CGAuIs&ll=58.38413139573559%2C26.741076441772435&z=15))
**Museums:**
* Botanical garden of the University of Tartu (7AM, every day)
* Estonian National Museum (10AM, Tue-Sun)
* University of Tartu, Museum of Natural History (10AM, Tue-Sun)
* Tagurpidi Maja (Peapeal OÜ) (upside down house) (10AM, every day)
* AHHAA Science Center (10AM, every day)
**POI:**
* Tartu Rivik Church (10 AM, Tues-Sun)
* Raadi mõis (7AM, every day)
(west)
* Selli-Sillaotsa study trail (24h)
(east)
* Järvselja Primeval Forest Nature Study Trail (24h)
5 comments
Beers, whiskey. General-fuck around and find out. I think its tuesday
I recommend app Adventure Lab, it’s outdoor scavenger hunt. I loved “Adventure along Tallinn Bay” adventure and after that definitely recommend going to lennusadam (seaplane harbour).
I am night-owl but dont drink either. Night activities do not always mean alcohol. Before 10 AM all wilderness is open- sun rising over sea, sun rising in bog routes. You can have a long nice breakfast. You can have nice and cold swim in lakes or sea. You can have morning run, train in out- door training facilities. You can book a boat- trip that starts in the morning ect.
Of you are into photography, and early riser, then sunrise time offers lots of oppoturnities:
* Different-from-usual lighting
* Less people milling about
* In some cases – less cars obstructing the view to cool-looking streets and buildings.
* Possibly some colorful characters doing walk of shame back home from some party.
I would recommend spending at least one early morning in one of the marshes (you already have them listed anyway), so probably a sleepover in nature is good for that. The toompea museum and stuff like that will probably be quite boring, so you could maybe take away some of the museums (the seaplane museum is cool, I’ve heard the bastion walk museum is nice, kumu is nice but probably not that unique) spend more time out in nature or some local festivals etc.
https://www.visittallinn.ee/est/k%C3%BClastaja/mida-teha/s%C3%BCndmused/s%C3%BCndmused this is an event calendar for tallinn, but you can Google sündmused followed by a place name and find similar things for other places, might be a fun event. You can filter to only see festivals etc.