Survival Guide
Please download the pdf for better visuality
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Dear participants!​
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We are very happy that you decided to choose our summer course and spend the best days of your life in Estonia!
This survival guide will provide you with all the necessary information about Tallinn and some advice that might help you survive this unforgettable trip!
About Estonia
The country has distinctly more women than men. For every 100 females in Estonia, there are 84 men – only the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific, with a population of around 50,000, has a smaller percentage of males. Estonian women live 10 years longer, on average, which goes some way to explaining it.
A bit more about Estonia
Estonia is situated right under Finland over the Gulf of Finland, next to Russia and
above Latvia. The area is 45,228 km2. The land is relatively flat, except for the southern part where the main mountains of Estonia are. Estonia was the first country in the world to use online political voting. 52% of Estonia is covered by forest. Estonia has the highest number of meteorite craters per land area in the world. Skype was invented in Estonia. Estonian’s highest mountain is 314 meters high. Doing your taxes in Estonia takes approximately 2-3 minutes. In Estonia children in 1st grade start to learn programming. Estonian population is only 1,3miljon.
Some cool words about Tallinn
Tallinn is the meeting point of medieval heritage and high-tech. The jewel in Tallinn´s crown is its medieval city centre, otherwise known as The Old Town where medieval buildings and sacred structures have been preserved nearly unchanged. On the other hand Tallinn is a modern and open city with tall buildings of glass and steel, illuminated signs of major international companies, a modern airport and passenger ports. In 2011 Tallinn was the European Capital of Culture for the year 2011, with numerous and outstanding cultural events taking place all year long.
Tallinn is also the number one city in the world which is almost fully covered with Wireless Internet. You can use your laptop almost everywhere around the city.
Many information technology inventions have gotten their start from Tallinn. Skype is one of the best-known of several Tallinn IT start-ups. The New York Times has characterized Estonia as “a sort of Silicon Valley on the Baltic Sea.” In fact, Tallinn is just 10 minutes away from Skype´s office, so you will be having your lectures in a truly high-tech environment.
!!!Must-see places in Tallinn!!!
Tallinn's Old Town
Tallinn's Old Town is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kohtuotsa viewing platform
Kohtuotsa offers sweeping panoramas of Old Town's rooftops and towers against the backdrop of the modern city skyline.
The spacious area on the east corner of Toompea hill offers unforgettable views of the medieval neighbourhood and is easily the city's most famous photo spot.
With any luck, you will also find a seagull called Steven walking on the edge of the platform posing for photos like a true supermodel. Those seagulls must be some of the most pictured birds out there... #Tallinnseagull and #Steventheseagull
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Town Hall Square
Picturesque Town Hall Square has been the undisputed hub of Old Town for the last eight centuries. Surrounded by elaborate merchant houses and, in summer, packed with café tables.
Historically it served as a market and meeting place, and was the site of at least one execution (resulting from a dispute over a bad omelette). Find the round stone marked with a compass rose in the middle of the square. From this spot, with a little stretching and bending, you can see the tops all five of Old Town's spires.
Kadriorg Palace
This grand, baroque palace built for Peter the Great in 1718 now houses the Art Museum of Estonia's foreign collection.
A trip to Tallinn isn’t a trip to Tallinn without a visit to the northern Baroque palace. Designed by Italian architect Niccolo Michetti, the palace and surrounding manicured gardens are a humbling example of Tsarist extravagance.
In its current role as the Kadriorg Art Museum, it displays hundreds of 16th- to 20th-century paintings by Western and Russian artists, as well as prints, sculptures and other works.
Tallinn Song Festival Grounds
This sprawling event venue in Kadriorg holds a special place in Estonians' hearts as the birthplace of the Singing Revolution.
It was here in 1988 that Estonia's massive, musical demonstration against Soviet rule set the nation on its road towards re-independence.
The grounds feature an outdoor concert arena, built in 1959, a number of indoor halls, and host a multitude of large concerts and festivals through the year. Most famously the site is home to the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration, an unforgettable event that takes place every five years, drawing together up to 34,000 performers and 200,000 spectators.
Seaplane Harbour
The unforgettable Seaplane Harbour is home to a super-modern maritime and military museum, complete with historic ships to tour.
Located in Tallinn's famed, wooden-house district of Kalamaja, the harbour is best known for its architecturally unique Seaplane Hangars. Built almost a century ago, in 1916 and 1917, as a part of Peter the Great sea fortress, these hangars are the world’s first reinforced concrete shell structures of such a great size. Charles Lindbergh, the man who performed the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, landed here in the 1930s.
Now the vast hangars house an extensive, high-tech museum telling exciting stories of Estonia's maritime and military history and promising a 'sea full of excitement' for the whole family. The museum comprises more than two hundred large exhibits in an area
equivalent to nearly 2 million A4 paper sheets laid down side by side.
Estonian cuisine
Rukkileib - Rye bread
Rye bread plays a major role in Estonian culture. There are tons of superstitions, traditions and old sayings about bread here. For example, you shouldn’t slice a new loaf in the evening or it will shrink, though this saying has become obsolete with the introduction of pre-sliced bread. Also, if you drop your slice of bread, you shouldn’t throw it away – you should pick it up, kiss it and then continue eating. And eating the heel piece will give you big breasts.
Kiluvõileib – Sprat Sandwich
A greyish fish on a slice of dark bread doesn’t look all that appetising, but despite its lack of beauty, kiluvõileib is amazingly delicious. Sometimes it’s served with a boiled egg, sometimes the fish and egg are mixed together to form an awkward-looking sauce. Estonians take their sprat sandwiches seriously, serving them at any and every occasion from weddings and funerals to birthdays and New Year’s Eve.
Mulgipuder – Potato and Groats Porridge
Mulgipuder is the most peasanty Estonian food you could possibly find. In the past it was only served on important holidays at the kitchen tables of peasants, but these days it’s no longer linked to celebrations and is served without any specific occasion. It’s also one of the very few Estonian foods that’s not adapted from other cuisines.This fancy porridge is typically served with bacon (yup, delicious).
Sült - Aspic
Aspic might look quite odd, but it is extremely delicious! Made from pork jelly, which is filled with vegetables, fruits and pieces of meat, aspic is a festive dish and is usually served during the Christmas and Easter holidays.
Suitsukala - Smoked fish
This one is a special summertime treat. Available in supermarkets but even more exotic if you make your way to "turg", meaning outdoor market during the summertime. There you will find local little grandmas selling all the goods they grow in their gardens and fish that their men catch. The prices are always cheap and it doesn't get more organic and locally grown than that.
Kama - Kama Dessert
Kama is not translatable and technically not a dessert, but rather an ingredient sometimes used in desserts. It’s actually a mix of different flours – usually barley, rye, oat and pea. Kama, like many Estonian foods, emerged because a lack of ingredients made people imaginative. After using all the different grains, they would simply mix the leftovers together. It doesn’t go bad and can be made into a snack within seconds. The traditional way to eat kama is with sour milk (buttermilk) or kefir, but you wouldn’t want to do that because it’s like drinking sand with sour milk. Oddly enough, we are really proud of this invention. Recently, chefs in Tallinn have started to incorporate kama into all sorts of different desserts.
Kohuke
These little batons of cottage cheese covered in various flavors of chocolate are some of the most popular snacks in Estonia. There are plain as well as flavoured varieties filled with things like berries, chocolate, coconut and kiwifruit.
“Kalev” Chocolate goodies
"Kalev" is the longest running candy and chocolate factory in the country and we would definitely recommend grabbing some delicious bars for shameless indulgence.
Vana Tallinn
It was 1962 when Vana Tallinn was born. The recipe was created by Ilse Maar, a legendary Estonian liqueur artist, and her team at the Liviko factory. They took their time, working on different combinations, until they found a perfect way to blend high-quality rum, the finest spices and exotic citruses – an unheard-of combination in those days.
A half a century and 120 million bottles later we’re still riding high. The world around us has changed, but our true spirit of adventure remains the same. Vana Tallinn has become the most popular Estonian liqueur in the world.
Viru Valge
Viru Valge hails from the purest of lands, where there’s no big industry and no big towns, and where people live miles apart from one another. Studies have shown that it’s the place with the cleanest air in the world. On summer nights here the sun barely sets, while in winter the ground is blanketed in snow. At the first sign of the approaching cold the water in our bogs is coated in a hoar-frost of pure white. Water from crystal-clear springs and grains grown in the rocky fields typical of Northern Europe produce a truly Nordic vodka: Viru Valge.
How do I get to Estonia?
You can get here by almost everything. By plane, train, ship, bus, taxi, car or you can just walk here!
If you come by plane then you can take the tram nr 4 from the airport to “Viru” peatus and walk there to our hostel the Red Emperor which is located on the outskirts of the famous Old Town. You can find the tram stop if you keep walking to the right after exiting the baggage claim of the Airport.
If you come by Bus to Tallinn then you have to take a bus nr 23 from the Bus station and come off in “Kaubamaja” stop. After that you have to walk through or around the “Viru Keskus” to the Old Town where Red Emperor is located.
Red Emperors address is “Aia 10”. If you are not able to find your way or can't use GPS to navigate from bus stops to Red Emp then just contact any of the organizers and we will help you navigate or if necessary come get you ourselves. The organizers contacts are at the end of this guide!! Google Maps is your friend when it comes to commuting in Estonia!
What to bring?
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Yourself
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ID card/passport or visa if you need it
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Money for extra food, shopping etc
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Big towel (and slippers) for sauna
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Clothes
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Personal hygiene items (we like clean and beautiful participants)
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Typical drink and food from your country - for International Evening
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Healt insurance if possible (you can obtain a European Health and Insurance Card at www.ehicard.org for free)
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Student card (for example www.isic.org)
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Good mood
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Lots of energy
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Your beautiful smile and BEST-Spirit!!
Quick language course
Although most people in Estonia can speak or at least understand English, it would be nice to know some words in Estonian as well. For example if you would like to impress your hosts or if you might find yourself in a situation in which you will have to use Estonian language . :)
So here you have some useful words and sentences:
Hi! - Tsau!
Hello! – Tere!
Goodbye – Head aega!
Good morning! – Tere hommikust! (or just „Hommik“)
Good night – Head ööd!
Cheers! – Terviseks!
Yes – Jah
No – Ei
Sorry – Vabandust
Thank you! - Aitäh!
Maybe – Võib-olla...
My name is... – Minu nimi on...
What is your name? – Mis sinu nimi on?
Help! – APPI!
I don’t know – Ma ei tea
One ticket, please! Üks pilet palun!
A beer please! – Üks õlu palun!
Let’s have a drink! – Joome!
You’re beautiful – Sa oled imeilus
I like you - Sa meeldid mulle
I love you - Ma armastan sind
What are you doing tonight? – Mida sa õhtul teed? ;)
I like this feeling! – Mulle meeldib see tunne!
Blue Peacock Feather Tail – Paabulinnu sulesaba sinine
Bus stop – Bussi peatus
Give one beer over Ülo’s sister shoulder - Anna üks õlu üle Ülo õe õla
Tallinn University of Technology – Tallinna Tehnikaülikool (or just TTÜ)
Prices in Estonia
Supermarkets
0.5 litre beer ~0,7...1 €
0.5 litre Coke ~0,85 €
0.5 litre good Vodka ~7 €
0.5 litre cheap Vodka ~5 €
0.5 litre Vana Tallinn ~8€
Snickers ~0,60 €
Marlboro ~4 €
Durex ~ask the organisers
1 kilo of bananas ~1€
1 kilo of apples ~1 €
1 kilo of carrots ~0,40€
170g potato chips ~1,25 €
1 pack of fast noodles ~0,25...0,50 €
A pack of toilet paper ~1,5 €
A pen (to write up your memories ? ) 0,40 €
A sheet of A4 paper ~ask organisers
Eating out, clubbing, depending on places
0.5 litre beer 2...3 €
250 ml Coke 1...1,60 €
a shot of Vodka/Vana Tallinn 1,60...3 €
a cup of coffee/espresso 1...2 €
vodka cocktail/Cuba libre/gin tonic etc.3...5€
a good meal in the city 4...10 €
a big mac meal 4...5 €
a Keemia „a la carte“ hamburger 1,60...2 €
eating in the student canteen 1,80...3 €
Various stuff
1km of cheap taxi in Tallinn ~0,40...0,50 €
1 bus-ticket in Tallinn ~1,50 €