Hi Didier!

Summer in Estonia is the season of white nights — the sun barely dips below the horizon before climbing high again — giving you more time to explore, more time to immerse yourself in the magic of the season.

Next week is one of Estonia's most important holidays — Midsummer! Known locally as Jaanipäev, Midsummer is celebrated every summer on the 23rd and 24th of June. City dwellers head to the countryside, and villages all over Estonia host parties with bonfires and live music. 

If you plan on coming to Estonia for Midsummer, read on for our list of places to celebrate like a local. We also have our top picks for the best places to see the sunrise and sunset around the country.

Estonian summers are enchanting.

It's about time you came to experience them for yourself!

The Visit Estonia Team

How to celebrate Midsummer like a local

Midsummer celebrations date back to pagan summer solstice festivals. After the arrival of Christianity, it was renamed to honor St. John the Baptist. Since 1919, Midsummer celebrations have overlapped with Victory Day on June 23rd, the day Estonian forces defeated German troops in the War of Independence.

Midsummer is a national holiday, giving city folks the chance to head to the countryside. People tend to spend the day with friends, barbecuing in their gardens or picnicking in the forest. The highlight of the year in many rural towns and villages is a community-wide Jaanipäev party featuring live music and massive bonfires. 

We've compiled a list of places to celebrate Midsummer's Eve all around Estonia. 

What to do in Estonia's summertime capital

Every summer, Pärnu turns into a bustling resort town, busy with people, regardless of the day of the week or the time of day. Thousands of people are attracted to the city's sandy beach, busy event calendar, and pleasant restaurants, cafés, and bars. It’s no wonder there are six times more people in Pärnu during summer than during any other time of year!

The best places to see Nature's light show

The best time of year for sunsets in Estonia? Springtime and early summer. The days grow longer, and the sky turns into all shades of pink and orange. The sunset seems to go on for hours. During the white nights of summer, though, sunrise and sunset are only a few hours apart, giving you ample time to enjoy the view.

Here are some of the best spots around the country to take in this natural light show.

Who are Estonia's Old Believers?

Tucked up along the western shore of Lake Peipsi runs a lonely road known locally as the Onion Route. This road connects a string of small villages whose history dates back to the 17th century.

These villages are home to the Old Believers, descendants of religious exiles who left Russia after facing persecution in the 1600s. While much has changed in the world since then, these communities still maintain customs and traditions dating back hundreds of years.

Music festivals in unusual places

Estonia is home to summer music festivals that could make even the most map-savvy cultural tourist forget they were ever on a beaten path. 

In particular, the Pärnu Music Festival, the Saaremaa Opera Festival, the Haapsalu Early Music Festival, the Birgitta Festival and the Leigo Lake Music Festival are all held in breathtaking settings. Their summer of 2022 offerings will include Beethoven and Lutosławski, Tchaikovsky and Verdi, Bach and Haydn, and Estonian composers.

Prangli Island: a remote getaway

Lonely Planet has included Prangli Island in their list of the nine most incredible remote European getaways for 2022. 

According to LP, "[Prangli] has a fascinating history [peopled with] pirates, bootleggers, fishermen and sealers... Soviet-era trucks and jeeps still trundle along the narrow island roads."

Even though a visit to Prangli might feel like you're heading completly off the map, it's a mere 30 km from Tallinn, making it easy to escape the city for a taste of remote nature without spending hours getting there and back.  

Enjoy stunning photos of nature, culture and wildlife? 

Follow #VisitEstonia on Instagram for more!