Estonia's sights: where to go in every county

Estonia is a small country, but surprisingly dense with sights — every county has something worth the trip, whether it’s a national park, a limestone coast, a medieval manor or Estonia’s tallest waterfall. We’ve gathered them by county to make it easier to decide where to go next — and for each destination, we also point to our matching accommodation page in case you’d like to stay in the same area.

Harju County

The county surrounding Tallinn offers surprisingly wild nature right on the capital’s doorstep. Treppoja cascade in western Harju County is Estonia’s largest cascade — a stream that begins on the Ilumäe limestone plateau drops into the Lahepera limestone valley over six steps, 5.5 metres in total. It’s also worth visiting Lahemaa National Park, Jägala waterfall and Keila-Joa park with its neo-Gothic Schloss manor house.

See accommodation in Harju County →

Lääne County (Haapsalu)

Matsalu National Park is one of Europe’s most important stopover sites for migratory birds — a 48,600-hectare area in Lääne County on the lands of Lihula, Martna and Hanila parishes, most of which consists of a sea bay and the Kasari floodplain. In Haapsalu itself, the episcopal castle and Africa Beach are well worth a visit.

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Pärnu County

Tori Hell is a mysterious cave carved into the bank of the Pärnu River in Tori parish, known for its legends. In Lääneranna parish, the Tuhu bog trail is a 950-metre boardwalk through bog areas at different stages of development. In Pärnu itself, the main draws are of course the beach and the old town.

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Ida-Viru County

Home to Valaste waterfall — Estonia’s tallest waterfall, over 30 metres high, located on the 56-metre-high Ontika cliff. The same area also has the impressive Ontika limestone coast, Narva’s Hermann Castle, and the sandy beaches of Lake Peipus.

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Valga County (Otepää)

Harimägi lookout tower in Otepää parish, in the village of Mäeküla, offers a view over the Otepää highlands — the tower is near Kääriku, about 3 km toward Sangaste. The area’s other draws are Lake Pühajärv and the Tehvandi sports centre.

See accommodation in Otepää →

Saaremaa

Estonia’s largest island offers diverse nature: the Kaali meteorite crater, Sõrve peninsula with its lighthouse, Panga cliff and the Angla windmills. Most services are concentrated in Kuressaare, the island’s county centre.

See accommodation in Saaremaa →

Tartu County (Tartu)

Tartu is Estonia’s spiritual capital — the ruins of Tartu Cathedral on Toome Hill, the AHHAA Science Centre and the Estonian National Museum on the grounds of Raadi manor are all within walking distance of the old town.

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Hiiumaa

Estonia’s second-largest island is known for its lighthouses — Kõpu lighthouse is one of the oldest continuously operating lighthouses in the world, and the Ristna and Tahkuna lighthouses are also worth a visit.

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Lääne-Viru County (Rakvere)

Vallimägi, the hill of Rakvere Castle with its large bronze Aurochs statue, is the county’s best-known sight, but a short drive away Lahemaa National Park begins.

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Viljandi County (Viljandi)

The Viljandi castle hills above the lake host the folk music festival stage in summer, and at other times of year make for a peaceful walk among medieval fortress ruins.

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South Estonia

The region between Tartu, Võru, Põlva and Viljandi counties is home to Suur Munamägi — the Baltics’ highest point (318 m) in Haanja — and the Piusa Caves, man-made sandstone caves that serve as a wintering site for a colony of bats.

See accommodation in South Estonia →

Wherever you head next, it’s worth pairing the destination with nearby accommodation — that way you spend more time enjoying nature and less time on the road. Check out all our destinations and find the right place to stay.