Explore 4 Coolest Places in North Estonia!
They are all Cool enough for your next Instagram posts!
Hey, guys! This is Ting :)
Today I am going to show you 4 coolest places to visit in North Estonia.
I can guarantee you those spots are so cool, and defiantly don’t miss them!
Let’s get started!
#1 — Viivikonna ( A Ghost Town )
Are you dare to visit an Estonian ghost town? Are you a fan of abandoned houses? If yes, then Viivikonna is your place.
Viivikonna is a former mining town in Estonia. It used to be home for a few thousand people who worked in a nearby oil shale mine. But many people started to move away when the oil shale mine dried, and the Soviet Union collapsed. So basically, people say it is an abandoned town with lots of abandoned buildings at the moment.
However, when I finally visited there in person, I found out there are some people who still live in Viivikonna. It is not a totally empty town! So don't expect you won't see any human beings there.
Even in this case, I still recommend everyone can visit Viivikonna if you have time. Because it has way more abandoned buildings than you can see in other places. Moreover, you can smell this creepy and horror vibe in the air. Although the day when I visited Viivikonna was a super sunny day, I have to say I get a bit scared when walking next to abandoned houses.
Anyway, it is still a cool spot if you are searching for something new or exciting!
#2 — Vanatehnika Varjupaik (Museum of Soviet Vehicles)
⏰ Opening hours: Bascially it opens all the time
💲 Ticket: 3 EUROS
This outdoor museum has a huge collection of vehicles from the USSR. You can see various types of vehicles, such as passenger cars, buses, trucks, bulldozers, military vehicles, trams, tractors, fire trucks, ambulances, police cars…. even old license plates, and bicycles……
More than 500 hundred Soviet vehicle collections!
Can you imagine?
Since I am from Asia, it is super unusual and interesting for me to see so many old cars from the Soviet times. I literally feel I traveled back to history. Therefore, I totally recommend this place to anyone. You don’t have to be a car fan. Even you are a local Estonian, I can tell you this museum will still amaze you!
#3 — Puhtitsa convent
⏰ Opening hours: 06:00 AM ~ 20:00 PM
💲 Ticket: Free
Founded in 1891, it is the Only Russian Orthodox convent in Estonia. Currently, there are still nuns living here. I have to say I never heard about this place before I visited. Because in my eyes, Estonia is not a religious country at all. But it did surprise me a lot, when I walk around and observe convent life.
Such a peaceful and quiet place! To be honest, I even have this feeling ‘I am somewhere, but definitely not Estonia!’ Because no one speaks Estonian there. Everyone speaks Russian!
Even the sign, the map… basically everywhere is written in Russian.
So it gave me a strong feeling, maybe I am in Russia ?! 😆
By the way, I saw the nuns are selling bread and drinks there. I bought this drink (you can see the photo above), which cost me 3 euros. But I have no idea what it is. It tastes interesting. I guess maybe they add alcohol inside?!
💥 Little reminder
During the visit, some people from the convent came to stop me and my boyfriend hoding hands together. Although they speak in Russian, we can still understand their body language. Basically, they say it is inappropriate to do that. So, don’t have too close body contacts in the convent. And try to cover your head if it is possible. I didn’t know this before going, therefore, I feel a bit sorry if my behaviors are unrespectful for their culture and beliefs.
I recommend this convent so much because you will never find a second place like this in Estonia!
#4 — Hara Harbour
⏰ Opening hours:
From June to August — 11:00~20:00 (Monday to Sunday).
From September to May — 11:00~18:00 (Saturday to Sunday)Ticket office closes 30 minutes before clsoing time.
💲 Ticket: Adult 6 Euros / Student 4 Euros
This is another fascinating abandoned building! But what makes it so special?
Because Hara Harbour used to be a Soviet Submarine Base! It was built by the Russian military between 1956 and 1958 and was used while they occupied Estonia until they fled in 1991, around the time of Estonian independence.
Even now it is abandoned, you can still see it becomes a great space for graffiti art 💛 I love this place!
If you like to take some amazing pictures or want to have an adventure, definitely come to visit!
By the way, it is a part of Lahemaa National Park. So I think it will be great if you can plan a hiking trip on the same day 😊
Thank you for reading! And don’t forget to give me many many likes and share the post! I really hope you guys like this article!
Actually, I have more cool spots I can show you guys. But the post will be too long if I write everything LOL 😆 So I decided to do it on different posts!
Please stay tuned! See you next timeeee! 🖤💛💙💜💚🧡❤️️
