Sightseeing and where to stay
International participants arriving in Tallinn are advised to use the opportunity to explore the medieval old town of Tallinn, which is the UNESCO World Heritage site. For attractions in Tallinn, see: http://www.tourism.tallinn.ee/fpage/explore/attractions. Other ‘must see’ places in Tallinn are: the Kadriorg Park and Palace, created under instructions of the Russian Tsar Peter the Great; the Song Festival Grounds, hosting regular song festivals and the main site of the Estonian ‘singing revolution’; Rocca al Mare Open Air Museum, presenting traditional Estonian peasant’s houses; and Pirita with ruins of St. Bridget’s Convent and a yacht harbor, which hosted the 1980 Olympic Regatta. For a list of accommodation in Tallinn, see:
http://www.tourism.tallinn.ee/fpage/travelplanning/accommodation/facilities
Tartu is the second biggest town in Estonia and a historic university town, http://www.visittartu.com/. Special buses to the event center depart from Tartu. The list of accommodation in Tartu: http://www.visittartu.com/Accommodation
Tartu is also a good base on your way to explore the natural treasures of South Estonia. Description of hiking trails nearby Tartu and a travel guide for South Estonia is available at: http://www.visittartu.com/16574. There are many nice locations in South Estonia, it all depends what your particular interests are!
For natural attractions and accommodation possibilities in Põlva and Võru counties, consult the following web-pages:
http://www.polvamaa.ee/index.php?page=3 and
http://www.visitvoru.ee/?id=81&lang=eng.
Recommended sites include: the Big Egghill (Suur Munamägi) - the highest hill in Estonia (318 m) in Haanja Uplands; Ahja River Primeval
Valley with the Small and the Big Taevaskoja (Devonian sandstone cliffs); Piusa sand caves; Meenikunno bog and landscape reserve;
Ilumetsa meteor craters etc. Piusa River Primeval Valley has a nice hiking trail between Lindora and Vastseliina, total length 15 km
(map: http://www.vastseliina.ee/index.php?picfile=137).
Ahja and Võhandu River Primeval Valleys provide a good canoe trip (some providers:
http://www.toonuspluss.ee/?page=guided_trips&lang=eng, http://www.voomatkad.ee/en/, http://www.veetee.ee/index.php?keel=eng).
The main hikers’ destination in South Estonia is Otepää http://www.otepaa.ee/?page=3, about 50 km north from the event center, with many accommodation facilities and possibilities for active holidays.
If you are travelling by car and seek accommodation to stay overnight
before/after the competition, the closest (within a radius of 50km from
the event center) accommodation facilities are in V�ru
(http://www.visitvoru.ee/?id=215), Otep��
(
http://www.otepaa.ee/uus/index.php)
and Antsla (Veski k�lalistemaja: http://www.antsla.ee/index.php?page=214&). However, the guesthouse in
Antsla is small, accommodating only 15 people, while in Otep�� and V�ru,
there are several possibilities at different price levels.
We also plan that some of the special buses, which will depart from
Tartu, will drive through Otep�� and V�ru, to pick up any competitors
staying there.
For attractions and activities elsewhere in Estonia, as well as accommodation, see: http://www.visitestonia.com/, http://www.welcometoestonia.com/en and http://tourism.ee/en/. On rural tourism see http://www.maaturism.ee/new/index.php?keel=eng
