Estonia has the northern most lavender fields in the world

Successfully cultivating lavender in Estonia is considered a unique triumph due to the country's harsh northern climate. Natively a Mediterranean plant, lavender thrives in full sun for at least 8 - 10 hours a day and dry soil.  Estonian farmers have proven that with proper care like mulching and frost protection, lavender can be successfully grown in Estonia.

(Photo: lavender grown from my garden)

There are two main lavender farms in Estonia. The Hiiumaa Lavender Farm (Lavendlitalu) and Sootsu Lavender Farm (Sootsu Lavendel).

Hiiumaa Lavender Farm is located on the edge of the Kärdla meteorite crater in Western Estonia. The farm features roughly 20,000 plants across nearly 1 hectare and produces organic goods like lavender lotions, balms, tea, jam, soap and honey.

Sootsu Lavender Farm is located in Hatu küla (Lääne-Harju vald) in Northern Estonia. Sootsu Lavender Farm is the largest in Estonia spanning 1.5 hectares with nearly 12,000 Hidcote Blue English lavender plants. The farm offers guided tours and handmade natural products.

Growing lavender has become increasingly popular in Estonia, not only with commercial farmers but also private gardeners who value the plant's alluring scent and medicinal properties. Lavender is a perennial plant that regrows every year with proper care and pruning.

A brief history of traffic in Estonia

Before traffic lights were built in Estonia, traffic was manually regulated by the police. On the 1st of April 1929, Anton Arumäe was appointed Tallinn’s first traffic police officer. It took the police considerable time to acquire the necessary skills and experience to carry out this role. For a long time, speed was estimated by eye only, and later measured using a stopwatch and special speed charts. Traffic accidents were an inevitable part of the rapidly developing traffic environment.

A traffic police officer in Suur-Karja Street Tallinn.

Speeding was often cited as the primary cause of accidents. However, the speed limit was quite low; passenger cars and motorcycles were not permitted to exceed 25 km/h in the city centre. 

One of the major issues police had was frequent drunk driving. The streets of the Old Town, particularly the narrow section of Viru Street, Town Hall Square, Nunne and Mündi streets were considered very dangerous. Many accidents also occurred on Pärnu maantee, which experienced heavy use by people from rural areas.

The first red, yellow and green traffic light in Tallinn was installed in 1947 at the intersection of Pärnu maantee and Suur-Karja tänav. The first pedestrian traffic lights in Tallinn were introduced in 1959. They were installed at the busy intersection of Pärnu mnt, Estonia pst and Freedom Square.

Estonia's first postage stamps

Estonia’s first official postage stamps were issued on the 22nd of November 1918, shortly after the end of World War I. They were known as the 'Flower Design Series' and had nominal values of 5 and 15 kopecks. The stamps were printed by the Bölau Printing House in Nõmme.

Estonia's first stamps featuring the Tallinn skyline (part of the Tallinn Skyline definitive series) were released on the 4th of May 1920. The stamps were designed by Eduard Poland and were printed until 1924.

The yellow 25 penni stamp was the most popular in the series with a total print run of 4,939,000. The Tallinn Skyline stamp series is a valued collection among philatelists.

It's apple season in Estonia!

Autumm is apple harvesting time in Estonia. Apples are the most popular and commonly grown fruit in Estonia, with over 1000 different varieties grown in the country and 53 types considered uniquely Estonian. Most houses with gardens in rural and suburban Estonia have at least one apple tree. They're ubiquitous! 

The most common apple varieties grown in Estonia are the 'Suislepp', 'Valge Klaar', 'Liivi kuldrenett', 'Tellissaare' and 'Tiina'.  During this time of year in Estonia it is common to find homeowners leaving boxes or bags of free surplus apples outside their homes for passersby to take.

Some fun facts:

Many Estonian apple varieties have human first names. For example Tiina, Meelis, Kersti, Taavi, Kaja and Krista. In total, there are 22 varieties of Estonian apples with such names. According to official statistics there are currently 4213 people in Estonia with the name Tiina, 3288 with the name Meelis and 2679 with the name Tiite. Apple (õun) is also a surname in Estonia and 629 people have this surname.

Photo flashback: Tallinn 1905

Colourised photo of  Harju Street. The intersection of Niguliste and Kullassepa streets in 1905. On the left stands the Writers' House, and on the right, the monument to Eduard Vilde.

The building on the corner belonged to Adolf Klaff who once owned Tallinn’s oldest stationery and office supply business. He established his business in 1883 at Harju Street 20, and in 1938, the business moved to Harju Street 21.

Harju Street was one of Tallinn’s oldest streets for merchants and artisans. From the 19th century onwards, the city's commercial life began to concentrate there, and by the early years of the Republic of Estonia, it had gradually developed into one of the city's most important business districts. 

Many of the buildings on Harju street were destroyed or severely damaged during the Soviet bombing raids of March 1944 but we have these old photographs to remind us how they once were.

New cabbage head monument dedicated to well loved books

Estonians are a nation of avid readers and rank among the most passionate book lovers in the world. Last week in Tallinn a new cabbage-head bust was placed in the inner courtyard of the Estonian National Library dedicated to well loved books.  The monument pays tribute and makes reference to the common Estonian expression "raamat on loetud kapsaks" that literally means "the book has been read into a cabbage," referring to books that have been read so many times they become worn and tattered.

"Monument to Books Worn to Shreds"

So what books do Estonians love to read so much?

Estonians love reading works by local Estonian authors, focusing heavily on national classics, historical fiction, folklore-inspired tales, and beloved children's literature.

The most popular books read by Estonians are:

1.Truth and Justice I (Tõde ja õigus) by Anton Hansen Tammsaare. Published in 1926, Volume One is  widely considered the Estonian national novel. This masterpiece explores the toil, philosophy, and soul of the Estonian people through rural life.

2. Kalevipoeg by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald. Estonia's national epic, charting the heroic and tragic deeds of the mythical giant Kalevipoeg protecting the land.

3. Spring (Kevade) by Oskar Luts. Published in 1912, the novel is a nostalgic, humorous, and deeply cherished portrait of school life in rural Estonia.

4. The Czar's Madman (Keisri hull) by Jaan Kross (1978). A world-renowned historical novel portraying 19th-century psychological resistance under the Russian Empire.

5. Apothecary Melchior Series by Indrek Hargla. Hugely popular contemporary murder mystery novels set in 15th-century mediaeval Tallinn.

6. The Man Who Spoke Snakish (Mees, kes teadis ussisõnu) by Andrus Kivirähk (2007). A modern folkloric masterpiece and massive bestseller blending magic, survival, and Estonian identity.

7. Three Jolly Fellows (Naksitrallid) by Eno Raud is considered a timeless classic of Estonian children's literature.

Beautiful Estonia: Jägala Waterfall

Jägala Waterfall is the widest natural waterfall in Estonia. Located 25km east of Tallinn, the waterfall is approximately 8 metres high and more than 50 metres wide. During winter Jägala Waterfall is a fascinating sight to see when the water freezes and becomes a glistening ice wall with large icicles. Sometimes a tunnel is formed during the freezing months between the wall of the waterfall and the ice hanging down the edge of the waterfall.