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.

Estonia 5th best in EU for renewal energy

In the second quarter of 2026, 54.1% of the electricity generated in the European Union came from renewable energy sources. The highest shares were in Latvia (97.7%) and  Denmark (94.3%), the lowest in Slovakia (19.8%) and The Czech Republic (20.9%). Estonia came in at fifth place which is another excellent result for Estonia.

It's mushroom season in Estonia!

Mushroom season is in full swing in Estonia. Between the months of July and October Estonians love to head to the forest to pick mushooms. Seenelkäik / foraging mushrooms has often been described as a national sport in Estonia and is a deep-rooted cultural ritual. There are over 7000 species of mushrooms in Estonia with 400 of them considered edible. 

Last year over 100 tons of fresh or chilled mushrooms were exported from Estonia with a total value of 834 451 euros. Most of the mushrooms reached Sweden, Finland and Germany.  The most popular mushrooms were chanterelles (93 867 kg). They're so delicious!

Head Vanavanemate Päev! Happy Grandparents' Day!

Grandparents' Day (Vanavanemate päev) is celebrated on the second Sunday of September in Estonia. As of 1st January 2026, 330,291 people living in Estonia proudly held the title of grandparent. Here are some interesting facts about grandparents in Estonia.

Estonia Ranked the Best Country to Live in 2026

Estonia has been ranked the world’s best country to live in 2026, according to the latest Rumavi Global Relocation Index. Estonia topped the list among 184 countries, with a score of 72.8 out of 100. Singapore came second at 72.6, while Malaysia, Portugal and Taiwan complete the top five. Estonia’s first-place ranking is notable for a country with a population of 1.3 million. Estonia scored exceptionally well across the safety and settling pillars, supported by robust rule of law, a strong startup ecosystem, and low youth unemployment.

The report also ranks the world's worst countries to live which are: Afghanistan, Yemen and South Sudan. More information about the report can be found here.

Estonia continues to be No. 1 in Europe for education

According to the OECD’s 2025 PISA results, Estonia ranks the best in Europe and is among the top ten best education systems in the world. Only Japan and South Korea surpassed Estonia in 2025 for overall PISA test scores among the 91 OECD countries. For the past 15 years Estonia has outperformed the OECD average in science, maths and reading. This is another fantastic result for Estonia who places great importance on education.  Further reading can be found here.

Ülle Madise - The Next President of Estonia

On Wednesday, 2nd of September 2026, the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) elected Ülle Madise as the next President of Estonia. She ran as an independent candidate and secured 71 votes out of the required 68. Madise will be the second woman to hold the Estonian presidency, following Kersti Kaljulaid who left office in 2021. Madise succeeds Alar Karis, who chose not to seek a second term.

So who is Ülle Madise?

Ülle Madise is a prominent Estonian lawyer and legal scholar who has served as the Chancellor of Justice since 2015. She was born in Tartu in 1974 and studied law at the University of Tartu. Her father, Tõnu Anton, is a former member of the Supreme Court of Estonia and signatory of the ratification of the Estonian restoration of Independence. President-elect Ülle Madise holds core beliefs deeply rooted in constitutional law, institutional trust, individual liberty, and national identity.

Ülle Madise is scheduled to officially take office on 12 October 2026 where she will then become the seventh President of the Republic of Estonia.

Estonia's Education System: Why are Estonians so Smart?

The 1st of September marks the beginning of the new school year in Estonia. This year 14,700 children started first grade in Estonia, receiving their Aabits book and wearing their 'kooli tekkel' (school cap) for the first time with pride. Approximately 160,000 Estonian pupils will be attending general education this year, 26,000 students will commence vocational education and more than 47,000 students are enrolled at the country's universities. Estonia has one of the best education systems in the world and ranks number one in Europe for reading, mathematics, and science.

On this day in history

After half a century of brutal Soviet occupation, Russian troops finally left Estonia on 31 August 1994. On this day World War II officially ended for Estonia when the last occupying Russian military forces left Estonian soil.  It was a day of great celebration for Estonians all around the world.

Today in history

90 years ago today, on August 30, 1936, a memorial monument dedicated to writer Anton Hansen Tammsaare was unveiled in front of the Albu Municipal Hall. Tammsaare himself did not attend the event, either out of modesty or he was offended about a farm he was rumoured to receive as a gift for his 60th birthday, that it was given to Olympic champion Palusalu instead. A record book was signed by all people who attended the unveiling of the monument and it has been preserved in the local area. I was very pleased to view the record book in 2014 and saw the signature of my great-grandfather Arthur Lesthal. Arthur was both the village photographer aad bookkeeper at the Albu Muncipal Hall.

Photo flashback: Narva-Jõesuu 1890

This beautiful colourised photograph of a family in Narva-Jõesuu was taken in1890.

New 2 euro coin dedicated to Kõpu Lighthouse

A new coin featuring Hiiumaa's Kõpu Lighthouse will be released by the Bank of Estonia next year. The coin will be part of a new series 'Counties of Estonia'. The new two euro coin series will highlight the variety and cultural uniqueness of the different regions in Estonia.

The coin for Hiiumaa will be the first in the series and depicts Kõpu Lighthouse which is one of the oldest still operating lighthouses in the World. Construction of the lighthouse began in 1504 and was completed in 1531. Hiiumaa is known for its unique landscapes and long maritime traditions.

Kaupo Kangro designed the coin and one million coins will go into circulation next year.

Fun facts:

World's Oldest Operating Lighthouses

1. Tower of Hercules (A Coruña, Spain) Built in the 1st century AD by the Roman Empire.

2. Hook Lighthouse (County Wexford, Ireland) Built around 1210 to 1245.

3. Kõpu Lighthouse (Hiiumaa, Estonia) Functioning continuously since 1531.

4. Lantern of Genoa (Genoa, Italy) The current towering stone structure was built in 1543 (replacing earlier versions on the same site dating back to 1128) and remains a functioning beacon and symbol of the port city.

5. Cordouan Lighthouse (Gironde estuary, France) Known as the "King of Lighthouses," construction began in 1584 and finished in 1611.

No Estonian celebration is complete without a glass of Vana Tallinn

While Estonia's Restoration of Independence Day officially fell on Thursday, August 20 this year, many cultural events and community gatherings took place on the weekend for the Estonian diaspora. The iconic Vana Tallinn liqueur that was created in Estonia in 1960 is very popular drink amongst Estonians living at home and abroad during times of celebration.

Estonian Facts and Figures: 1991 vs. 2025

35th anniversary of Estonia's Restoration of Independence

Today marks 35 years since Estonia made the bold move to restore its independence after enduring fifty years of Soviet occupation, On the 20th of August 1991, Estonia's Supreme Council took actions that affirmed the legal continuity of the Republic of Estonia that was established in 1918. Estonia was once again a free and sovereign nation. August 20  is a day of great celebration not only for people living in Estonia, but for all Estonians living around the world. 

According to official data from Statistics Estonia, 37.1% of Estonia's population is under the age of 35. This means that roughly one third of Estonia's population was born in a free country and has no personal experience of living under the Soviet regime. For older Estonians, however, this period is still in living memory. 

Happy Independence Day everyone! Taasiseseisvumispäev!