Muhu Island #visitestonia #Eesti100 #estonia100 #muhu

Muhu is an island in the Baltic Sea. With an area of 198 km² (76 sq mi) it is the third largest island belonging to Estonia, after Saaremaa and Hiiumaa.
The sleepy fishermen’s villages, windmills, thatched cottages and wildlife provide a perfect retreat for those looking to get lost in the nature.

My family is from South Estonia, but 15 years ago my parents moved to Saaremaa. To get to Saaremaa, one must first get to Muhu island.

Muhu is beautiful and peaceful.

Muhu is interesting in wintertime, as well : you can drive on the ice

if it’s cold enough. During particularly cold winters (like the ones we used to have) you can drive between some of Estonia’s islands. The roads are marked with signs and speed limits.

How to get Muhu

• find a timetable and pre-book Your ferry e- ticket online on TS Laevad homepage http://www.praamid.ee. Your destination is Kuivastu.

Must to do and see and eat in Muhu

• Nautse ostrich farm
• Pädaste manor
• Muhu rye bread and fish. Visit fish restaurant in Liiva. Local beer
• Luscher & Matiesen Muhu Veinitalu

In Estonia

• Practically all Estonians speak or at least understand English. Generation +40 speak and understand Russian. Because of the similarity of languages Estonians are able to understand Finnish. Children learn German, French and some Swedish or Chinese at school
• almost everywhere you can pay with a card. ATM -s are in bigger places and petrol stations.
• and yes, this is not fairy tale. almost everywhere in Estonia is Wifi

Best Souvenirs to buy from Estonia

• Kalev chocolate, liqueur Old Tallinn/Vana Tallinn, Balbiino ice cream and Tallinna spiced sprats (Tallinna vürtsikilu)
• Handicrafts made of linen, wool, wood, juniper or limestone. Haapsalu scarf.
  (NB! In Tallinn Viru Street you can find a lot of amber and Matrjoschka. Amber is from Lithuania and Matrjoschka from Russia. Both countries are beautiful and with rich culture and interesting history. I suggest to visit Lithuania and Russia :))
• for children, everything about and with Lotte.

Estonian Food you Must to Try

• visit Estonian supermarkets and buy some Estonian dairy products: kohuke, kodujuust (cottage cheese), hapukoor (sour cream). Buy Kama and rye bread, handicraft beer
• In restaurants ask for quark cake, soups with dumplings, meat balls or cabbage. Semolina cream, quark cream or bread cream. Local lake fish. Drink kefir, kvass or local beer. Värska mineral water. And Estonian tap water and forest spring water are clean, pure and drinkable.

Culture:

• check and google timetable for Viljandi Folk, Pärnu Weekend, Jazzkaar, PÖFF or Laulupidu and Saaremaa Opera Days.
• buy movie about Estonian history: ” Nimed marmortahvlil”, ” Tants aurukatla ümber”, ” “Tuulepealne maa”. Or ” Malev”, this is comedy and pseudo history, but very good summary about Estonians.
• Music: Pärt ja Tüür. Tõnis Mägi, The Sun; Metsatöll and TradAttack. And read my blog posts. I gave a lot of links for good Estonian music.