ESTONIA
FINLAND TALLINN
LATVIA ESTONIA
20 miles
Gul f o f F i n l an d TALLINN
Muhu MUHU VEINITALU KOIGI BOG Saaremaa Leedri
PILGUSE MANOR HOUSE
Kuressaare Abruka
Kihnu Gul f o f R i g a
GETTING THERE & AROUND Air Baltic, Wizz Air and Ryanair fly direct to Tallinn from various London airports on different days of the week.
airbaltic.com
wizzair.com
ryanair.com Average flight time: 3h. Public transport on the islands is limited; the best way to explore is by car. International rental outfits can be found at Tallinn airport. Car ferries to Muhu and Kihnu run several times a day in the peak summer season and can be booked online in advance, though don’t always need to be. Check schedules online.
praamid.ee veeteed.com
more about what makes their island community unique: their singsong local dialect; the women’s handwoven woollen skirts; their strong community bonds — all of which have contributed to the island being listed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage register. “Here, we have a collective mentality, which means we don’t celebrate difference,” she says. In recent years, it’s been suggested that Kihnu may be Europe’s last matriarchy, because the women govern much of the island’s day-to- day life and land-based industries while the men typically spend much of their time at sea, chasing Baltic herring and other northern fish. This isn’t how Mare sees it, though. “I just think it’s equality. It’s not a matriarchy, just balance.” Yet women are, unquestionably, the custodians of
Kihnu’s rich culture. At 49, Mare has made it her personal mission to make sure the Kihnu way of life survives. Back at her farmhouse, a smart pitched-roof wooden building where roosters are crowing in an adjoining field, Mare tells me about her campaign for an offshore wind farm to help bring jobs, income and free electricity to the islanders. She also has an ambition to start a cultural academy here where people can learn about living sustainably. “The main thing would be nature, but also folk dancing and local culture,” she explains, breaking apart a four-pack of beer and offering me a can as we sit on her porch. “It’s a final opportunity. Because of globalisation, our
culture is going to disappear after 10 years if we don’t do anything.” I have every confidence Mare will grasp that opportunity with both hands. On first appearances, she might look unassuming, but there’s far more beneath the surface than I’d expected — just like these islands.
114
NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL
WHEN TO GO June to August is the peak travel season for the western isles, with July the main holiday month for Estonians. Outside of this period, many rural businesses close down or reduce their opening hours. The average high in Kuressaare across July and August is 21C; winter temperatures are milder in the islands than elsewhere in Estonia, dropping to around 1C in December.
WHERE TO STAY Bottengarn Farm floating houses, Muhu. From €195 (£165), B&B.
bottengarn.ee Hoia Nature Spa, Saaremaa. From €213 (£180), B&B.
hoianaturespa.com Pilguse Manor House, Saaremaa. From €90 (£75), B&B.
pilguse.com Uiõ-Matu Talu farmstay, Kihnu. From €40 (£34), B&B.
kihnumare.ee
MORE INFO
visitestonia.com
visitsaaremaa.ee
Above: Skipper Taniel Vares plays the accordion at the rear of his yacht on the return journey to Kuressaare from Abruka island
HOW TO DO IT Baltic Travel Company offers a seven-day, self-drive itinerary visiting Tallinn, Muhu, Saaremaa and Kihnu from £995 per person, based on two people sharing a room on a B&B basis. The price includes six nights’ accommodation and car rental.
baltictravelcompany.com
B
L A SWEDE N
R U S S I A
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
A I T
E
C
I
C
S
L
T E
A B
A
S
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196
