Estonia: Yes, it’s a real place

Estonia’s Short History (really short)

Estonian history, simplified, goes like this:
a small people live by the sea in the woods, and big powers take turns dropping by to see whether that forest might suit them too. Somehow, the people stayed — and we still call this place Estonia.

The first settlers reached Estonia’s western coast about 11,000 years ago, right after the Ice Age retreated from this area. That’s why Estonians are often considered one of Europe’s longest continuously settled peoples in the same place.

In ancient Estonia, the ancient Estonians lived in a world of their own — villages, beliefs, and hillforts. In the 13th century, crusaders and kings arrived, and a long period began in which most Estonians were peasants, while some local noble families merged into the Baltic German aristocracy. The people themselves didn’t disappear — only the roles around them changed, along with the official languages spoken over their heads.

The Estonian: personality & character

So what is an Estonian actually like?

An Estonian is a bit like a wood-burning stove — quiet at first, but warm once it gets going.

We’re often described as quiet, modest, and a little serious. Sometimes even suspicious — which, honestly, isn’t entirely wrong. If you’ve lived in a place where rulers change like seasons (see: Estonia’s very short history), it makes sense to calmly check who just showed up this time and what their plan is. That doesn’t mean we’re hostile — we just don’t feel the need to say every thought out loud.

For us, silence isn’t awkward. It’s a completely normal form of communication.
If nobody says anything, it doesn’t mean something is wrong. Maybe everything is simply fine.

Distance, smiles, and eye contact

Estonians love space — in nature and in conversation:

• we don’t squeeze up against you in a queue
• we don’t stick our nose into your life on the first meeting
• and we don’t immediately ask for your whole life story

Smiling is generally on power-saving mode.
If a stranger on the street gives you a big cheerful grin, there’s a good chance they’re a tourist.

Eye contact is its own topic:
a long, direct stare is practically a marriage proposal —
so try not to do it by accident on the tram.

How to become friends with an Estonian

The good news: once the ice melts, an Estonian can be a loyal, straightforward friend. A few simple tips:

• Compliment our nature and our weather — even if the rain is coming at you sideways.
• Invite them to the forest, a bog, or the sauna — shared silence by a campfire or on a sauna bench is a higher level than small talk.
• Give them time to think — an Estonian doesn’t always answer immediately, but the answer is usually honest (and not just polite filler).
• Learn a couple of Estonian words (tere, aitäh, terviseks) — it makes eyes light up more than a third coffee.

If you give an Estonian a bit of time and space, you’ll discover that under that quiet outer layer there’s warm humour — and, yes, probably a pretty stubborn heart.

The Four Seasons: Same Place, Four Different Worlds

In Estonia you don’t just change months – you change worlds.
Winter can turn everything completely white, spring is noisy with birdsong, summer stretches into almost nightless nights, and autumn paints the forests in gold. And through all of it, one thing stays the same: Estonians will happily go to the sauna in every season.

Already medieval chroniclers wrote that this land is excellent for grain and cattle – in other words, this is not some hopeless, frozen corner of the world, but a place where the seasons actually work with you, not against you.

For a visitor, that means one thing:
no matter when you come, Estonia will look and feel different.

Do & Don’t (so you can feel good here)

DO

• Do learn a few words in Estonian – tere (hello), aitäh (thank you), terviseks (cheers). Tiny effort, big effect.
• Do enjoy the silence and space – if nobody talks for a while, it usually means everything is fine.
• Do go to the sauna – in winter, spring, summer and autumn. Every season has its own kind of magic (and steam).
• Do walk in the forest and the bogs – but stay on the boardwalks unless you really know what you’re doing.
• Do drink tap water – it’s generally safe, and nobody will look at you strangely for asking for it in a restaurant.

DON’T

Don’t ever call Estonia “Russia” or Estonians “Russians”.
For historical reasons this is one of the fastest ways to kill a conversation. Ask yourself: would you confuse a chair with an electric chair?

Don’t be offended if people don’t smile or start small talk immediately.
Give it some time – warmth here arrives more like a slow sunrise than a light switch.

Don’t walk on bog boardwalks with your eyes in your phone.
The views are better in real life, and bog water is not a great souvenir.

Don’t shout in public spaces if you can help it.
Most people speak quietly; you’ll notice you can hear the birds, the wind and your own thoughts.