Ella Foote heads to snow covered Estonia to understand why it should be your next winter destination
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Many fair-weather swimmers will be thrilled to see the beginnings of warmer days, sunshine and rising water temperatures but others will be sad to see the end of the winter
season, already missing the bite of cooler water. While there is plenty to celebrate in spring and summer, we don’t want to wish it away already – it is worth thinking ahead to what your winter swim season may bring.
If you have sights on a winter swim event or challenge it is good to think now about how you might achieve it and often it will
come down to how much time you can get in water that is cold enough. Swim adventures and holidays are a great way to stretch yourself in a fun way and winter swimming trips are both rewarding and challenging!
Many countries simply endure winter. People head indoors, hunker down in their homes and often spend more time in front of the television than being outdoors. One of the reasons that winter swimming is so popular is that it has created communities where people can gather
and get outdoors whatever the weather. Winter swims are a great way to combat loneliness and seasonal depressions.
In Estonia winter is
celebrated. Rather than close the door to the cold, snow and darkness, Estonians simply change the way they move outdoors. While the bogs are frozen, people ice skate across them. Where the lakes freeze, ice holes are created for cool dips and hot sauna. Snow creates joyful pastimes like cross-country skiing and kick-sledging.
Eager to know
more? Read on for my Top 5 reasons Estonia is the perfect winter swimming destination.
Ella Foote,
Editor, Outdoor Swimmer
"Estonians are proud of their country
and wish to share and celebrate it"
🇪🇪 Ella's Top 5 reasons to book a winter escape in Estonia 🇪🇪
1. Estonia is easy to get to! ✈️
You can fly to Estonia from all major airports and arrive in Tallinn. But there are also many other options and ways to arrive. Riga airport in Latvia is also near to the Estonian boarder, so you could fly and travel from Riga into Estonia. There are also connections in
Stockholm, Sweden and you can even get a ferry from Helsinki. If you prefer to travel by rail, you could make two days of travel through Europe as part of your trip.
Estonia has a complex and rich history, the people have endured a lot over the centuries, but this makes for fascinating conversations. They are proud of their country and wish to share and celebrate it. Sharing food, being outdoors together and opening their homes up to visitors makes the experience rich and joyful.
While many lakes and bogs freeze over in winter, it makes the swimming holes and spots even more beautiful. The way ice forms around water and weather is stunning and there is no better viewpoint then from the water. Lots of locations have a sauna nearby to slip into between dips or after a longer swim. The sea and beaches offer clear water, sand
and slushy ice, which holds you in the water like nothing else.
Over half of the country is covered in forest and you are never more than 10km from a bog at any given point. Estonian’s have a special connection to the outdoors. Their wildlife includes brown bears, wolves and lynxes, as well as beavers, moose, otters and incredible birds. The country is small and Estonia is among the least densely populated
countries in Europe so often it is like a private paradise.
Food in Estonia is often from the land or locally sourced. It has Scandinavian, Russian, Eastern European influences with lots of fish, meat and fermented foods. Wines are made with fruits and berries rather than grapes and with delicious results. Estonians love to forage and use the natural cycle of the seasons in their cooking. You will leave
wanted to take black bread and rubarb wine home with you.
"Rather than close the door to the cold, snow and darkness, Estonians simply change the way they move outdoors"
🇪🇪 Book a guide or stay with a local 🇪🇪
Visit Estonia has a brilliant website that has useful information about travelling around the country, where to stay, eat and what to see when visiting. But there are also wonderful guides and small
businesses that offer local expertise and passion.
Marilin Pehka runs Estonian Nature Tourism Association with connections to reliable tourist provides and guides, as well as being an excellent
guide herself.
At RemoteNow Club you can stay with hosts Indrek and Lina, swim in their bog, warm in their floating sauna and tap into their expertise of the local area.
