Estonia is hosting the World Ploughing Championships this year. On 16 and 17 August, its second city of Tartu will welcome farmers from around the world to come together to furrow their rows straight, in this quiet, little nation with a big heart.

A recent trip to south Estonia to experience a traditional smoke sauna, and the opening ceremony of Tartu’s European Capital of Culture, has given me enough ammunition to rave about this part of the world and dispel the myths that the region is unsafe.

Estonia is nestled in the north east of mainland Europe, with Finland’s Helsinki a ferry ride across the Baltic Sea. It is a safe country to travel to alone and easy to get around.

If visiting the World Ploughing Championships, there is plenty in the city for the whole family to enjoy.

World Ploughing Championships

The World Ploughing Championships 2024 is free to the public, and as well as the ploughing competition, visitors can enjoy an Estonian food festival of delights at the ‘Country meets City’ farm food fair.

This is where Estonian food producers will display their wares. The event field also has an exhibition area, workshops for kids to get involved and a horse race.

The main event field is located on the outskirts of the city, and buses will be running to it from the city centre. On the second day, the ploughing field is held a little outside the city.

All about Tartu

Tartu is one of three European Capitals of Culture in 2024, alongside Bad Ischl in Austria, and Bodø in Norway. There is no better time to visit the city as it’s full of cultural events every weekend and plenty of exhibitions to immerse you in Estonian culture. To view the events running until the end of the year, visit tartu2024.ee.

Some highlights during a trip to the ploughing include the longest dinner in Tartu, which will be a long table on the river bank, or the music of Steven Blake, and Ro:Toro, a Scottish/Estonian trad band. There are plenty of acts in town in August during the Tartu Classical Guitar Festival 2024.

For a modern twist in the old town, check out Kampus restaurant or visit La Dolce Vita for an authentic Italian experience. Finish with a drink in Vein ja Vine wine bar or a pint in the Irish Embassy.

South Estonia

Estonia is a very flat country but down in the south, you can find one or two hills; those from mountainous regions might need to use their imagination here. Suur Munamägi is the highest peak in Estonia at 318 metres above sea level and there are some nice woodland walks in the area which double as cross-country ski tracks in the winter.

One of the traditions the southerners are proud of is the smoke sauna, which has become quite famous due to the success of the Estonian-made film Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, a docu-film about the importance of the sauna to a group of local women.

Many of the smoke saunas are long gone, passed up in favour of low-maintenance and convenient electric ones.

Different from the saunas we get in Ireland, it can be quite a spiritual experience.

I got the chance to try one at Mooska Farm, deep in the countryside, an hour south of Tartu. I was in the careful hands of owner Eda Veeroja, who took me through a two-hour experience which involved tea drinking and dips in the lake – and not wearing clothes. It was quite the experience.

The farm has two smoke saunas and a smokehouse where meats are cured to be sold locally. For a unique dining experience, check out Suur Muna restaurant where all the food is sourced within 15km, a true taste of local flavours – and the bathrooms are a treat if you’re an ABBA fan.

Tallinn

Tallinn, the capital, is in the north of the country and the only way to fly into Estonia at present. It’s worth exploring the old town and its many museums which take you through the turbulent history of the country, in particular the Soviet era – the occupation only ended in the early 1990s.

The KGB tour on the top floor of the Sokos Viru Hotel is a must, the views over the city are spectacular, and the tour guide is very entertaining.

Also, the bastion passages which can be accessed from the Kiek in de Kök Fortification Museum should not be skipped either – if nothing else, you have an entertaining name to tell your friends back home.

Getting around

Flights to Tallinn are direct from Dublin with Ryanair, twice a week. The airport is 5km from the city centre and buses and trams take you into town. If you’re heading straight to Tartu, Lux Express runs a comfortable bus service from the airport or bus station directly to Tartu. Trains run regularly from Balti Jaam train station; book tickets at elron.ee.

The bus or train takes about two hours between Tallinn and Tartu – bus tickets can be as low as €8 and train tickets around €15.

There are plenty of car hire companies in Tallinn but you also have access to Bolt Drive and CityBee. Load up the app, get your licence verified and get access to cars parked around the city. Operating on a pay-as-you-go rate, they are ideal for short trips, just a few days or last-minute decisions