An off-grid expedition into Estonia’s wilderness reveals a world where ancient rituals and untamed landscapes exist in harmony.
From floating saunas to midnight dips, the journey through this Baltic state redefines luxury through bonding to nature, with others and to oneself.
Soomaa sauna. Image courtesy of Visit Estonia
I’m in a cabin deep in the woods, naked alongside five strangers I’ve just met. Steam hisses as water meets scorching stones, filling the air with a primal mist. A silver-haired woman with piercing eyes murmurs incantations in Estonian, her voice lilting with an otherworldly cadence as we rhythmically swat our bodies with bundles of fragrant herbs. This is no esoteric initiation rite gone awry, but rather my introduction to Estonian sauna culture – a centuries-old ritual that has shaped the country’s identity as surely as the glaciers carved out its landscape.
A destination often overlooked by the average traveller, Estonia is a land of contrasts. After emerging from Soviet rule in 1991, it rapidly embraced the digital age, becoming one of the world’s most advanced e-societies. This technological leap has given birth to global success stories including Bolt and Wise. But alongside its tech prowess, Estonia fiercely guards its natural heritage. With over half the country covered in forests and wetlands, the air here is among the cleanest in the world, crime rates are enviably low and environmental stewardship is less a choice and more a way of life. This duality – a nation with one foot in the future and another firmly rooted in its past – sets the stage for our expedition.
Our adventure begins in Tallinn, the capital that embodies Estonia’s blend of old and new. Mediaeval spires pierce the sky alongside sleek skyscrapers, while cobblestone streets lead to co-working spaces buzzing with start-up energy. Once a magnet for budget-conscious revellers, Tallinn has deftly pivoted, raising prices of beer to attract a different calibre of visitor. We spend our first evening in Telliskivi Creative City, a former industrial complex reborn as a vibrant cultural hub. It’s a microcosm of Estonia’s evolution – spaces once dedicated to manufacturing now pulse with art galleries, craft breweries and tech incubators.
Mooska smoke sauna. Image courtesy of Visit Estonia
As we venture south, the urban landscape gives way to a patchwork of forests and bogs that have remained largely unchanged for millennia. Our destination is Mooska Farm, nestled at the foot of Vällamäe hill in the region of Võrumaa, considered the spiritual heart of Estonia’s sauna culture. It’s here that the UNESCO-recognised smoke sauna tradition has been preserved with near-religious devotion, and where scenes from the 2023 film “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” were shot. Unlike traditional saunas, a smoke sauna has no chimney. Instead, it features a stone-covered stove that heats the room, allowing smoke to circulate before slowly exiting through a vent. Bathers sit or lie on elevated platforms, sweating together in the intense heat and smoky atmosphere, creating a unique and communal experience.
Eda Veeroja, our host and one of Estonia’s most revered sauna mistresses, greets us with a warmth that matches the balmy June air. Her weather-worn hands and keen eyes speak of a lifetime spent in tune with nature’s rhythms. As she leads us to one of the rustic cabins dotting her wild garden, the aroma of wild herbs fills the air, foreshadowing what lies ahead.
Photo by Tõnu Runnel
Over steaming cups of nettle tea, Eda explains the significance of the smoke sauna in Estonian culture. “For centuries, it was our hospital, our spa, our place of birth and death,” she says. “Even during Soviet times, when many traditions were suppressed, the sauna remained a sanctuary of Estonian culture and heritage.” Her words underscore a theme that will echo throughout our stay – the sauna as a nexus of continuity in a rapidly changing world.
As we prepare to enter, there’s a moment of nervous anticipation. Eda, sensing our hesitation, grins mischievously and asks, “How British are you?” It’s a gentle prod at our ingrained modesty, an invitation to shed not just our clothes, but our preconceptions. In the dim, smoky interior of the sauna, social barriers melt away as swiftly as life’s tensions.
Estonia smoke sauna. Image courtesy of Visit Estonia
What follows is an intense sensory experience, each element more intimate and unexpected than the last. The sharp slap of birch branches against skin, the soothing cool of honey, the gritty scrub of salt, the shocking plunge into an icy lake – all carefully orchestrated to bring us into harmony with our surroundings and ourselves. Eda guides us through the traditional whisking technique, demonstrating how to use birch branches to stimulate circulation. With a matter-of-fact tone that somehow makes the request seem ordinary, she instructs us to whisk between our legs, explaining that no part of the body is exempt from this cleansing ritual. It’s a moment of vulnerability that pushes us further out of our comfort zones, yet somehow feels natural in this context of total immersion.
As the heat intensifies, Eda encourages us to chant, “I am who I am”. The phrase becomes a mantra, echoing off wooden walls and reverberating through our very beings. In this moment, devoid of pretence and fully present, the words take on a profound meaning.
From Mooska’s timeless rituals, we travel to Tartu, Estonia’s intellectual heartbeat. As the 2024 European Capital of Culture, the city embodies yet another facet of Estonia’s identity – a bridge between scholarly tradition and creative innovation. The streets are an ever-evolving canvas, where historic university buildings mingle with cutting-edge street art.
Raft sauna. Image courtesy of Visit Estonia
Come afternoon, we board a floating sauna on the Emajõgi River. This modern interpretation of the sauna tradition perfectly encapsulates Estonia’s knack for honouring the past while embracing the future. As we drift downstream, the contrast between the sauna’s warmth and the cool river breeze becomes a tactile metaphor for the country’s multifaceted character.
The final leg of our trip takes us deep into Uuejärve Nature Reserve, where adventure guide Marilin introduces us to a wilder side of Estonia. Hiking through dense forests and across expansive bogs, Marilin shares her encyclopaedic knowledge of the local flora and fauna. Her respect for the land is palpable, a reminder that in Estonia, environmental stewardship is not just policy, but a way of life.
Image credit: Ekvilibrist – Estonian Saunas
Our trek leads us to a peaty bog lake, its brown water deceptively clean and bracingly cold. As we slip into the water, there’s a sense of stepping back in time, of tapping into something ancient and primordial. Marilin encourages us to swim with our eyes closed, facing the sun. “Breathe through the cold,” she instructs, her voice calm against our gasps. “Let go of what no longer serves you.” As we emerge, laughing and invigorated, we dub ourselves “bog mermaids” – a nickname that sticks for the rest of the trip, embodying our metamorphosis from city dwellers to creatures born of this mystical landscape.
Exhausted yet rejuvenated, we check into Kuuse, just-built houses complete with their own saunas. These glassy, architectural dioramas seem to have grown organically from the forest floor, with their clean lines and panoramic windows, they offer a contemporary take on nature immersion. As we prepare a feast of locally sourced delicacies with a private chef – crusty bread slathered with garlic butter, seared steaks, and salad plucked fresh from the garden – the boundary between indoor and outdoor blurs, mirroring Estonia’s seamless integration of natural and human-made worlds.
Photo by Silver Gutmann. Image courtesy of Visit Estonia
As twilight stretches into the lingering glow of Estonia’s famous ‘white nights’, we embark on one final sauna session. The heat, the company and the buzz of local fizzy wine bolster our spirits and strengthen our camaraderie. With chalky mud smeared on our faces and wearing little knitted woollen sauna hats to protect our hair from the heat, we transform into a band of jubilant woodland nymphs. Soon, we’re diving into the inky waters of a spring-fed lake, our shrieks of exhilaration piercing the silence of the forest.
Floating on my back, gazing at the star-studded sky, I reflect on the layers of Estonia we’ve peeled back over the past days. I know I’m leaving with more than just memories of steam-laden rituals and midnight swims. The scent of birch clings to my skin, and a quiet confidence has taken root – the mark of someone who’s found their element neck-deep in a primordial swamp. Here, the boundaries between old and new, nature and technology dissolve, weaving a tapestry of experiences that defy conventional categorisation.
Image courtesy of Visit Estonia.
Estonia doesn’t just invite you to visit; it dares you to immerse yourself, to strip away your preconceptions as readily as your clothing. It offers a glimpse of a future where progress and tradition thrive in symbiosis. In an age of homogenised travel, this small Baltic country stands as a powerful reminder that there are still places capable of surprising, challenging, and reshaping us – if we’re brave enough to let them.
Lead image credit: Silver Gutmann
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