Estonia

July 27-31, 2024

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The fact that it was only going to be two days of cycling in a country I was really looking forward to … well, more on that in a moment.

My first destination in Estonia is Otepää, a small Estonian town in a wonderful natural environment that I had included in my considerations and route planning right from the start. Friends, whom I made in another memorable encounter on my Baltic Sea cycling trip in 2009 at a midsummer night’s party between Cape Kolka and Riga and saw again on the same occasion in 2010, have a lovely summer house in Otepää. When they heard about my travel plans, it was clear that they would spontaneously invite me there.

The journey from the Latvian-Estonian border town of Valga to Otepää is paved with some extremely steep sections and even takes me along a route that has been cordoned off for a triathlon competition. However, I have no trouble convincing the organisers and helpers at the roadside that I am not a participant in the competition.

The reunion with Aiki and Hannes as well as daughter Marit, now with her own family, is characterised by great joy at the reunion as well as extraordinary warmth and surprisingly unchanged closeness and connectedness. I find it hard to adequately honour the generous hospitality I receive. In any case, what remains is the memory of wonderful times spent with these lovely people.

From Otepää, I make it to Estonia’s second largest city, Tartu, just in time before the weather finally and permanently changes. A huge storm vortex settles over the Baltic States with violent thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, which is even mentioned in the weather forecast on German television and is a topic in the media.

Cycling on under these circumstances is out of the question, and as there are no signs of any significant improvement for days to come, I decide with a heavy heart to cancel my last five stages and take the bus directly to Tallinn, which i visited already in 2007 and 2010. I regret this very much, as the route I had planned along Lake Peipus and the Estonian Baltic coast should have its own special charm. However, I will now be able to see my son Martin and his family and then Astrid and my hometown of Cologne a few days earlier, which has its advantages, too. I also now have a reason to travel up here again to get to know Estonia better and, who knows, to visit my friends in Otepää again.

Once I arrive in Tallinn, I still have a day before the ferry crossing to Helsinki. Under the storm-swept sky, it’s fresh and windy, but wonderfully sunny. I use the time to capture a few impressions of Tallinn’s unique Old Town, which is rightly classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and round off my shortened stay in Estonia in style.

Here in Tallinn, too, I marvel at the dynamic and obviously ongoing development of this city into a modern metropolis with an exemplary infrastructure and impressive architecture that is flourishing in the bosom of the European Community.

It is pleasing to see how much space and comfort is given to cyclists – a model for many cities at home.

The ferry harbour, unrecognisable since my previous visits, is apparently in the final stages of being completely transformed into a state-of-the-art handling and service facility.

The centre of the new town is characterised by sophisticated and elaborately styled glass facades and high-rise buildings as well as architecturally interesting and stylishly converted industrial and commercial areas.

The Rotermann City, developed from a large area of former factories, is an impressive example of this and really inspires me. Instead of demolishing them, they have been given a new function with attractive architectural contrasts. In place of the former sawmills, wool and textile production, weaving mills and distilleries, there is now a variety of restaurants, hotels as well as designer shops, galleries, boutiques and offices. Small, lively squares and cosy alleyways invite you to stroll, linger and observe.

This visit and the ferry ride the next morning mark the end of my cycle tour, which began almost four weeks ago in Szczecin. In just two hours I reach Helsinki, where my son Martin is waiting for me. The anticipation is great!