Estonia - Tourist Paradise of Europe

If you will check the google map, Estonia is a small county bordering Russia and Latvia. Finland is approx 80km away across the sea. Estonia is in the Schengen area so applying a Schengen visa one can easily travel across the Europe. Estonia has a population of around 1.3 million covering 50% forest and over 1500 islands. Tallin is biggest city and capital of Estonia. Estonian is the language in which few people often speaks English and Russian. In winters it gets heavy snow and in summers beautifull sceneric view.

The highlights about tourist spots in Estonia :

1. Clean Beaches

In summers you can have fun in the beaches i.e July to August and Parnu is known as the summer capital. The most popular Estonian beaches have more leisure activities just then swimming like football and volley ball courts, Pärnu and Pirita in Tallinn with tight security of lifeguards 24/7. Limo beach on Ruhnu island is most popular with hikers and swimmers (situated in the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea and is actually closer to Latvia than Estonia)is called a beach with "singing sand" and it is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Estonia.

2. Protected National Parks

Estonia has 5 major national parks and each one of then is unique features. 

- Matsalu National Park ( is known for feeding site for migratory large variety of birds and situated in western Estonia. )

- Lahemaa National Park ((remarkable feature is large variety of mammal living in this forest which is situated on the north coast of Estonia.)

- Vilsandi National Park (It is great place to watch grey seals, sea birds, numerous fossils and orchids is situated on the west coast of Saaremaa.)

- Karula National Park (This hillocks is smallest park of all, covered with meadows and fields situated in southern Estonia concealing around 40 lakes created by melting of continental ice.)

- Soomaa National Park (It is great place for canoe trips and bog hikes as in fifth season, also called flood period this place is fully flooded, people can only commute all over by boat.)

3. Ice roads(best experience during winters)
In winter season, the Baltic sea freezes which forms ice road connecting Estonian mainland and Hiiuma island which is 26 km long and also a Europe's longest ice road. 

4. Old Castles

In history if you go, Estonia have been conquered by German, Russians, Swedes and many others and have left behind traditional buildings, Bishop's fortress and castles and manors like Kuressare castle, Pädaste Manor, Haapsalu Castle and Castle Glehn)

5. Unique Culture

Estonia is a land of tremendous preserved folk culture somehow influend with Russian culture. It is a land of artist and hand made goods professional. The most distinctive features are the runo songs, the barn-dwelling farmhouse, and soft fermented black bread. Estonians are generally soft spoken and reserved.

This is just a glimpse about the country. In my next article I will be focusing on Estonian cities, Education, Infrastructure and technology. So stay tunes, will be back soon with more interesting information.

Source : Learn to earn, earn to learn

back to watch snowfall @ Parnu - after 2008

After one year I am updating my this blog.Last time I was here in summer's. Specially just to watch Estonia winter's I took break from my job.So that coolly I can enjoy my 3 months holiday.I never felt so low temperature below -20. My badluck dint even got chance to explore India's cool places. So, You can say its my first snow fall view of my life. I was not knowing that for such weather we need to have ridge shoes to walk. But my sweet dad bought me a pair cause I slipped twice on melted ice. It is very risky if again it happen. Anyhow, Its incredible experience walking on snow. Mostly I see near by parnu view through my balcony. Every where covered with snow. After 10 days I can say Parnu is beautiful both in summers and winters. I feel lucky to see European winter, Isn't it?? Today I dad and Vishal (one of family friend overe here) planned to visit waterfall which looks more sceneric in winters nearby tallinn. But just cause of heavy snowfall today cancelled the plan. Anyways next time surely will go but just enjoyed snowfall and captured the view in my camera. If you are interested to see the parnu snowfall play it and enjoy!!!

Estonia Internet Marketing increased to 70%

In earlier periods we witnessed the rise of radio, and then television, now with the dawn of the Internet era there has been extensive speculation about the potential consequences of this development for news, media, political campaigns, and civic society.

Internet led to a prospective transformation in the major sources of rise in online newspapers, broadband television and radio, and new forms of interaction like online forums, discussion boards. At social level, the new technologies have also proved critical to economic development in societies. An analysis based on Gemius audience research for the period of 2006 and 2008 exposes two main trends leading the Estonian Internet. It has revealed a significant increase firstly in the rate of older groups of Internet users. Furthermore, as the results indicate, secondly Estonian Internet users began to earn more.

Ninety-five percent of banking is done over the Web. Two Internet powerhouses — the Skype online phone network and the Kazaa file-sharing system — as well as the technology behind Baidu (the Chinese search engine) were invented by savvy Estonians.

Estonian citizens pay their 21 percent national flat tax online in a just few minutes. Though the bad part for the H&R Block, Estonia, with its 1.3 million population is that it has little labor to spare for paperwork.

In 2000 Estonia become the first country in the world to adopt a system of e-governance. The online system works through use of an electronic identification card. Since 2002 the card has been mandatory for all Estonia residents older than 15. The card is intended as a means of proving one's identity at any place--from banks to government offices--that normally requires identification to process forms or transactions.

The government works heavily online, with cabinet meetings run using a paperless Web-based system, and draft bills posted online for comment by citizens. More than 70 percent of Estonians now conduct their banking online, with many of them using a mobile phone service instead of a PC connection, according to a recent survey.

"It is time to say that electricity and the Internet are very similar in end users' eyes," says Veljo Haamer. In Estonia Wi-Fi is setup in cafes, hotels, hospitals, city parks, local governments, airport and even major gas stations to start offering Net access, helping to design and set up the networks


Under Tiger Leap project all Estonian schools got computers and went online. This project objective was to modernize the educational system in the country by introducing information and communication technology. And also to decrease the differences in education between the capital city and other parts of Estonia, and to give the children living on small islands equal chances to obtain more knowledge. It builds up structures for distance learning and continuous learning for teachers and students.

The Internet as a whole is an extraordinarily serious topic in Estonia. The country's policy-makers have dedicated substantial resources to modernizing Estonia's technological infrastructure over the last decade, and have been widely applauded by international economic groups for their efforts. Specifically this study would compare the social characteristics of net users in Estonia and the Baltic’s, examining the evolution of the information society and the online community.

Estonia's well-educated, wired workforce is a key asset for foreign investors, especially for its Nordic neighbours Sweden and Finland. Liberal economic policies, low taxes and low wages are also ringing the changes.


“Turnover of internet marketing in Estonia increased last year by 70%”. In this era weblog and wikis are been used in classrooms and in other field to enhance literacy and critical thinking skills. Internet is changing society and helping transformation of Estonia.

Due to low prices and a dynamic market, Estonia is booming in Internet usage. The growth of the Estonian economy has been fast and steady and today it is an attractive market for business perspectives. The basic engine for Estonia's e-revolution was the internetization of all schools in the course of the Tiger's Leap project and the development of Internet banking. In today's Estonia 66 percent of the population uses the Internet, and more than half of households have a home computer, of which 90 percent are connected to the Internet.

Internet Usage Statistics:

760,000 Internet users as of Aug./07, 57.0% of the population, according to the ITU.

Latest Population Estimate:

1,332,987 population for 2007, according to world-gazetteer.

The new information technology is becoming an important factor in the future development of financial services industry, Private sectors and especially banking industry. Advantage of new technology opportunities, change the ways customers interact with the financial services provider.

The goal of Internet in marketing is to get attention by making the product or service visible to those who search thus analyzing the wishes and habits of the target audience and since the goal is to keep them browsing. Internet doesn’t distinguish rich and poor, big and small, people and companies - everyone is equal. It’s still probably good, but better if one knows how to make oneself visible.

Visit to - Tartu University

I was so excited to visit Tartu. It is education hub of Estonia. Yesterday was the day I visted this place. It was 2 hours distance from Parnu. The journey was enjoyable on european well versed road connectivity.

Tartu visit purpose was to meet our Indian friends and see the university. As I am MBA/ PDDBA passed out, my main excitement was to meet head of that department. I got chance to meet Maaja Vadi. She is head of business administration. She gave her precious 15 mins to meet me and talked about courses. She was so learned and down to earth.

Here in my blog you will see the pics of Tartu University and the professor's wall. Seeing this I felt that all great professors are so happy and motivating students of Tartu.I liked the crowd here which I hardly see in Parnu. My whole day was fantastic. We came back at 11PM. I will always cherish this day my whole life. Wished to study at Tartu in future.

Read More about Tartu :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Tartu

http://www.ut.ee/index.aw/set_lang_id=2

Main Goal to achieve a positive population growth in Estonia

Family and population policy

The main goal of the Governing Coalition is to achieve a positive population growth in Estonia through an increase in the birth rate, longer average life expectancy and improvement of the living standards.

To that end the Governing Coalition shall plan and implement through 2007-2011 the following fiscal, economic, legal and education policy steps:

1) enable parents to stay with their small child – to that end the Governing Coalition shall extend the period of payment of the parental benefits until the child reaches the age of 18 months (i.e. by four months in comparison with the present arrangement);

2) to value the role of fathers, pay the father during the mother’s pregnancy and maternity leave or within two months after the birth of the child an additional benefit for 14 calendar days on the basis of the father’s salary similarly to the principles of payment of the parental benefit;

3) encourage the birth of third and fourth children in families – to that end the Governing Coalition shall amend laws in such a manner that as of the third child a parent receives an additional benefit at the rate of 0.5 times the parental benefit and as of the fourth child at the rate of single parental benefit (the so-called Estonian rebirth bonus is legalised). The amendments to the Parental Benefits Act shall be adopted in the first half of 2007;

4) pay 2,000 Estonian kroons a month for the third and each consecutive child as of cessation of payment of the parental benefit;

5) to provide families which have small children with care and medical assistance the state shall pay health insurance tax at the rate of 13% of the parental benefit for the parent receiving the parental benefit – the health risks of families with small children shall be insured;

6) to value raising children the annual state pension insurance coefficient of the parent staying at home shall be raised to 1 for the period following the payment of the parental benefit until the child has reached 3 years of age;

7) increase the child care allowance payable as of the cessation of payment of the parental benefit until the child reaches 3 years of age from 1,200 Estonian kroons to 1,600 Estonian kroons a month by 2009;

8) for the purpose of increasing the number of nursery school student places and contribution to payment of a minimum salary to nursery school teachers, which is equal to that of basic school teachers, create a national investment programme titled “Nursery school available to each and every child!” in the annual volume of 400 million Estonian kroons and initiate amendments to legislation, which help to reduce the deficit of nursery school student places;

9) add a provision to the Preschool Child Care Institutions Act, according to which a local authority that fails to provide a parent requesting a nursery school student place with one, shall pay the parent the so-called poll tax of the nursery school child so that the parent can arrange the provision of the child with the nursery service and general education;

100) in order to increase parents’ options upon developing their children and combining work and family life and to make the return of parents to the labour market easier, develop flexible work and child care opportunities, support employment training of the parent staying at home with the child and calculate the time spent by a parent in the parental leave as part of the length of the unemployment insurance;

11) establish national hobby school money: A poll tax of 2,000 Estonian kroons for every child of school age (6-19-year-olds) which can be used only for paying for participation in sports or hobby groups. Hobby school money shall be administered via local authorities. The goal is to keep the children away from trouble and give every child the chance to participate in at least one sports or hobby group.

12) allocate 100 million Estonian kroons in the annual state budget for compensation for the expenses of treatment of childlessness;

13) to enable children left without parental care to be raised in a family, the rate of support paid to foster families from the present level of 1,500 Estonian kroons a month to 3,000 kroons a month, i.e. to the same level as the actual costs in a children’s home;

14) pay the benefit for families with many children as of the fifth child (currently, as of the seventh child);

15) allocate 50 million Estonian kroons a year for resolution of dwelling problems of families with many children;

16) weigh the impact of the national family policy steps on the birth rate and effectiveness thereof upon contributing to raising children;

17) in order to increase the average life expectancy and living quality of the people of Estonia the state shall improve notification of HIV, drug abuse, alcoholism, smoking, traffic hooliganism, unhealthy nutrition and sedentary lifestyles, and allocates at least 20 million Estonian kroons for it annually out of the state budget. In order to reduce occupational deaths and severe injuries the state supervision over adherence to occupational safety shall be made stricter.


Read More at:http://www.valitsus.ee/?id=1468

Flag of Estonia -blue black white

There are a number of interpretations attributed to the colours of the flag. A historical interpretation of the colours has blue representing ancient freedom, black symbolizing lost independence and white, the promise of a brighter future. Another interpretation made popular by the poetry of Martin Lipp is as follows:

* blue: vaulted blue sky above the native land;
* black: attachment to the soil of the homeland as well as the fate of Estonians - for centuries black with worries;
* white: hard work and other more abstract human values;'


Read more at:
Flag_of_Estonia
History of Estonian Flag

Estonian Girls - Beautiful, Sexy and working

Why Do Foreign Men Marry Estonian Women?

Beyond these superficial glimpses at the opposite sex, there is the real phenomenon of foreign boys shacking up with Estonian girls. Some people wonder why. I'll tell you why. Because the traveling-guy-meets-exotic-foreign-female-and-settles-down-to-sire-a-multitude-of genetically-diverse-children parable is the oldest tale in the book. Ever since Fletcher Christian spied some random Polynesian teenager, mariners like ourselves have been doing it.

But why we stop in Estonia? Why not proceed through Latvia and then conquer all of Belarus? Free Wifi. No, actually, Estonian women are not alone in this regard. Across Europe Americans and Brits and others routinely partner with whomever they can. When I was living in Denmark I met two gents at a bar who were Americans that had left to evade the draft in the 1960s. They had runaway to Malmö of all places to marry Swedes and eat lingonberry jam for the rest of their lives. So I guess that is my first response: Estonia is not unique. This happens everywhere.

That being said, Estonians are amenable to marriage. They have a liberal, "eh, what the heck" approach to it and see it as a manifestation of romantic love, as opposed to the US where it has been viewed over the past 20 years or so as a phase in life that occurs sometime after a big promotion at work. In the Soviet ice age, Estonians got married young so that they could move out of their parents' homes. These days many still marry young because, "eh, what the heck" coupled sometimes by a loud "oops" and a surge in hormones.

In this context of ladies that aren't afraid to get married and wandering guys that are looking for a place to put down their roots, it shouldn't be surprising that so many foreign guys wash up on Estonian soil. A final factor is that Estonia is 54 percent female and 46 percent male, and of that 46 percent, a good chunk are either drunks or Eurovision fans, leaving the market wide-open for synergistic coupling.

Read More :http://palun.blogspot.com/2007/07/those-hot-blooded-estonian-women.html

Read this : The Myth about strong Estonian women