Estonia

Estonia oozes with opportunity, like its marshy terrain seeps with moisture. A business boom is looming for this former Soviet-occupied nation, and the sudden onslaught of modernity has almost caught Estonia off guard. But the ice cool Estonians have taken this transformation in their stride. The entrenched cobblestone alleys may be awash with mobile phone chatter but pickled veggies and homespun knitted lace still dominate Estonian daily life. The foggy wetlands and lush forests outside the major cities remain blissfully untroubled. Those who love to wrap up warm and breathe crisp, pine air, can escape to the countryside. The chance to hike up limestone cliffs, fish off of secluded inlets and mushroom-pick in dense thickets entice nature-lovers throughout the chillier seasons, while the short summer beckons sunbathers to the sparkling Baltic coast. With a winding shoreline and thousands of coastal islands, visitors often find they can enjoy an isolated, tranquil peninsula all to themselves. Despite increased investment interest, Tallinn retains its steeple house allure, the old town's tarnished defensive wall has survived military blows throughout the centuries and the Town Council Pharmacy continues to prosper since the 1400s! Estonia subtly integrates economical progress within luminous antiquity. The winter lights here wink with ambition, and this quiet Nordic hotbed is set to take off.

Best Time to Go Located further north than most European destinations, Estonia has a generally warm summer with some Baltic breezes and like other Nordic countries, winters here are quite severe and snowy. If a winter wonderland is what you're after, Christmas time is especially stunning.