The 13th Youth Song and Dance Festival of Estonia will be held in 2023
Estonia’s Song Festival, first held in 1869, takes place every five years and encompasses the values that Estonians consider important as a nation – love for their country, language, culture and customs. The festival is of such national significance it is listed by UNESCO as an intangible heritage tradition. The 150th jubilee celebration in 2019 saw almost 70,000 Estonians gather at the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn to listen to 35,000 singers from 1,020 choirs. Towns and cities across the country have their own smaller festival grounds for performances in between these years.
The 13th Youth Song Celebration will take place on 2 July 2023 at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds. Performers will include young children’s choirs, children’s choirs, boys’ choirs, mixed choirs, girls’ choirs, male youth choirs, wind orchestras and symphony orchestras and ends with performances by the combined choir. The concert is preceded by the ceremonial procession of the participants through the centre of Tallinn along a 5km route.
Vilnius, Lithuania announced among the top destinations to see in 2023 by National Geographic UK!
From epic landscapes and cultural reawakenings to conservation initiatives and family favourites, National Geographic Traveller’s Best of the World list is back with 35 destinations that should be on your radar for 2023.
Vilnius has just been announced amongst the top destinations to see next year by National Geographic UK. In the category of Culture, next to such grands as Appian Way in Italy, Busan in South Korea or Egypt.
The MICHELIN Guide arrives to Estonia for the first time!
The Michelin Inspectors have been following Estonia’s culinary scene for the last few years and are delighted to reveal that this latest selection brings the total number of destinations covered by the MICHELIN Guide to 37.
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides said: “Since its first publication over 120 years ago, the MICHELIN Guide’s mission has remained unchanged: to share with gourmets and travellers the best places to dine. Estonia’s gastronomic scene – which is still somewhat unknown to most – is blessed with strong culinary traditions inspired by many different influences, but a new breed of forward-thinking chefs are now also applying a more modern approach to honouring their country’s culinary heritage. Estonia has been on our watch list for a long time, and our inspectors have been busy researching the best restaurants and scrutinizing its gastronomic scene. We are now eager to share our first MICHELIN Guide restaurant selection to Estonia with food-lovers everywhere.”
31 restaurants in Estonia receive MICHELIN recognition in the country’s first guide:
2 restaurants awarded 1 MICHELIN Star
5 restaurants receive a Bib Gourmand
2 restaurants highlighted with a MICHELIN Green Star for their commitment to sustainable gastronomy.
On 25 May 2022, at a ceremony in Tallinn, MICHELIN announced the first guide to Estonia making it the first country in the Baltics to receive this recognition. 31 restaurants were recommended by the guide, with two receiving a MICHELIN star.
The restaurants recognised with one star are NOA Chef’s Hall and 180° by Matthias Diether.
NOA Chef’s Hall uses a blend of the world’s best luxury ingredients alongside locally foraged and preserved produce. The creative seven-course menu, designed by chefs Roman Sidorov and Tõnis Siigur, keeps customers engaged from start to finish, with complex, highly original dishes full of complementary flavours and texture layers.
180° by Matthias Diether is situated in Tallinn’s modern harbour development, Noblessner, on the edge of the city centre. The restaurant is named after the 180° view from its u-shaped open kitchen. Head chef Matthias Diether’s hallmark is his modern creations, offering an array of both flavour and texture contrasts, as well as paying great attention to detail.
Two restaurants were awarded a MICHELIN green star for their sustainable commitment to gastronomy: Põhjaka Manor in Mäeküla and Fotografiska in Tallinn. Whether through their locavore approach, efforts to reduce the restaurant’s ecological footprint, initiatives to recycle food waste, grow their own vegetables and herbs, or educate their guests about a more ecoresponsible vision of gastronomy, these restaurants are a true source of inspiration for gourmets and restaurateurs alike.
The Estonian restaurant selection is compiled by the professional, independent and open-minded inspectors of The MICHELIN Guide, who make their recommendations based on anonymous lunches and dinners. This first selection of restaurants in Estonia will reflect the quality of the local food scene and may include MICHELIN Star, Bib Gourmand or MICHELIN Green Star restaurants.
The First Radisson Collection Hotel in the Baltics Opened in 2022 the Heart of Tallinn
Radisson Hotel Group has brought its luxury lifestyle brand to Estonia with the opening of the Radisson Collection Hotel, Tallinn. Following an extensive renovation, the new hotel offers an exceptional, five-star experience to its guests.
The hotel has 287 rooms, including 19 suites, such as the Presidential Suite, Premium Suites, and three unique fitness suites. All rooms offer a beautiful view of Tallinn’s vibrant city. On the fourth floor of the hotel, there is a spacious gym and a spa with a Japanese bath, a swimming pool, and 3 saunas – a Finnish sauna, a steam sauna and a special sanarium.
Radisson Collection Hotel, Tallinn is home to ISSEI, a unique rooftop Japanese-Peruvian restaurant and bar, on the 24th floor. The restaurant offers a panoramic view of Tallinn and is the first Nikkei concept cuisine in the Baltic States. Otherwise, guests can enjoy local culinary delights in the famous Estonian restaurant MEKK on the first floor of the hotel, where executive chef Rene Uusmees will offer guests delicacies of modern Estonian cuisine.
The hotel’s 1,000 square metre conference centre has been completely renovated on the second floor. It has eight modern meeting spaces, the largest accommodating up to 300 people. All eight rooms are named after cities where Radisson Collection hotels are located.
According to Ain Käpp, CEO of Radisson Collection Tallinn, the opening of the hotel is a big compliment to Estonia and the city of Tallinn. “The fact that one of the world’s largest hotel chains brings its most prestigious brand to Estonia during the pandemic that has affected the entire tourism world is undoubtedly a great sign of recognition”, he says.
Go Hotel Shnelli in the prime location of Tallinn has been renewed
Located between the historical Old Town and the bohemian Kalamaja district, Go Hotel Shnelli recently finished a complete renovation of its rooms. In total 124 standard and superior rooms as well as 2 family rooms were renovated in the hotel.
Iglupark in Tallinn offers unique meeting, accommodation and sauna experience
Did you know that you don´t have to travel to Lapland for an igluhut or iglusauna experience? Since last summer, Tallinn boasts an extraordinary Iglupark development in Noblessner!
Iglupark includes five IGLUSAUNAS, four seaside IGLUOFFICES and ten cabins, called IGLUHUTS. An Igluhut can provide accommodation for up to two people and contains a living room, a large bed, a kitchen corner and a bathroom. There is also a large terrace with outdoor furniture. Offices of various sizes consist of a meeting room for ten people or workstations for four, while a sauna fits up to ten people. The steam of Iglusauna is unique due to its curved shape as the steam travels upward to the ceiling, drifting softly downwards and filling the entire room. There are also two Iglubars serving snacks and drinks for the whole area. As the Iglupark is located just a stone’s throw away from Tallinn’s major event venues Nobel Valukoda or Seaside Harbour, – why not try a different style of accommodation while attending an event. Watch the ships pass by from the comfort of your bed or catch the last rays of the evening sun on your private terrace. Iglucraft, the Estonian manufacturer that a few years ago made headlines in Britain when Gordon Ramsay and David Beckham bought its handmade igloo-style saunas, is planning to open 50 “Igluparks” all around Europe in the upcoming years, Tallinn’s Iglupark is the first one in the world. More information about Iglupark: Iglupark – Book a sauna, accommodation or office in Noblessner
