Estonia has varying climates depending in which areas of the country you are in. The interior has a continental climate, whilst the coastal regions like the capital Tallinn, have a maritime climate.
Chilly January temperatures which are around -3ºc to -7ºc do rise in the summer months to 15-18ºc.
Tallinn is very much a different city, but very interesting for gay visitors. Those who venture out there will be pleasantly surprised.
Estonian is the main language spoken, closely followed by Russian but there are another 3 European tongues in Finish, English and German for you to converse with.
Estonian KROON is the currency (100 cents) 1 EURO =15.65 KROON.
Sport and recreation features the usual tennis, swimming and skiing which you may expect from the region, but you can also try your hand at sailing, yachting, shooting ranges and BIG GAY MINI GOLF!
Close links with Scandinavia, whose LGBT community makes the most of the hour long hop over the Baltic seas, have set the Estonian capital of Tallinn up for a very bright future.
Although homosexuality wasn’t legalized in Estonia until 1992, there have been many developments with acts and laws and the legal age of consent for gay people is 14 years old.
Pink Baltics.com provide gay friendly travel and holidays around Tallinn and also the other popular cities and resorts such as Tartu and Narua.
Gay Bars
As has been mentioned, there are plenty of gay and gay-friendly bars around Tallinn.
Café Arnigo, at the hotel Viru on (sokos) Viru Valjak 4 attracts an older crowd perhaps due to the rock and blues music that it plays! On the second floor is Bar Bogart, a karaoke bar.
X Club on Varju 6 Vargest provides entertainment with belly dancing and water pipes!
Soho found at Kaubarnja 3 across from the hotel Radisson is a club open from 9pm -6am.
Sauna 1 is open as a café 12pm -2am mon-wed then wed- sat as a club 10pm -5am, entrance fee …75 /125 KR
Angel is a men only bar with a dark room and a DIVA on hand to serve at the bar, but there is a strict door policy here!
On a more general note there are about 20 or so pubs bars etc in the city centre and old town which are gay friendly for visitors.
Depheche Mode bar is the most well known although it can be a little hidden away, at Nunne 4 Puh but others include Molly Malones on Mundi 2, Dekoltee on Ahtri St, Hollywood dance club in the old town or Mumia on Pikk 3.
Café VS, has well known DJ’s play and also provides excellent Tandoori food;
Club Havana, is Latin dance venue buzzing with salsa dancing, cocktails and live bands;
Guitar Safari is a cellar bar with rock memorabilia; Karja Kelder, is decorated with lots of iron and wood wagon wheels and does cheap beer; Kompressor is a student venue very industrial has happy hours and huge pancakes;
Lounge Kalbelksa is the towns favourite cocktail bar; Moskva, is young and trendy and has an upstairs chill area on a weekend; Pegasus does the best breakfast in town used to be frequented by famous artists and writers and is a hive of activity;
Brewery Beer House, serves natural live beer and hosts live music on a weekend;
Scotland Yard is an English themed pub, where waitresses wear uniform and handcuffs, there’s plenty leather chairs to sink into a piranha tank and a cigar lounge;
Vana Villem is for over 21’s, has an alternative crowd/bands, and lots of reggae whereas Woodstock is a hippy themed bar with bean bag chairs.
So amongst all that lot there’s bound to be something that appeals!
