Formerly part of the Soviet Union, Estonia has undergone a rapid transformation to become one of Europe’s most prosperous nations. An unusual mix of stunning medieval architecture and state-of-the-art technology makes Estonia an interesting place to study. It is often called the “e-society” as almost anything from voting to parking is done online. Estonia is also second in the world for Internet freedom and has free Wi-Fi across almost all of the country. It is a small nation with a population of only 1.3 million.

The country is bordered by Russia to the east; Latvia to the south; and the north and west of the country face the Baltic Sea. Estonian is the official language, but Russian is also widely spoken. As part of the European Union (EU) since 2004, Estonia has adopted the Euro as its currency. Although it sits next to Russia, the culture of Estonia bears similarities to Nordic countries such as Finland and Sweden. However, unlike the Nordic region, Estonia comes with a lower price tag!

The weather in Estonia is much like in Finland, but not quite as cold. The summer months are pleasant with temperatures in the 70s and long days, while the winters have short days and temperatures drop to the 20s and below. With snow on the ground in the winter, it is perfect for those interested in winter activities such as cross-country skiing or ice skating.