Viktorija Domarkaite is a 27-year-old Lithuanian designer of Qviin jewelry brand. After coming to Estonia in search of a better arts education, she chose Tallinn as her second home and is now counting her 9th year in this country. You can listen to her episode on the "Found in Estonia" podcast. 

"Lately more than ever I keep on finding new gems of places I haven't seen before," she says. "Covid time has been perfect to discover something further than city center or a nearby park." 

This list is going to be all about that long awaited road trip with a personal or a rental car, full of discoveries, premade moist sandwiches and old but good music.

Blue Springs of Saula (Saula Siniallikad)
The most mesmerising sight of underground springs coming to life. Small sand particles reflect different colors in a collection of springs, from blue to green or black. These beautiful springs breathe together with the surrounding nature and remind us of myths of healing described in folklore.

Glehn's palm house
I can not describe the beauty and alternate universe that opens up at Glehn's palm house there on a sunny day. The construction created out of stones with its green moss and a structure like no other gives a feeling of a fairy tale scene from book pages. It's in Nõmme, on the side of Glehn's castle. 

Auvere laguun
An industrial facility water bank is one of my latest discoveries. Oil Shale leftovers are washed out from the factory forming a crust on the bank floor of white powder. The waste and carbonites give the water a sky blue glow which creates the most mesmerising view.

Villa Andropoff 
Soviet architecture lovers will for sure find where to let their eyes loose over here. Andropoffs Villa, near Pärnu, along with a nearby cinema was kept as top secret for decades. A feeling, as well as a smell, of mixed morals, still lingers next to on a wall-hung with the legendary hammer & sickle.

Keila Waterfall 
Another natural attraction that is lately getting more visitors is Keila waterfall. Spring is the perfect time to visit this powerful natural phenomenon. The view just calls for a picture and a picnic near the hiking path made to enjoy the waterfall's grandeur.

Rapla Kek
A real piece of eye candy in all of its glory – sort of. The now-abandoned building, with heaps of potential, invites people to step back and take a moment. The octagonal shapes and hundreds of small windows resemble a sort of a ufo spaceship that lures you in for a closer look.

Taevaskoda
One of the biggest Estonian/Soviet movie "The Last Relic" was filmed here for a reason. Thousands and thousands of years have created a sandstone outcrop landscape showing time complexity. Take a walk, winter or summer, with someone or alone, on foot or canoe, the view is just impressive. As simple as that. 

The article was first published on the Estonian Institute's website here.

The Estonian Institute is currently developing its web environment at Culture.ee to make integration and cultural exchange more accessible.

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