In August 2024, my wife and I travelled to Estonia and found ourselves present for the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Mass Flight of 1944. Among the events we attended was the unveiling of the Mass Flight memorial in Pärnu — a moving experience I will never forget.
That week coincided with several major commemorations. On Tuesday 17 August, we attended a solemn ceremony in Tallinn Freedom Square at the foot of the Statue of Liberty. Various dignitaries and organisations were present, along with members of the general public. Wreaths were laid and speeches given, including one by Margus Tsahkna, Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. After this ceremony, many of the crowd crossed Freedom Square for a memorial service at St. John’s Church that followed.
On Saturday 21 August we were in Pärnu for the ceremonies and unveiling of the memorial. This memorial was funded through fundraising by the Estonian diaspora, in particular with contributions from Australia and Canada. Again, many dignitaries and organisations were present, including former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Our own Maie Barrow attended and helped with the formal unveiling of the memorial. Other Australian Estonians present included Kristi Barrow, Dr Helen Reinthal, Johanna Rivers and myself (Grahame Reinthal).
The memorial itself is quite remarkable: two hands reaching to hold together, yet being pulled apart by circumstances beyond control.
Close up, the aluminium strips that form the hands create their contours and fingerprints. At the same time, the deep curves of the hands represent the turbulent waves of the ocean — and riding upon those waves are the little boats and ships attempting their escape. Overall, I found the symbolism of the memorial very moving.
Pärnu memorial unveiling, 21 September 2024. From left: Dr Helen Reinthal, Grahame Reinthal, Maie Barrow, Kristi Barrow and Johanna Rivers. Photo from the private collection of Grahame Reinthal.
Alongside last year’s commemorations and the unveiling of the Pärnu memorial, here are three videos that capture the stories, emotions and meaning behind the chapter of history that is the Mass Flight of 1944.
The first is a 6-minute short film introducing the memorial, with moving scenes from the opening, reflections from those who fled, and music filled with longing for Estonia.
The second is a full-length recording of the memorial event (over an hour), offering deeper insight into the speeches, stories and symbolism of the day.
And finally, we share a trailer for the upcoming documentary “Puudutus/Touch”, presented by the Estonian American National Council, which explores how the monument came to be and the history it represents. The full documentary will be released in 2025.
These films — like the memorial itself — are dedicated to those who fled, those who suffered through occupation and deportation, and to all who carried Estonia in their hearts across the sea.
Here is the short film on the memorial unveiling in Pärnu, 6 minutes.
This is the one hour long video titled “Mass Flight 1944 Memorial Opening”.
And here is the trailer for the upcoming documentary “Puudutus/Touch”.
Global Estonian Newsletter September 2025. Source: Global Estonian.
The September edition of the Global Estonian newsletter has landed — and it’s another rich read for anyone curious about the worldwide Estonian family. This month’s issue spans milestones and traditions, from Arvo Pärt’s 90th and Eesti Rada’s 80th to bog walks, rye bread and Estonian schools around the globe.
Some highlights you’ll find inside:
Happy 90th, Arvo Pärt! The world’s most performed living composer marked his milestone birthday in September with concerts and events across the globe.
80 years of Eesti Rada — oldest continuously published newspaper abroad, published by the Estonian community in Germany. A special anniversary edition looks back on its journey since 1945.
Did you know there are 82 Estonian schools outside of Estonia? These schools connect over 3,500 children and 250 teachers to Estonian language and traditions every year.
Bog walking in Estonia — Estonia’s mysterious bog landscapes, places of beauty, refuge and tradition where people have foraged, fished and even fled wars for generations.
Rye bread and salted herring — research highlights how these staples remain the bedrock of Estonia’s traditional food culture, find out which Estonian staples are not actually Estonian!
Returnee support — the Integration Foundation offers financial assistance for ethnic Estonians and their descendants abroad who wish to resettle in Estonia.
New Estonia brand video — discover why our “ordinary” is considered so extraordinary by the rest of the world.
…and much more, including reflections on food culture, film projects, youth leadership and community events.
Salajutud, Estonian House in Sydney, 17 September 2025. Photo by Ave Nukki.
The walls of Sydney Estonian House have now officially heard it all. On 17 September 2025, Estonia’s most unfiltered podcast duo Salajutud (“Secret Chats”) — Mallukas and Kristina Pärtelpoeg — finally touched down in Australia, and their Sydney show was everything fans dreamed of: outrageous, champagne-fuelled and gloriously unfiltered.
It was a very different kind of night at Eesti Maja. Gone were the usual committee-meeting vibes. Instead: 50 fresh faces, many who’d never set foot in the building before. Backpackers en route back to Estonia, a fan who’d flown in from Singapore, young women in mini skirts, couples, groups of mates, and a solid showing of men too. They came, they drank champagne straight from the bottle, they queued for Salajutud T-shirts like it was Taylor Swift tickets on release day. Salajutud clearly has some very dedicated fans in Australia.
On stage: two sofa chairs, red ambience, a couple of flutes of bubbly, and two women who don’t know the meaning of “too far”.
They tore open listener letters and let loose:
A husband who insists on doing everything naked. (Spoiler: his wife is not impressed??)
A hot-and-spicy date that went from digestive disaster to “happily ever after”. (Let’s just say, not safe for the dinner table with kids around.)
The audience screamed, cringed and cheered — the rule was simple: the more embarrassing, the better.
Salajutud works because it dares to say the things everyone else only thinks.
Listeners send in their darkest, funniest, most cringe-inducing stories, and Kristina and Mallukas happily spill them live, no names attached. Listeners get the thrill of recognition, the catharsis of laughter, and the comfort of knowing they’re not alone in life’s messiness. It’s therapy by laughter — with bubbly. “Everybody makes mistakes!” is the show’s unofficial motto, and in Sydney it landed perfectly.
The duo even confessed old secrets of their own: Mallukas’s first Aussie adventure 15 years ago.
Mallukas had crossed oceans for an Aussie love interest… only to be spectacularly ghosted on arrival.
With no money, she couchsurfed, survived on backpacker leftovers, and blogged about “fabulous Sydney” while secretly living her worst hostel life.
Fast-forward to today and things are a little more luxe. The duo aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving — and filming the whole thing. The Australian tour is being filmed for an eight-episode Go3 series premiering later this year — so yes, Sydney’s secrets (and maybe a few ghosts from the past) will be coming soon to a screen near you.
The Sydney show wrapped up the only way Salajutud know how — with champagne, gossip, and an audience buzzing so hard they spilled straight into bar-hopping mode afterwards.
One thing’s certain: Estonian Australians will be talking about this night for a long time. As the Salajutud ladies teased before the tour: “You asked. You begged. You even threatened us with kangaroos and boomerangs. And finally — okay, we’re here!” And yes — they delivered.
Next stop: Perth on 19 September — get ready, Western Australia, your secrets are about to be spilled. Click here for details and tickets.
Thank you
We’re grateful to Ave Nukki for this information and photos!
Drawing by Merle Lester, from her personal collection.
On 23 September 2025, Estonian Australian artist Merle Lester (née Wiitpom) celebrates her 80th birthday. To mark the milestone, Merle is opening her home on 20 September for friends to drop in and share the occasion. We spoke with Merle about her life, art and the threads that connect them.
Across six decades of practice — and 30 years teaching high-school art — Merle has developed a distinctive visual language: intuitive linework, vibrant colour and textured forms that evoke spirit, memory and the microscopic architectures of life. Her inspirations span Paul Klee (“my favourite artist”), Vassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian, through to Buddhist mandalas and Australian Aboriginal painting — yet the result is unmistakably her own.
Artist Merle Lester. From Merle Lester’s private collection.
Fourteen hours in the icy Baltic Sea
Merle’s family story is one of survival and courage. As the Second World War closed in, her parents Vaike and Adolf Wiitpom fled Tallinn in 1944. Barred from safer routes, they boarded a Red Cross ship to Germany — which was bombed en route. Her mother survived three hours and her father fourteen hours in the icy Baltic Sea before rescue; he was initially presumed dead.
The family spent three years in a German refugee camp while Dresden burned in 1945. Merle was carried — literally — into life in that crucible, before the family arrived in Sydney in 1949.
“I was sad my parents were unable to return from the refugee camp back to their homeland… how different my story would be then.”
“Life was tough as a migrant child,” she remembers. “One tended to hide one’s identity. When I was nine, a school friend’s mother discovered I was born in Germany and refused to let her daughter be my friend. At art school, things changed — people were more tolerant.”
Merle still has relatives in Estonia on her father’s side (one even travelled in Australia on a working-holiday visa in 2013).
Merle with her parents, Vaike and Adolf Wiitpom — the family later changed their surname from Viitpom after settling in Australia. 1946. From Merle Lester’s private collection.
Journey as an artist
Merle has been drawing since she was seven. “I love art and loved teaching — to share and encourage others to find their own expression and voice,” she says. A scholarship as an Art Teacher Trainee took her to the National Art School and Alexander Mackie Teachers College (1962–1966). She taught art for three decades, nurturing generations of students while steadily building her own studio practice.
“The world of nature is my inspiration,” she reflects. “My art-making is a form of meditation. I am at peace.”
Her work often meditates on “cellular” and “inner landscape” motifs — pieces such as Cell Division (2016), I Am Here (2018) and Lost in Green (2011), where the unseen structures of life become lyrical abstractions. “My art making flows naturally,” she says.
Drawing by Merle Lester. From Merle Lester’s private collection.
Home in the Blue Mountains
In 1978, Merle and her husband Barry moved to Kurrajong Heights with their two young children. Together they designed a home with “lots of glass, to incorporate the garden with the house, with a view to Sydney,” and created a four-acre garden that went on to win Grand Champion Spring Garden of the Hawkesbury (2009). “It was a blank canvas and a labour of love,” she recalls.
Merle has two children who share her creative spirit. Her daughter Isabel is a landscape and interior designer, while her son Leon is also an artist. The next generation continues the family’s story — her grandchildren are Annika and Oskar.
In 2002, Merle experienced a stroke; months later, doctors discovered a hole in her heart. The affected brain area could have cost her sight — a near-miss that deepened her commitment to making art.
“A lot of water has passed under the bridge, so to speak,” she says of turning 80. “Turning 80 is like — woh, really. I remember when I turned 8, then 18, 28, 48, 58, 68, 78… now 80.”
Her later body of work emerges from these “second-life” years: art as meditation, mapping and thanksgiving. Her recent exhibition, Meditations from the Heart (June 2025, BigCi, Bilpin), invited visitors into a contemplative journey of spirit and nature set against the dramatic Wollemi National Park.
Drawing by Merle Lester. From Merle Lester’s private collection.
Though she has lived her life in Australia, Merle’s Estonian roots run deep. Her mother’s family kept a florist shop in Tallinn, where her grandmother made wreaths.
Merle first visited Estonia in 2005 and still treasures that journey. “As a child I could not understand why no one knew where Estonia was — I felt like an alien,” she says. “I was sad my parents were unable to return to their homeland. How different my story would be then. Yes, I have always felt different… However I have embraced Australian culture wholeheartedly.”
Merle sees Estonian influence also in her work: “I feel some of my art reflects Estonian symbols.”
Merle Lester’s art exhibition, “Meditations from the Heart”, in June 2025. Photo from the private collection of Merle Lester.
Merle’s life embodies resilience, creativity and quiet strength — from the icy Baltic Sea her parents survived, to the garden she and Barry built in Kurrajong Heights, to the luminous abstractions that invite us into peace.
Merle welcomes personal enquiries about her art. You can contact her directly at merlelester1945[at]gmail.com.
Some of her works can also be viewed online at Saatchi Art.
With thanks
Our warm thanks to Merle Lester for generously sharing her time, memories and insights — and for welcoming us into her world of colour, line and contemplative calm.
Scroll down for a small gallery of Merle’s drawings.
Kids learning about Estonian language and culture at Sõrve camp. Photo from the Kalamäe collection.
A new leadership role, kultuurijuht (cultural lead), has been created at Sõrve Estonian Children’s Summer Camp to strengthen Estonian language and culture at the camp. We are delighted to share that Ella Scott will take on this important role at Sõrve 2026.
During the year the Sõrve Sõbrad Komitee (Sõrve Committee), the governing body of the camp, has discussed their responsibility to ensure that the Sõrve camp stays true to the tenets of the Constitution, which state that Sõrve should: “Maintain and promote Estonian culture, language, customs, traditions and community amongst young people of an Estonian background in Australia.” The agreement was that they did not want to see Sõrve become “just another sports camp”.
Kids learning about Estonian language and culture at Sõrve camp. Ella Scott in the middle. Photo from the Kalamäe collection.
Following discussions on how best to maintain the focus on Estonian culture at the camp, it was decided to create a new leadership role, called kultuurijuht. The kultuurijuht will be part of the executive team, working closely with the laagrijuht (camp lead) to ensure that Estonian language and culture permeate every aspect of the camp. The role will focus on ensuring that Estonian is used as widely as possible and will support the leadership group to use their skills to pass on Estonian language, culture and history, including references to present-day events and perspectives.
The komitee’s decision to establish the role of kultuurijuht was felt justified after Sõrve representatives Sulev Kalamäe and Barbara Howard Kalamäe attended the Global Estonian Diaspora Networking Day in Tallinn on 1 July 2025. Here speakers, including the Foreign Minister of Estonia, Margus Tsahkna, emphasised the importance of encouraging the use of Estonian language throughout all activities held by the diaspora.
Boys learning new and exciting things at Sõrve Camp. Photo from the Kalamäe collection.
We are delighted to advise that Ella Scott has agreed to take on the role of kultuurijuht for Sõrve 2026.
Earlier this year, Ella Scott was recognised by the Council of Estonian Societies in Australia for her outstanding contributions to preserving and strengthening Estonian culture in Australia. Ella speaks perfect Estonian, has lived in Estonia, and has spent many summers at Sõrve, including as a leader. She has always been an active member of the Australian Estonian community. Ella is well known for leading the folk dance group Virmalised to Tantsupidu 2025 and also sings in the national choir Kooskõlas.
A role description and selection process for the position of kultuurijuht at Sõrve camp have been developed and will be included in the Expression of Interest (EOI) process for Sõrve 2027.
Find out more about Sõrve Estonian Children’s Summer Camp and register at http://www.sorve.org.au/ or send an email to admin[at]sorve.org.au
Ella Scott, new kultuurijuht. Photo from the Kalamäe collection.
Eesti keeles
Uus kultuurijuhi roll Sõrve laagris
Sõrve laagri juurde on loodud uus kultuurijuhi roll ülesandega tugevdada eesti keelt ja kultuuri. Sõrve 2026. aasta laagri kultuurijuhiks sai Ella Scott.
Aasta jooksul on Sõrve Sõbrad Komitee arutanud oma vastutust tagada, et Sõrve jääks truuks põhikirja põhimõtetele, mis sätestavad, et Sõrve peaks: “Säilitama ja edendama eesti kultuuri, keelt, kombeid, traditsioone ja kogukonda Austraalia eesti päritolu noorte seas.” Lepiti kokku, et komitee ei taha, et Sõrvest saaks “lihtsalt järjekordne spordilaager”.
Lapsed õpivad Sõrve laagris tundma eesti kultuuri ja keelt. Keskel Ella Scott. Foto Kalamäe erakogust.
Arutelud kuidas laagris kõige paremini eesti kultuuri edendada viisid otsuseni luua juhtkonna juurde uus roll nimetusega kultuurijuht. Kultuurijuht tagab koostöös laagrijuhiga, et eesti keel ja kultuur läbiksid kogu laagri elu. Roll soodustab eesti keele laialdast kasutust ning aitab juhtkonnal kanda edasi keelt, kultuuri ja ajalugu, seostades need ka tänapäevaga.
Komitee otsus luua kultuurijuhi roll kinnistus pärast Sõrve esindajate Sulev Kalamäe ja Barbara Howard Kalamäe osalemist 1. juulil 2025 Talinnas peetud „Globaalse Eesti“ üleilmsete eestlaste võrgustike kohtumisel. Seal rõhutasid esinejad, teiste hulgas Eesti välisminister Margus Tsahkna, eesti keele kasutamise olulisust kõigis diasporaa tegevustes.
Poisid õpivad Sõrve laagris uut ja põnevat. Foto Kalamäe erakogust.
Meil on hea meel teatada, et Ella Scott nõustus täitma kultuurijuhi rolli Sõrve 2026. aasta laagris.
Aasta algul tunnustas Austraalia Eesti Seltside Liit Ella Scotti silmapaistva panuse eest eesti kultuuri säilitamisel ja tugevdamisel Austraalias. Ella räägib soravalt eesti keelt, on mõnda aega Eestis elanud ning veetnud Sõrve laagris mitmeid suvesid — sh juhina. Ta on olnud järjepidevalt aktiivne Austraalia eestlaste kogukonnas. Ella on tuntud selle poolest, et viis rahvatantsurühma Virmalised sel aastal Eestisse tantsupeole, ning laulab ka kooris Kooskõlas.
Sõrve kultuurijuhi ametikoha kirjeldus ja valikuprotsess on juba väljatöötatud ning lisatakse Sõrve 2027 avaliku kandideerimise (EOI) protsessi.
Are you someone who is passionate about sharing stories within the Australian-Estonian community? At the heart of every community is communication (both words stem from the Latin word communis — meaning “shared”). As HEIA grows, we are seeking additional communication-focused community members.
We have four categories to tickle your fancy:
1) Content Providers — We are building a panel of potential content providers. Whether you are a content professional from the Estonian community (we have access to small amounts of funding as nominal recompense for professional content) or simply someone who enjoys writing, editing, documenting, and/or video and image capture of community-interest topics and wishes to volunteer — we are forming a community within the community that can contribute content at their own discretion (no deadlines = no stress!).
2) State Representatives — We currently have representatives to pass on information relating to events or news for NSW, VIC, SA, WA, and QLD, but this is not exclusive — the more the merrier!
3) Tech heads — Anyone with technical nous in WordPress, add-ons, mail managers, etc. — we would welcome your interest!
4) Marketing — This one is for those who have a flair for promotion. We believe HEIA is worth knowing about, but with over 10,000 Australian Estonians, many coming and going, simply planting a flag in a domain space won’t necessarily get their attention. We need a sustained creative effort.
If any of the above is your bailiwick, or if you have any questions, please email news[at]eesti.org.au.
Read more about who we are and what we do here: About HEIA
Estonian Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (EACCI) is inviting expressions of interest for new Board members. This is a chance to play an active role in strengthening business ties between Estonia and Australia.
As a Board member, you’ll have:
Unmatched networking opportunities — connect with industry leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators from across Australia and Europe.
A hand in creating flagship events — from the Nordic Open Golf Day to the Cruise with the Europeans, the largest European business networking event in Australia.
A platform to represent your industry — influence collaborations and open doors for business opportunities.
A seat at the table for international dialogue — be part of initiatives that encourage trade, investment and cultural exchange.
A chance to make an impact — support the growth of the Estonian business community in Australia and help bring unique projects to life.
Whether you’re looking to broaden your professional network, share your expertise, or give back to the community, this is a unique opportunity to do it all.
The EACCI Board for 2026 will be elected in December 2025, so now is the time to put your hand up and get involved.
If you’re ready to contribute your ideas, skills and energy to help shape EACCI’s direction, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us at info[at]eacci.com.au.
On the 11th of September, Estonia will celebrate the 90th birthday of its beloved composer Arvo Pärt. While there have been commemorations of this event throughout the summer and across Europe, these nine days are just about Pärt and his music and will be shared in concerts across Estonia.
The opening concert by ERSO, Vox Clamantis and Eesti Filharmoonia Kammerkoor was performed in Pauluse Kirik in Tartu on the 2nd of September and Estonia Konterdisaal in Tallinn on the 3rd of September. A further eight concert programmes will be performed in churches and concert halls across Estonia in Narva, Viljandi, Viimsi, Paide, Kärdla, Rakvere, Kuressaare and Rapla as well as the Arvo Pärdi Keskus which is dedicated to the preservation of and research into his music.
While over the last decade Arvo Pärt’s success has begun to be a well-worn cliché and many Estonian musicians have wanted to get out from under his shadow and forge their own path, the fact that for the last 20 years Arvo Pärt and John Williams have traded top position as most performed living composer is extraordinary given the vast number of film themes Williams has composed.
Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi feels that Pärt’s success is because “his music touches some personal part inside us, that longs to be calmed in this world of noise and information” (Mezzo.tv interview). He describes how after many years as an avant-garde composer producing jarring music full of dissonance, Pärt was silent for several years and decided only to make music that spoke of a fundamental spiritual truth.
A quote by Arvo Pärt projected onto a column at Arvo Pärt Centre in Tallinn, Estonia. The quotes about silence are in a completely silent room in a quiet and calm location, in Estonian on one side and in English on the other side of the column. Photo by Giles Parker.
This year Paavo dedicated his Pärnu Music Festival in July to Pärt and particularly mentioned the brotherhood between Pärt and his father Neeme Järvi, dedicating an impromptu performance of Fratres to them both. “When the Soviet authorities banned Arvo’s music after one performance because they discovered some religious meaning, my father would play it again the next night. In the end, they were so embarrassing they were allowed to leave the country,” he said during an interview on Mezzo.tv.
The celebration of Arvo’s music has extended across the world this year with hundreds of performances of his music including at the BBC Proms in London, dozens of cities in Europe, Brazil, Japan and Australia. I attended performances in the 13th century cathedral in Turku, Finland where I saw firsthand the power of Pärt’s music on ordinary people. The open rehearsal in the cathedral gradually gathered more and more visitors to the front, many filming this extraordinary music on their phones in the calm, beautiful building.
Taavi Kull at the Pärnu Music Festival in July 2025. Source: Pärnu Music Festival.
During this year of celebration, researchers of Pärt’s music have been discussing the importance of his music, particularly his Tintinnabuli. Many people hear this word and think of bells, either church bells or his works that feature them. However as one researcher put it in the documentary film The Lost Paradise, A portrait of Arvo Pärt by Günter Atteln: “when you strike a bell, you get a pure tone, which fades to a point when you no longer know if the sound is playing or has stopped.” This space between sound and silence is encapsulated at the end of Cantus, which Arvo’s wife Nora Pärt describes as: “The last chord … refuses to end; it stays there, without increasing or diminishing. It is something achieved and which no one wants to give up.”
Maarja Tyler from the Arvo Pärt Keskus explained in Pärnu that Tintinnabuli is one of only two new musical compositional systems created in the 20th century. It is not just a style or a sound but a fundamental structure for creating music that can be used by anyone to create their own music and forge their own path. That is a gift to humanity worth celebrating.
Palju õnne 90. sünnipäevaks, Arvo! Happy 90th birthday, Arvo!
Ever looked at those dazzling embroidered Estonian patterns and thought, “I wish I could do that?” Well, here’s your chance! On Saturday 11 October 2025, Sydney’s Estonian community is handing you needle, thread and tradition on a silver platter at the Mulgi Embroidery Workshop — your ticket to unlocking the secrets of this centuries-old craft.
From 9.30am sharp until 3.00pm, join your fellow handicrafters (and soon-to-be friends) and place yourself in the capable hands of skilled instructors. The place to be? None other than the Sydney Estonian House, 141 Campbell St, Surry Hills NSW.
What’s in store?
Learn about Mulgi embroidery – a timeless tradition packed with meaning, from circles (the earth) to sun wheels (the cosmos, of course – we’ve always been thinking big), to crosses (relationships – yes, even those tricky ones), and much more. Back in Mulgimaa, every stitch told a story, whether it was on an apron, scarf, or Sunday best. The colours? Bold reds, blues, greens and yellows that refused to be boring. Think of it as the original emoji system – symbols stitched to say, “this is who I am, and this is what I stand for.”
Choose your project for the day: 🧶 Christmas decoration 🧶 Bookmark 🧶 Tea towel 🧶 Napkin 🧶 Calico bag 🧶 T-Shirt (BYO, so you can strut your new art with pride!)
Why you’ll love it
For just $70, you’ll get: ✔ A kit with fabric, threads, patterns and instructions ✔ Morning tea and lunch (because creativity works up an appetite!) ✔ A hands-on dive into Estonian culture with plenty of laughs and friendly faces.
No embroidery experience? No problem. Whether you’re a stitching superstar or you’ve never touched a needle in your life, you’ll walk away with something beautiful – and maybe a few new friends too.
Book your spot
Tickets are $70 and spaces are limited, so secure yours soon.
📧 Dietary requirements? Email Marissa.Pikkat[at]outlook.com and she’ll make sure you’re looked after. 🅿 Parking tip: timed street parking or Golborne Street Car Park (pre-book for best deal).
✨ Come for the embroidery, stay for the stories, and leave with a little piece of Mulgi magic stitched by your own hands. You’ll be so proud of yourself for having accomplished this!
Organised by the Sydney Estonian Craft Group (SESKKE). Read more about what they do here.
The Embassy of Estonia in Canberra will be holding a consular mission on Friday, 3 October 2025, at the Estonian House in Melbourne, 43 Melville Road, Brunswick West.
Photo by Priidu Saart. Source Visit Estonia, Visit Pärnu.
Hey there, adventurer! Estonia’s off-season is ON — and it’s spectacular. And if you didn’t know, Visit Estonia has a monthly newsletter that dishes up all the best seasonal tips and travel inspo, so you can dream (or book) your next trip with insider flair.
Autumn in Estonia is pure magic: cool but not chilly weather, bug-free forests, sunsets that make painters weep, and trees flaunting their fiery hues. Add in mushrooms and berries bursting from the undergrowth — and voilà, you’ve got nature’s buffet. When you’re not munching on the forest floor, you can steam away your sins in a sauna or bliss out at a spa — your body will say aitäh! (thank you!).
Foraging like a pro
From July through October, Estonia’s forests become a giant grocery store where nobody bothers with receipts. Mushrooms, herbs and berries — it’s all there, and it all ends up on Estonian menus. Tag along with a local foraging guide who knows the secret mushroom haunts (and which ones won’t kill you – hint: don’t eat the red one with white dots).
Estonia has some of the cleanest air in Europe and so few people you might think you’ve got the forest to yourself. It’s hiking heaven: from lazy boardwalk strolls to endurance-test trails — there’s a path for every pace. Just don’t expect Everest… our highest “peak” is 318 m, but we’re ridiculously proud of it.
Photo by Priidu Saart. Source Visit Estonia, Visit Pärnu.
Bonus cultural spotlight: Arvo Pärt turns 90!
Estonia’s best-known export isn’t Skype or sprats — it’s Arvo Pärt. On 11 September, the world’s most performed living composer turns 90. Cue concerts, tributes and goosebump-inducing music across Estonia — and way beyond. His music has been described as “holy minimalism,” we call it soundtrack to your soul.
A spa-day (or weekend getaway)
In Estonia, autumn means one thing: your sauna is calling. Our spas aren’t just about cucumber slices on your eyes — think healing mud facials, smoky sauna rituals, and pools so relaxing you might forget which century you’re in. Go for a day or treat yourself to a weekend — your stress doesn’t stand a chance.
Explore Estonia’s autumn capital Narva
Narva in autumn? Think riverside promenades glowing with gold leaves, festivals that keep you busy, and spas in nearby Narva-Jõesuu to warm your toes when the chill sets in. Mark your calendar for:
Station Narva (4–7 September)
Narva Autumn Night Run (20 September)
Lamprey Festival (27 September).
It’s the kind of “off-season city break” you’ll secretly brag about later.
Traditions to warm the soul in November
Stay a little longer and you’ll discover Estonia’s secret superpower: making the darkest time of year feel downright magical. November packs in three quirky folk holidays:
Hingedepäev (All Souls’ Day, 2 November) — candles in windows and cemeteries honour ancestors. Fog? That’s just a sign the souls are dropping by. Back in the day, families even heated the sauna for the dead and sent children dressed in white to howl at windows for treats. They’ve stopped doing those two things for some reason.
Mardipäev (Martinmas, 10 November) — think Halloween with goose dinners. Children in dark costumes, led by a Mardi-father, bang pots and sing mardilaule at doors to bring harvest luck (but mostly to score sweets).
Kadripäev (St Catherine’s Day, 25 November) — lighter costumes, led by a Kadri-mother, songs of blessing for sheep and cows (read: sweets), plus porridge, beans and homemade beer for everyone else.
Photo by Aron Urb. Source Visit Estonia.
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