Street art can lift your mood and get your social conscience going at full pelt. And visitors to Tartu in Estonia will have a chance to enjoy grown-up graffiti in buckets next month when the city is launched as the 2024 European Capital of Culture.
The oldest city in The Baltics is home to Estonia’s “Banksy”, Edward von Lõngus, a man who helped persuade the authorities to relax their rules on wall daubing so that now, his special stencilling wall art technique rubs shoulders with lots of fellow street artists keen to spell out their thoughts on life, through colour.
The unconventional art has already made the city a must-visit spot and home since 2010 to the Stencibility festival, with its success a major factor in Tartu winning the European cultural crown.
This tiny country, not much bigger than Denmark, is a traveller’s gem; with so much open space, it’s the perfect place for silent tourism.
And it’s hoped the capital of culture will open the eyes of visitors not only to Tartu, but to the whole of southern Estonia, which is simply sublime.
 Tartu is known for its laid-back style, largely due to its university which dates back to 1632. 
Already recognised by UNESCO as a child-friendly city, it has a fun vibe about it, summed up by the kissing statue inside a fountain at the top of the town hall square, where newly weds and graduating students jump in to mark their new found freedom.

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An architectural treasure trove, it has buildings from Hanseatic League medieval times standing next to tasteful modern creations. One of its major attractions, just outside the city, is The Estonian National Museum, featuring exhibitions which spell out the country’s rich history through art, music, culture and most interestingly real life tales of how people fought for and achieved independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union. Next to the museum is a fun upside down house to test your balance.
The Emajõgi river flows through the city and a great way of seeing the sights is via the Jõmmu barge, the only remaining one of its kind in the world. This wooden vessel was a popular sight from Hanseatic times until the mid 20th century and used to carry goods.
Today, volunteers are building a second replica barge which will also be used for trips on the river, Lake Peipus and Lake Võrtsjärv and it’s here you can witness the country’s obsession with wooden saunas. Floating on water, they are a nod to the community of nearby Võru, which is recognised by UNESCO for its traditional smoke sauna houses.  
Accommodation wise, Tartu can get busy and capital of culture organisers are hoping to encourage locals to offer home stays or for tourists to head out a little and enjoy the delights of such places as Mooste Distillery, part of a 1900s manor estate, with six rooms and a breakfast and dinner menu that sources local produce.

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Tradition and culture are big in Estonia and 40km from Tartu and on the forested shorelines of Lake Peipsi, there are villages full of Eastern Orthodox Christians, who cultivate a particularly pungent species of onion, which they use for cooking and handicrafts along the “onion route”. 
 A short hop from Tartu takes you to Viljandi,  which lies on the shore of a picturesque lake and is home to the  ruins of a 13th-century Teutonic castle.  
At the heart of the town is the wonderfully renovated Schloss Fellin Boutique Spa, a former manor house dating back to the 1880s and now home to 17 luxury rooms, a gourmet restaurant and an impressive spa. 
From your bedroom window, you are treated to views of the manor park and the open air Ugala Theatre. 

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Walking around, you will see lots of cat statues in honour of the feline population and plump ceramic strawberries, which guide you to the art museum. 
Every July, this cool spot plays host to the world famous Viljandi Folk Festival, which attracts performers and audiences from across the globe, who cross a beautiful old-fashioned suspension bridge to the castle to join in the fun.
A 40-minute drive takes you deep into the forest and into the heart of the Soomaa National Park, where the weather creates a fifth season in early spring as melted snow or heavy rain floods all the lower forests, roads and even people’s back gardens.
Taking a stroll along a man-made board walk in April, the marks on the tall trees indicate just how high the water levels reach, making it an ideal route for canoeists paddling alongside the soft, bog-like pastures. 
It’s an incredible sight and the flora and fauna mixing with the forest animals makes it a very special place to be.
The country’s third city, Narva, in the north, has an intriguing feel to it and is rich in history. 
Dominated by two facing fortresses, one in Estonia and the other across the border in Russia, it is a must-visit place.
Built in 1256, Hermann (also known as Narva) Castle is divided from the Ivangorod fortress by water and has been beautifully restored, with aspects of old and new, and the museum inside has been made child-friendly with high-tech games and cartoons to spell out its history. 
Narva’s war bunkers, which were built to protect locals during conflict, are also worth a look.
Currently the border between Estonia and Russia is closed, due to the war in Ukraine, so it’s interesting to catch a glimpse of how daily life is continuing, in this nearby region. 
The Narva river also separates the now derelict and huge Kreenholm factory, which was built on an island and was the biggest textile manufacturer in Europe. 
Having a toe in both countries, meant the city contained the most modern industrial buildings in the Russian empire.
 The factory’s has fine, red-brick architecture and at one time, it employed 8,000 people. The vast site closed down officially in 2010 and since then, it has been used occasionally for outdoor concerts, with investment on hold as the conflict continues.
The site has an eerie feel to it and you can imagine it at the height of production, with a roaring waterfall and an imposing statue dedicated to the workers who started Estonia’s first labour strike in 1872.
Narva has a lovely old-fashioned promenade to stroll along and just a short drive out of town lies the picturesque town of  Sillamäe, with beautiful old buildings and a welcoming seafront.
Estonia is known for its spas and the Meresuu Spa & Hotel, next to the country’s longest sandy beach, is minutes away from Narva and has seven different saunas including two outdoor wooden ones.
Parts of Estonia are sparsely populated, with half the country covered in forest and 20% with national parks, so it offers a wonderful mix of natural beauty and cultural attractions.