Estonian Open Air Museum (Eesti Vabaõhumuuseum, EVM). Tallinn, Estonia.

This picturesque museum just 15 minutes drive from the center of Tallinn reveals how families of different incomes and occupations lived in Estonia in the 18-20th centuries.

Its large territory embraces buildings that used to be in every village: a church, a tavern, a school, windmills, a shop, a barn. Here, you can get an idea of the life and routine of both the poorest strata of the population and its wealthy representatives.

In May 2021, a new exhibit was opened here: a collective farm apartment building where villagers’ apartments are furnished in the style of the 1960s, 1970s, 1990s and 2010s. Attention to details is breathtaking to the point that you can find products of those times in the refrigerator and appropriate clothes in the closet.

This is an interactive museum. You can enter the buildings, where the “owners” in themed costumes are waiting for you to give you a tour. You can participate in workshops and events that are often held at the museum. If you want to immerse yourself even deeper in the life of those times, take a ride on a horse-drawn carriage across the vast territory of the museum.

The local tavern with Estonian national dishes, Kolu inn, is worth a special mention. We highly recommend taking the national Estonian dish Mulgipuder – crushed potatoes with barley served with fried onions and pork belly, or roasted meat whose serving size will pleasantly surprise you. For dessert, be sure to try the traditional kama mousse. Accompany your meal with the local herbal tea or carbonated apple juice.

Both adults and children will enjoy spending time in this outstanding museum.

More information: www.evm.ee

Tallinn, Estonia