Smoking is restricted in Estonia

Beach season in Tallinn

A concentration test at the archery ground

News briefs

Smoking is restricted in Estonia

A provision of Tobacco Act prohibiting smoking in catering and entertainment establishments where there is no separate smoking room entered into force in Estonia on June 5.

From now on, in restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs, night- and other clubs smoking is allowed only in a special smoking room, which establishments may choose to set up. Clients will not be served in the smoking room and it is not permitted to take even a coffee cup into the room. For the present, smoking is allowed on the outdoor terraces of catering establishments.

Among entertainment establishments there are exceptions for the gambling halls of casinos, where smoking is allowed if strict special requirements on ventilation are satisfied. Cigar houses also modified their premises and ventilation systems, but they weren’t included among the exceptions.

All establishments are obliged to call to order a client who is smoking in a place which is not allotted for it. If their warnings are ignored, the personnel may call the police, who can punish the offender with a fine of up to 1200 kroons. An establishment which violates the Act will be punished with a fine of up to 30 000 kroons.

The Tobacco Act was passed in spring 2005, but the establishments were given two years to make their premises correspond the new requirements if they wished to do so.

Beach season in Tallinn

Although the air and water temperatures don’t seem very convincing yet, beach season in Tallinn’s public beaches has begun.

Tallinn boasts five public swimming beaches: Pirita, Stroomi, Harku, Kakumäe and Pikakari. Lifeguards certified to give first aid are on watch on all five on weekdays, 9am–8pm, and weekends, 9am–9pm. Basic facilities at the beaches include changing stalls, toilets and parking lots (without guards), and mobile ice cream vendors (payment in cash only). Pets are not generally allowed.

The oldest, largest and most popular of the beaches is the 2-km-long Pirita beach, with a magnificent view onto the Old Town and the busy sea traffic on the Gulf of Finland. The beach is separated from the neighboring Pirita and Merivälja residential districts by a pine forest. This beach has ballgame courts and separate playgrounds for children. Lockers are available, as are facilities for renting water sport equipment and chaise longues, shops selling beach gear and cafés in the beach house. Music is played on the beach and there are frequent competitions and other events. At the far side of the beach there is a separate area for nude sunbathing. The parking lot is not under surveillance, like in the other beaches, but a parking fee is charged. The beach is 6 km from downtown (buses 1, 1A, 8, 34, 34A and 38). The address of the beach house is Merivälja tee 5.

Another well-worn summer hot spot is Stroomi beach, situated in Pelguranna, opposite the Open Air Museum on the other side of Kopli Bay. Between the beach and highrise residential buildings is a spacious green area where beachgoers can find shade on the grass for a picnic. Courts for various ballgames, trampolines and outdoor cafés can all be found on this beach. Children can romp around the playgrounds and try driving electric cars. A temporary youth center is set up, concerts are frequently organised, and there is always loud disco music playing. The beach house provides lockers and showers, and a shop for buying beach gear and borrowing chaise longues. Visa and MasterCard are accepted. The beach is 4 km from downtown (buses 3, 40, 48). The beach house is located at Pelguranna 30.

On the western city border in the Haabersti district, Harku beach lies on the shores of a lake, so it has slightly warmer water for swimming than the sea. The swimming beach on a sandy stretch of shore is fairly treeless and lies close to a residential area. The lakeshore is shallow and the bottom is muddy, 12 meters at its deepest. The beach has courts for ballgames, climbing trees for children, a kiosk selling food, and showers. The rowing base nearby provides an opportunity to practice rowing and surfing, play mini golf, use the gym and rent pedalos (paddle boats) and rowboats. The Season Surfclub is also at the rowing base. Harku Lake is by the Paldiski Highway, 7 km from downtown (trolley 6, buses 22, 36, and 46).

Kakumäe beach is also in Haabersti, on the landward side of the small Kakumäe peninsula. The peninsula is full of single-family houses, at a bit of a distance from the swimming beach. The woods separating the residential area from the beach are thick and boggy. This quiet, secluded beach has ball courts, a kiosk selling food, showers and a bicycle parking lot. Children can use the swings and a climbing tree. The beach is 11 km from downtown and is not very busy, at least on weekdays. Buses 21 and 21B go from the central railway station (Balti jaam) to Kakumäe. From Kakumäe Road, which follows the length of the peninsula, turn onto Sooranna Street to take you straight to the beach.

The city’s newest beach, Pikakari beach, is located on Paljassaare peninsula, near Katariina pier. The beach opened last summer to great local curiosity, as its location, formerly a military-industrial zone, had strictly limited access up until only a few years ago. The previous nature of the area is still visible in the ramshackle industrial buildings, soiled dwelling houses and poor roads, but constant development has already yielded visible results. Pikakari is the windiest of Tallinn’s beaches and waves from the wake of ships hit the coast more powerfully than in Pirita. A small, slightly bushy, wooded area gives some protection against landward winds. The sea floor is partly sandy, partly rocky, and the water gets deep quickly, reaching over a person’s head 30 meters away from dry land. The beach has courts for ballgames, places for making fires, swings for children and a kiosk selling food. Park rangers patrol the area, and you’re likely to meet surfers and fishermen. There is also a bird protection area and bird viewing tower on the peninsula. The beach is 6 km from downtown. To get there, drive to the end of Paljassaare Road (bus 59 from the central railway station, or Balti jaam) and walk further down a gravel road about 300 meters. The view back onto town and onto the sea from the beach and the pier are well worth the trouble, especially on a summer’s evening.

Check the beach weather conditions
by clicking on the name of the beach: www.ilm.ee/rannailm

A concentration test at the archery ground

Classic archery provides a real test of concentration on the hillside of Toompea, at the archery ground which opened at the beginning of June.

Those wishing to test themselves are assisted at the site by three archers wearing medieval costumes, who are fluent in English and also speak a little French and German. The visitor wanting to test their sharpness of eye and steadiness of hand will be likewise equipped with a costume, an arm guard and a special archery mitt. The bow and arrows are made of wood and the flight of the arrows is stabilised by fletchings of natural feathers.

The package consists of 3 practice shots and 5 competition shots and gives about 5 minutes of individual training and about the same time again for archery. The price for a 3+5 package for one person is 150 kroons, while for a couple two packages together cost 250 kroons. Groups can compete for 20-30 minutes at the same time using up to three targets. Groups must book in advance, and for 10 or more people the price per person is 100 kroons. Archers who hit 75% or more of the possible maximum score (at least 35 out of 50) get an additional 5 free shots. It is also possible to shoot for money: 300 kroons gives 3+10 shots in competition with one of the archery ground’s employees. A visitor who wins gets their money back; a visitor who loses is enriched only in experience.

For better archers there are prizes to be won. The most accurate archers can get a square meal in the inn Kikka Kõrts or in the pepper restaurant Karl Friedrich; as consolation prizes there are Estonian souvenirs, which can also be won by those scoring a small total of points. The prize selection will be constantly updated.

The archery ground is located in Danish King's Garden near to the Maiden Tower and Kiek in de Kök, and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Archers are welcome daily at 11am–8pm, but not during strong wind or rain, when the results would be generally poor and nerves frayed. Anyone wishing to try their hand at archery has to meet two conditions: they must be at least 16 years old and sober.

Additional information:
Toompea Archery Ground (Toompea Vibuplats)
Raul Kalev, raul@nagujategu.ee, GSM +372 507 7797

News briefs

Estonian Air started direct flights on the Tallinn-Vienna route in cooperation with Austrian Airlines on June 4. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the flights depart Tallinn at 7.25am and from Vienna at 10am. On Sundays the flights depart at 07.35am and 10.05am. The flight lasts 2.5 hours. One-way ticket prices including all taxes start from 1100 kroons. Additional information: www.estonian-air.ee

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The season for the regular Pirita-Aegna ferry started. From June 1 until September 16 the Estonian Maritime Academy training ship Juku, which holds up to 36 passengers, sails between Tallinn and the island of Aegna. Passengers are also allowed to take a bicycle on board. The ship departures from the right bank of the mouth of Pirita river on working days (except Tuesday) at 9am and 7pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 9am, 11am, 5pm and 7pm; the return departure to Pirita on all 6 occasions is one hour later. A one-way ticket costs 50 kroons, a return ticket 75 kroons. Additional information about the ferry: GSM +372 522 8883. Information about holidays on the island: info@aegnareisid.ee.

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Hotel St. Barbara, previously part of the Scandic hotel chain, now has a new operator. Starting from 1 June 2007, the hotel and restaurant are operated by Roosikrantsi Hotell, a subsidiary of the owner of the building, Baltic Real Investments. The change of operator was due to the fact that the 10-year contract with Scandic had expired. The contact details for Hotel St. Barbara have also changed, the new contact details can be found on their homepage: www.stbarbara.ee.

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Estonian master barista 2007 Helger Aava won the Coffee in Good Spirits world championship in preparing coffee drinks with alcohol in Antwerp in May, beating competitors from 17 countries. To win, Helger Aava had to prepare two perfect Irish coffees and two coffee beverages of his own design in 8 minutes. Helger Aava, who is also the five-time Estonian master barista, will participate in the Barista World Championships in Tokyo, July 31-August 2. You can taste his coffee, including the world’s best Irish coffee, this summer in the soon-to-open café-restaurant C’est La Vie, in Tallinn’s Old Town.

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The elite restaurant Vertigo has opened its summer roof terrace. Diverse Estonian musicians play there on Saturday evenings in the Vertigo Mojito Deluxe Party event series. Cocktails and a tasty Mediterranean al fresco menu are served on the roof terrace with superb views. The spacious terrace fits 120 people, and private white tents are also available. The restaurant is located in the city center, at Rävala pst 4. Additional information on the resaurant’s updated webpage www.vertigo.ee.

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The Viimsi Party Centre was fully completed at the beginning of summer. The first floor of the complex houses Hotel Birgitta, the Party Centre is on the ground floor and Savoy restaurant in the cellar. The hotel contains 11 twin rooms and a large suite. The menu of its French restaurant is quite rich and group menus are also available. The large hall in the Party Centre accommodates 120 people and the terrace hall 40. The Party Centre also has a sauna and room with a fireplace. The centre is located in Viimsi at Pargi tee 12, only half a kilometre from Tallinn's eastern border. Further information and the pictures of the complex: info@peokeskus.ee, www.peokeskus.ee.

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The International Skating Union has decided to hold the European Figure Skating Championships of 2010 in Tallinn. The right to organise the championship was awarded because Estonia corresponded to all the requirements for the host venue of the competition: international level at the sport and the existence of an organisation representing the sport; a sports hall with at least 6000 seats and practice ice rinks; a professional television broadcaster which guarantees the live transmission of the competition; high quality hotels; and good logistics.