THREE TO TRY BALTIC ISLANDS

For a small nation, Estonia has an astonishing number of islands (over 2,000, in fact). Although many are uninhabited, several are home to thriving communities — some with cultures and histories not just distinct from the Estonian mainland but from each other — and make an excellent addition to a city break

SAAREMAA

Estonia’s largest and most populous island almost feels like a country in its own right. Visitors can expect windmills, castle ruins, and plenty of choice when it comes to spas — mainlanders particularly enjoy driving here for weekends of relaxation. While that’s over a causeway and via the island of Muhu in summer, in winter the route includes a section on an ice road. Saaremaa’s history of Viking raids and 20th-century warfare is fascinating, but the island’s USP is even more intriguing: a group of nine craters — the biggest, 110 metres in diameter — caused by a meteorite called Kaali, which is believed to have crash-landed here around 7,500 years ago.

VILSANDI

Lying just off the west coast of Saaremaa, Vilsandi is a national park whose importance as a wildlife haven was recognised as far back as 1910, when it was designated as a maritime bird reserve. Today, the white-tailed eagle and Eurasian eagle-owl are among the 247 species that draw birders here each summer. Its human population, meanwhile, is limited to just a handful of residents, including rangers charged with looking after the place. Keep an eye out for 16th-century Loona Manor, the most significant building on the island, which dates as far back as the Middle Ages.

HIIUMAA

The country’s second-largest island has a faintly New England feel to it, with a series of historic lighthouses and easy access to the wilderness. Kõpu Lighthouse has been standing for almost 500 years in the middle of a forest and can still be visited and climbed. Despite its age, that tower is in much better condition than the Soviet-era buildings littering the northern part of the island. Elsewhere, the pretty coastal town of Kärdla is home to around 3,000 people, a small museum detailing island life and some excellent cafes. The largest settlement on the island, it also has its own airstrip — handy if you don’t fancy taking the ferry back to the mainland.

Sõrve Lighthouse, on the southern tip of Saaremaa