What´s the better way to enjoy Estonia’s beautiful nature than to escape to one of its islands for a day? This year, the BioEng team decided to explore Aegna island — a place that might surprise you with one interesting fact: although it feels like a remote island getaway, Aegna is actually part of the city of Tallinn!
Our adventure began on the 17th of July at Tallinn’s Linnahall harbor, where we boarded the ferry. The ferry, which can accommodate around 100 passengers, was packed, with every ticket sold. Most of the passengers were Estonians, which seemed to be a great example of how popular domestic tourism is among locals.
On the island, our guide was waiting to welcome us, and our adventure began. Our first stops took us into the island’s fascinating history. We explored several places, including the Officers’ Casino and the remains of Peter the Great’s Naval Fortress — more specifically, the “Heavy Batteries of the Tallinn–Porkkala Line”. Walking among these remnants of the past, it was easy to imagine how strategically important this seemingly peaceful island once was.
After exploring the historical sites, we made our way towards the beach. We found a perfect spot in the shade of the trees and settled down for a picnic. Some brave members of the team dipped their toes into the sea, but despite it being summer, the water was surprisingly ice-cold!
With renewed energy after lunch, we headed towards one of Aegna’s most mysterious attractions — its magical stone labyrinth. The 11-turn stone labyrinth, also known as “Jerusalem”, is an important part of Aegna’s cultural heritage. Throughout history, labyrinths have been associated with rituals, mystery, and spiritual journeys. This one is said to have been regarded as a ritual sanctuary and a place for connecting with supernatural forces. One of the BioEng members even completed the entire labyrinth — but whether it really has a magical effect remains a secret.
Our next destination was the impressive Tulekivi boulder. In the past, a fire was lit on top of it to serve as a navigational signal for ships approaching the island. On this day, however, the boulder had a different purpose — it was conquered by the BioEng team! The climb up was surprisingly easy, although getting back down proved to be a little more complicated.
Our adventure continued with a visit to a boulder field before we followed a magical trail marked by a continuous line of stones. Here, we discovered another fascinating island tradition: everyone who walks the trail is encouraged to pick up a stone from the shore and add it to the markings along the path, making the trail a little longer for the next visitors. In this way, every person who visits becomes a small part of the island’s story.
Eventually, following the trail, we made our way back to the port. Before boarding the ferry, there was, of course, one final and essential stop: the ice-cream kiosk! As the ferry carried us back towards Tallinn, we could look back on a day filled with sunshine, history, nature, adventure and plenty of laughter. But the day was not over yet. Back in Tallinn, we continued our summer adventure with a delicious Georgian meal.
And so, with tired legs, happy faces and plenty of new memories, we brought our amazing BioEng Summer Day to an end.
(Thank you Adventurehiking OÜ for an amazing guide Jaan Jalas)
