Reflections on my Mirror House Stay in Estonia

Sometimes you’ve got to stand back from something to get the best perspective on it.

Close up, the impression just isn’t clear enough.

So standing in the Estonian forest, some distance back, the gorgeous scene of the low impact mirror houses, dotted among the pine trees, really did set the scene for a fantastic getaway.

It was my first time staying in a mirror house anywhere, not to mention my first trip to Estonia, and only about 40 minutes from the capital Tallinn, it seemed the ideal overnight retreat.

Especially when I realised how peaceful the wooded setting was, how close the beach was and how far away the rest of the world seemed to be!

So if you’re looking for a Tallinn side trip, or a unique Baltic stay in nature, here’s my reflections on a fantastic Estonian mirror house experience…

My trip to Estonia was sponsored by Visit Estonia but, as always, all views are my own.

This page contains affiliate links meaning Big World Small Pockets may receive a small commission on any purchases at no extra cost to you.

Arriving at ÖÖD Hötels Laheranna

Hard to believe, but it really was just a short 40 minute ride from the centre of Tallinn to the quiet woodland area where my mirror house was located.

With easy driving conditions, and hardly anyone on the road, getting to Jõelähtme (the area where I was staying) from the capital had been a dream, although now things became a little more confused!

At some point after I turned off the country road, I wasn’t quite sure if I was driving on a small lane or a footpath (it turned out to be a cycle track!) and I did miss the turning to the mirror cabins and end up at a dead-end in the wood, but outside of this, the journey to my mirror house had been a breeze!

In fact, as I got out of the car and looked down the wooden boardwalk, which signposted the way to my mirrored home for the night, it was hard to believe I was less than an hour from the capital.

The pine trees gently needled in the breeze and faintly, beyond that, I could hear the sound of the gentle lapping sea, but outside of this, there was silence.

And not a soul to be seen.

Breaking the peace to wheel my squeaky suitcase down the boardwalk (I really need to get those wheels oiled!), I walked through the trees until I came to a small huddle of cabins, where the one marked SÄRA indicated my home for the night.

Looking at this cute cabin, its shiny surfaces reflecting the fast-advancing golden hour of a late October afternoon, I already felt more relaxed than I had in days!

I had arrived, at ÖÖD Hötels Laheranna.

Tour of My Estonian Mirror Cabin

Each of the 4 mirror cabins in this hideaway hotel has its own section of path, leading away from the main boardwalk, which gives not only privacy, but a sense of being alone in nature.

Decked with a beautiful wooden terrace around it (complete with classy deck furniture and a BBQ for those summer stays), each mirror house then has its own key lock, so that checking in is easy and doesn’t require you to disturb anyone, or anything, else.

Inside, my cosy cabin was spotlessly clean and wonderfully comfortable.

With soft ambient lighting, the double bed boasted headboard charging points and illuminations while, across the cabin, a Scandinavian-style dining table and chairs, topped with candles, was the perfect place to sit and enjoy my cup of tea – which I’d freshly made in my mirror house’s compact kitchenette.

If I hadn’t had dinner booked at local home restaurant MerMer, I could easily have cooked here, so well kitted out with utensils, cutlery, stove top and fridge was this little homely area.

Indeed, everything seemed to have been thought about in this perfectly compact choice of accommodation.

Each corner and cubbyhole was brilliantly put to use, with a cosy cupboards housing all you could want for a wonderful stay.

Bottle openers, towels, coffee, candles and matches, each little item had its own home within my mirror home and the design really was an ingenuous take on small space, low impact living.

But best of all had to be the view.

Transparent on 3 sides from floor to ceiling, you could be anywhere in this beautiful mirror house and clearly see the forest outside… even from the shower!

Toasty and tea-fuelled inside, I could gaze out on this classic Estonian landscape of pine forest followed by flat coastline, and feel like I was right among it – despite being wonderfully insulated inside.

In the summer, I can imagine, you’d throw the doors open and let the fresh air in, but on my autumn visit, it felt just as magical to be tucked up in bed with a good book watching the October light slowly fade on the forest around me.

After dinner, it was then time to retreat to my own private sauna.

Each mirror house at ÖÖD Hötels Laheranna comes with its own wood-fired sauna and, after letting my heat up to a raging 90+ degrees C, it was time to settle into my mini sweat lodge and let the day ease away from me.

If you didn’t know already, sauna-ing is just about one of my favourite things to do and here, in Estonia, where they are a massive part of the culture, getting to enjoy one in the surrounds of an archetypal national landscape was the icing on the cake!

Sunrise at Ihasalu Bay

As you can imagine, I slept soundly.

No need for ear plugs here, you could have heard a pine needle drop.

In the morning I woke at sunrise, which sounds impressive until you realise that, in the winter months, it doesn’t get light until around 8am in Estonia!

But that’s not to take away from the glorious watery colours that greeted me as I headed the few steps from my mirror house to the beach.

Born on an island, there’s something about starting your day with lungfuls of solitary sea air that does it for me.

And here, on the desolate, windswept but incredibly beautiful Baltic coastline, taking in the rise of the pale sun, I immediately felt awake, alive even, despite not having so much as smelt a coffee.

After an hour taking photos of the coastline and the forest, I returned to my mirror house to caffeinate, pack up and check out.

It was time to return to Tallinn.

But not before I’d reflected on how a getaway in nature, even if for only one night, really does help the stresses of everyday life dissolve.

Sometimes you’ve got to stand back from something to get the best perspective on it.

My mirrored cabin night at ÖÖD Hötels Laheranna really had evaporated the tension I’d held before I arrived and now, relaxed and revitalised, I felt ready for travel adventures once again.

Book your stay at ÖÖD Hötels Laheranna here.

Get Your FREE eBooklet Here

PRO TIPS FOR TRAVELLING EUROPE ON THE CHEAP

Just enter your details below and I'll email it you - simple!

Information will be sent to the email provided above

Mini Travel Guide to Estonia

How to Get There?

Fly to Tallinn from across Europe with easyJet and AirBaltic.

As always I use Skyscanner to get the best deals

When to Visit?

Head to Estonia in summer for long, sunny sightseeing days, or in winter for cosy saunas and snowy views.

How Long to Stay?

I recommend a stay of 4-7 days in Estonia.

How to Get Around?

Use local trains or buses, or else hire a car to get around the country.

What to Pack?

Check out my complete Estonia packing list (for both summer or winter trips) here.

Travel Insurance

World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while travelling and claim online from anywhere in the world.

Alternatively, if you’re a long-term traveller, digital nomad or frequent remote worker seeking travel health cover, check out Safetywing’s Nomad Insurance policies.

Travel Money

The easy way to spend abroad with real exchange rates, no markups and no sneaky transaction fees, you can use your Wise card just like a debit card in Estonia… and it links easily with Google and Apple pay – sold! Grab yours here.