Architect Margit Argus’ travel tips from years of globe-trotting adventures

Margit Argus is an architect and interior designer who founded Studio Argus, one of the Baltic region’s buzziest practices. Its accolades include a nomination for the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture. The 41-year-old’s upcoming projects include work with Tallinn Airport and a boutique hotel and spa on the country’s second-largest island, Hiiumaa.

She toggles between Finnair and Lufthansa as her airline of choice, notching 20,000 miles or so per year in the air. It used to be more. “I do mostly Europe flights right now, unlike when we lived in New York,” Argus says. She loves Finnair’s reliable in-flight internet service, and there’s a personal upside, too. “The Finnish language sounds like Estonian, so I feel like I’m at home on there,” she says.

She lives in Tallinn, Estonia, and Bremen, Germany, with her husband and son. Here are her travel tips.

If you’re keen for a new kind of off-roading, head to Estonia in midwinter

During the winter, if it’s very cold, the sea around Estonia is covered with ice, and you can walk out, or even drive, to the islands. The government creates roads, marked on the ice, and you have to stay on a certain path, which is tested so the ice can carry the cars. Mostly it happens in January to March. During my childhood, I had the privilege of an ice road adventure by car with my parents. It went from Hiiumaa’s Sarve village to the Rohuküla mainland, about 15.5 miles—the longest ice road in all of Europe—though the route we chose has become increasingly rare since 2011, a casualty of warming winters. I’ve also explored the route from Haapsalu to Noarootsi, which is just under two miles.

Do this one thing everywhere you go, and it will transform any trip

A smile is your VIP pass to unexpected opportunities, a travel superpower. It might sound like a cliché straight out of a self-help book, but let me assure you: It’s a travel tip as simple as it is profound—the art of smiling at strangers has proven to be a genuine game changer in my globe-trotting adventures. It’s not an unnaturally perpetual grin but a genuine, warmth-infused smile. It’s not just about making others feel comfortable; it’s about what it does for you. The first time I went to Milan, I was at university, and I stepped into the cafeteria to have a little espresso. I was so young and very shy, and I didn’t know the language. But they smiled, and I smiled back, and we started to talk somehow. A smile disarms skepticism and melts barriers.

Architecture buffs should add this unexpected city to their must-see list

Helsinki is very lovely, especially for contemporary architecture. There’s Löyly, a public sauna right next to the sea, with a very good restaurant that’s co-owned by the actor Jasper Pääkkönen—the architecture itself is very modern. And they have Oodi, the public library, which was designed by ALA Architects; we’re working with them on a skyscraper in Tallinn, doing the interior design part. Then there’s Amos Rex, the modern art museum, which opened in 2018. It’s in a very nicely landscaped urban public area, but it’s underground.

Exploring the world with her son means there’s a new must-do at every stop

Travelling with my son has changed what I do. I definitely go to more zoos now. And in Germany, they have a different kind of zoo, more like a farm where you can walk in between the animals and touch them, even the wild animals—well, not lions, of course. You could pat deer and give food to them. And another fun place to go is Monkey Mountain, close to the Switzerland border, which is like a safari. The monkeys live in the trees, and you can just walk among them. I saw a monkey that jumped onto a little stroller.

The ultimate hideaway? Try this off-radar island Osmussaar is captivating.

It’s a hidden gem in Estonia, nestled among the 1,500 small islands that dot the Estonian coastline. Most of them are isolated and very remote, and I like to go to Osmussaar because it’s so remote. But what sets it apart is its isolation: It’s inhabited by one family, who tend to sheep and cattle. It’s a place where time seems to slow down. You can just endlessly walk the island, because it’s not very big—it’s less than 2 square miles. Reaching it is an adventure in itself: You need to secure passage with Jaak, the island’s boatman. He doesn’t speak any English, just Estonian and a little Russian. He’s a fisherman, and he’ll bring you there and back for 50 euros. You go to the Dirham port in the northwest part of Estonia, and he’s there.

Check whether your Airbnb booking comes with an extra freebie you might not anticipate

We just went to Crete in August, and a local chef hosted us in his Airbnb. He made a dinner for us, where we ate Cretan food, and it was very delicious. And that’s important: If you stay at an Airbnb, ask what your host’s job is, because it could be a really good bonus. If they happen to be an artist, you could benefit from that.

Think of a vacation as the chance to embrace spontaneity

I met a man called Pachu’a when I was backpacking in San Cristobal, Mexico, with a friend. His name is written in my memory. We were drinking our beers and suddenly he came up to us and spoke in English. “Come with me to horse ride,” he said, “I have horses here.” They were standing right next to the bar, and this was literally when I learned how to horse ride. Pachu’a was a very talented rider, and when we were out in the field, all of a sudden he started to gallop, and right behind him our horses started to do the same. We went very fast in the huge, huge field, and it was a bit scary for me, but I’m very adventurous. If something like that pops up on my way, I go with it. Interesting people jump out in very random places and you mustn’t plan too far ahead. I try to plan transportation, which is the most annoying thing, but I don’t stick to a schedule.

If you think the only places worth visiting in the Alps are in France or Switzerland, think again.

The smartest hotel I’ve ever stayed in was Forestis in the Italian Alps, which is a holistic, eco-conscious experience. There are ski slopes and hiking around, but for me, it was just such an adventure. The design is very minimalistic, and only local materials are used. There is a wellness spa there, and one of our massage treatments took three hours. You choose your own treatment based off what tree connects with you: You pick one stone from a selection and find out what tree that represents. And all the body oils are made from that, so it’s your magic tree.