The Matsalu Nature Reserve - the first applicant from Estonia - is an example of an area with a high variety of habitats and one of the richest in Europe in terms of species, in particular with regard to birds.

Situated in the west of Estonia, it is a wetland of international importance already recognised under the Ramsar Convention.

Its great environmental value comes from its climate, its geological formations and its geographical position along migration routes. The wide variety of habitats found in the reserve – brackish waters, coastal meadows, reedy marshes, woodlands - account for the many different species found there (260 nesting bird species, 47 species of mammal). Thousands of cranes and swans migrate through the area.