Tallinn Estonia
Tallinn the picture postcard capital of Estonia is a great place to visit, the picture postcard part of this city is very much its Old Town area which is itself a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city is overall a modern capital of Estonia but as a tourist with a couple of exceptions the main interest will be in the Old Town area.
How to get there.
You can fly to Tallinn from an increasing number of European and UK destinations, you arrive into Lennart Meri Airport. It only has one terminal and is situated 4 kilometers southeast of the city. It is on E263 motorway and public transport to the city is available useing both bus & tram services.
Our first visit was in fact a day trip from Helsinki in Finland where there are daily ferry services between both cities, this is not expensive to book a ticket on and is a well used route, particularly by local Fins who head over for the day to Estonia to stock up on alcohol as its sale is heavily taxed in Finland making it much cheaper to buy in Estonia. You arrive at the ferry terminal and its a easy walk from there into the Old Town.
Tallinn is also a popular port for cruise liners on Baltic itineraries, the Cruise Terminal is not far from the ferry terminal and again its a easy approx, 1 km walk into the Old Town area and only 500 meters from the modern city center. Making Tallinn a very easy port for any cruise passengers who prefer to visit ports independently without taking a organised tour. There is also public transport and taxis outside the cruise and ferry terminals.
What to see and do
Old Town
Tallinn's major tourist attraction is its medieval Old Town with its narrow cobbled streets, hidden courtyards and passages as well as its old world architecture.
Tallinn Old Town
Town Hall Square
The square is the heart of the Old Town area, historical it served as a marketplace and there are on some days a small tourist market still operates, it is also the site of the Tallinn Christmas Market.
The square takes its name from the gothic Town Hall building which is still there and if you visit in the summer months you can climb to the 34 meter high Town Hall belfry balcony which gives you great views across the square and Old Town. Another prominent building to see in the square is the Town Hall Pharmacy, the oldest continually operating apothecary in Europe.
Logistics Manager checking out small market in Town Hall Square.
Toompea Castle
This is the site of modern Estonia's Parliament but its been a fortress since the 13th century its tallest tower is a symbol of Estonian statehood and they raised the countries flag there ever morning at sunrise. There are several viewing platforms around this structure that give great views across the town.
View from a viewing platform
Tower and Estonia's flag.
This is a spectacular Russian Orthodox church built in 1900 as a symbol of Tsarist Russian control. It is directly in front of Toompea Castle and you can visit inside.
St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Kiek in de Fortifications Museum
If you want to feel like a medieval knight or explore underground passages then give this a look, Originally built around 1470's it was the mightiest artillery tower in the Baltics. Its a complex of different towers which are connected to the old town walls. Its now a museum focusing on the cities history, part of this complex is the Maiden's Tower which host a recommended cafe for a break to your sight seeing, the cafe has nice views over the Danish Kings Garden.
This is one attraction that is not in the Old Town but is relatively close to the Cruise Terminal, its a impressive interesting Museum that is located inside a unique authentic seaplane hangar.
Port Noblessner
Situated almost next door to the Maratime Museum is this area, a modern residential and urban space with small museums, restaurants, designer shops and a marina.
Eating and Drinking in Tallinn
Estonian food was traditionally based around meat, fish and potatoes, and there are some good restaurants particularly in the Old Town offering menus based on these traditions. I did try the countries nation dish, Verivorst, its a blood sausage, consisting of barley, onions, allspice, marjoram and blood. Now, OK the ingredients don't immediately sound great but remember I am Scottish and our national dish is Haggis ( highly recommended) so in fact I thought the Verivorst was ok. ☺
However there is now a growing Gourmet scene in Tallinn and you are therefore not spoilt for choice of quality eating establishments alongside some really good bars to enjoy some local wine or beer.
Recommendation time;
Some of the best restaurants and bars are to be found on a street in the Old Town, its called " Rataskaevu " give the area a look and make your own choice. However I do have 3 personal recommendations of establishment's we visited and enjoyed there all different but worth a look.
Beer House
This restaurant / bar offers some basic but well presented food, think German beer tavern with food to match, it brews its own beer, but also has a large selection of other beers to try. Like us you can also try the Beer Taster which is on the menu where for one price you get a selection to try.
Beer selection from Beef House
III DRAAKON
This is a must visit, which is found on the corner of the Town Hall, its a theatrical dark candlelit stone wall cellar where the waitresses are dressed in medieval costume and play the role of medieval servers, they serve you tankards of ale and traditional Estonian schnapps alongside elk soup or pies of jerky whilst you can fish your own gherkins out a huge barrel in the process.
Really unique spot, give it a go its fun.
Schnapps in III Draakon
Gloria Vernikeldar
This is a brilliant wine shop, bar and restaurant all rolled into one. Its in a cellar built into the medieval town wall. With over 2000 wines to choose from, it claims to have the biggest collection in the Nordic/Baltic countries. There is no menu as such you basically buy a bottle from the wine store which start from the inexpensive to the more exclusive choices and thereafter you can pick from an array of small dishes to complement your wine. Its a rabbit warren of rooms that give it a really special setting.
Accommodation
Tallinn being a modern capital city has a good mixture of international and local hotels to choose from so you will have plenty of choice. When we visited from Helsinki we stayed overnight at the Park Inn by Radisson which was situated just a 5 minute walk from the Toompea Castle and the Old Town. It was fine and we really only used it to sleep in so can't really comment on its facilities but it certainly was convenient and provided all that we required.
So another destination covered, hope you enjoyed my thoughts and happy travelling.
