Perched on the Gulf of Finland, the town of Tallinn in Estonia is known for being tech-savvy, having some of the fastest internet on the planet, and where you can be an e-resident in seconds. However, as soon as you step inside the old town of Tallinn, you are transported into the middle ages, with cobble-stoned alleys twisting through beautifully preserved pastel-hued dwellings.
Tallinn’s architecture is an amalgamation of these colorful houses and well preserved fortress and walls, soviet architecture (the onion domed church on the top of the hill) and modern european buildings. Tourists obviously are more interested in the first two, and the modern Tallinn away from the hustle and bustle of the old town is not somewhere you will wander over to.
We visited Tallinn in August, and the weather couldn’t have been better, we enjoyed long days filled with sunshine that allowed us to maximise the three days we had to enjoy the town. If you’re flying in its best to fly to Helsinki and then take a 2 hour ferry ride across the gulf to the port of Tallinn.
I would highly recommend booking accommodation as close to the Old Town as possible, we rented an Airbnb literally minutes from the town hall square, and that was the best decision ever. Tallinn is now on the radar of cruise ships, and in summer, the old town is overridden by day trippers from the ships from 1030am to 430-5pm.
Our favorite memories of Tallinn were enjoying the pristine alleys free from tourists by waking up at 7am and doing our sightseeing by 10am and then going and sitting in one of the many cafes and spend the rest of the day people-watching and eating way too many coffees and pastries than are good for you, but oh well, we are on vacation after all!
The best view of Tallinn’s old town is from the Kohtuotsa viewing platform and if you have a drone, you can get some amazing shots of the fortified walls from here. The funnily named streets of long leg and short leg (Pikk jlag and Luike jlag) lead up to the platform and the russian onion domed church (Alexander Nevsky Cathedral) is a short walk away, so take one leg up and the other leg down. There are plenty of pretty pastel hued houses lining the streets and when I ventured up at around 730, it was empty and I got some excellent shots of the place bathed in the golden hues of the rising sun.
In the evening, be sure to take a walk around the perimeter of the old town walls, the sentry towers with their bright orange tops are very well preserved and you could be forgiven for thinking you were in medieval times! But seriously the old town of Tallinn is very compact and you can walk from one end to the other in 30 mins tops. There is no excuse to wander around, get lost in the alleys and admire the exceptionally well preserved architecture of the UNESCO world heritage site. Do take a stroll to Viru gate as well, it looks amazing framed by the flower shops that frame the roads leading up to it.
The Tallinn town hall in the main square also has a viewing deck at the top of the spire, but fair warning, the ascent up is pretty claustrophobic with steep steps. I personally enjoyed the view from the Kohtuotsa platform much more, but it’s worth checking out if you like bird’s eye views.
The only place outside the old town I would recommend going to is the baroque Kadriorg Palace, mainly for its beautifully manicured gardens. We were unlucky that they were setting up tents for an event the time we visited so we didn’t get the best pictures, but nonetheless it’s a very short taxi ride away and definitely worth a stop.
And now, we must discuss food and drink. We are passionate about trying the local cuisine wherever we travel, and spend a good chunk of time researching the must try local establishments. Tallinn really surprised us with the variety and sheer quality of food on offer!
My favorite drink on the trip has to be the local rum based liqueur which shares its name with the town, Vana Tallinn. It has a sweet aftertaste with a hint of Jamaican rum, flavoured by various natural spices, including citrus oil, cinnamon and vanilla. Would recommend heading to Maiasmokk Cafe, one of the oldest in town, to try this tipple, and on the plus side they make a fantastic tiramisu as well!
The next place you shouldn’t miss is Parrot Minibar, an Amazonian themed place with a south american twist on local ingredients. Their small bites are amazing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they got a Michelin star if the guide came to Tallinn. The other outstanding place was F-Hoone which is a short ride from the old town, with a quirky, hipster look but top-notch food. Don’t miss the graffiti and wall art around the place, it’s a must-see.
We also loved searching for and finally finding this quaint cafe which looks like your grandma’s living room, called Pierre Chocolaterie. Had the most decadent chocolate cake here, and it was definitely worth the effort.
Tallinn will captivate you with its authentic charm, and if you stay in the old town, you will experience what it feels like to truly step back in time. I can’t recommend it enough! Also, it makes for a great starting point for a road trip down the Baltics, which is something on our bucket list! I’ve seen pictures of the old town in winter and it looks truly magical, hoping to visit again in another season to enjoy that feeling of being a time-traveler again.
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