Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is a magical destination where medieval charm meets the modern city vibe. The old town, surrounded by sturdy defensive walls and towers, takes you back to the days of knights and battles. The cobbled courtyards and pastel-coloured houses, each with its own unique doorway, have an authentic, historic charm. But Tallinn is not only a city of the past, it is also a vibrant capital with modern buildings, fast-growing shopping malls, modern cafés, galleries, and neighbourhoods.
Our exploration of the Baltic states began in Riga, which you can read more about here. After that, we took a bus to Tallinn. The bus was modern and comfortable, with free hot drinks and screens, so we watched a couple of films, and the journey quickly passed.
We entered the medieval town centre, one of the best-preserved in Europe, which enchants visitors with its historic buildings and mystical atmosphere, through the old medieval gates in the town's city walls (Viru tänav). The old town is called Vanalinn and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We headed to the heart of the old town centre, the rectangular Raekoja Square. There stands the 15th-century town hall, one of the few remaining Gothic town halls in northern Europe. The square is surrounded by a church, restaurants, and houses with colourful façades. We noticed the large wooden planters with planted flowers right away. There are benches, swings, and a little wooden library, so it's no surprise that the square was always buzzing with activity every time we passed by.
In one of the buildings, we visited Raeapteek, the world's oldest pharmacy still in operation. It was first mentioned in city records in 1422. Besides the store, there is a mini museum with free entry. There, we looked at some herbs, medieval devices for preparing medicine, and recipe books. We just had to snap a photo in the underpass that leads from the town square to this cute little narrow house with a red façade (Saiakangi Café). You can find a souvenir shop inside.
After the charming Pikk Street, we headed up the hill and arrived at the Toompea castle hill. A short walk up the hill treated us to lots of beautiful sights. We spotted the onion-shaped dome from a distance, and after a few minutes' walk, we reached the stunning Orthodox church, a symbol of the Russian Tsarist era and one of the prettiest churches in Tallinn. Just a stone's throw away is Toompea Castle, which is now home to the Estonian Parliament. Next to the castle is a tower, where every day at sunrise the flag is raised to the sound of the national anthem, and then lowered at sunset.
We took a stroll down one of the lovely streets and quickly realised that Estonians really seem to love front doors. Every door is unique and something special, whether it's carved from wood, painted with details, or decorated. We reached the first viewpoint, Kohtuotsa, which offers a stunning view of Pikk Street below and the cityscape all around. At the Patkuli viewpoint, we found another beautiful view of the northern part of Tallinn, with rooftops, church steeples, the city walls, and towers.
On the other side of the Toompea hill, we entered through the Neitsitorn defensive wall and found a lovely Danish royal garden. There are benches by the lavender plants where you can sit, enjoy the lively buzz of the city below or, if you're lucky, catch a street performer. We were kept compaty by occasional groups of tourists and three bronze statues of monks. The wall is part of a larger complex connected to the Kiek in de Kök Tower, which houses the museum, and underground tunnels are also accessible to visitors. We didn't choose to do this so we made our way down the stairs to the modern Vabaduse väljak square with the Freedom Monument.
Tallinn has a well-preserved city wall, so we had to see what the view of the city was like from there. Near the Viru Tänav, we entered the Hellemann Tower. The entrance fee was four euros per person, and payment was only possible with cash. After climbing the round metal stairs, which really creaked, we made our way up to the attic, which opened up like a viewing platform over the old, 200-metre-long defensive wall. We walked along it to the Munkadetagune Tower. We had to go the same way back to the beginning.
Once we were back on solid ground, we took a walk to two more medieval sights in the city. Just a stone's throw away, we visited the Katariina käik crossing, where the joyful laughter of tourists spread from the bars. This passage is said to be about 700 years old. Today, it's home to local artists. The Meistrite Hoovi craft district was also interesting to visit. It is a courtyard that was created as an atelier or workshop where craftsmen could display their works of art.
We made our way to a newer part of the city, just below Toompea Hill. First, we were impressed by the brand-new train station, next to which is the Balti Jaam market. A "market" in other countries means something a bit different from what it does in Slovenia. The range of things they offer has definitely advanced. It's a covered market on three floors, where we found a number of food vendors, mini-fresh fruit and vegetable shops, a supermarket, a fishmonger's and a butcher's shop. I was really impressed by the market, as the building was new, modern, clean, and well-maintained. We went to lunch. It was great because everyone could choose what they wanted, order it, and pick it up when it was ready.
Just a short distance away, we were drawn to a large building covered in graffiti. At first glance, they looked like old former factory facilities, but when we got closer, we found that there are a lot of bars and restaurants there, which are popular gathering places for young people. We followed the crowds of young people and discovered Telliskivi Creative City. It's located in a former industrial complex in Tallinn, and today it's home to galleries, shops, creative businesses, and restaurants. Many façades have graffiti, and under the treetops there are children's playgrounds and kiosks with food.
In the heart of the creative hub is the internationally renowned Fotografiska Tallinn photography museum, a theatre and contemporary dance platform, the LaMuu ice cream factory, and several other creative businesses. The former industrial complex, which could have sadly fallen into decay and tarnished the capital, has been transformed into a modern centre of culture and gastronomy, giving young people the chance to live, create, and work here. Out of all the food options, the pizzeria was our favourite, and I was ''influenced'' by a cute ad that I saw for an ice cream shop. So, after lunch, we decided to grab some ice cream. Later, we visited some boutique shops with their own designer products.
The Proto Museum is an educational virtual reality centre, where we flew on a bike and a hot air balloon with VR glasses, soared on a dragon, rode in a carriage through medieval streets, worked together to create lights from scratch to the finished product, and in the end, visited a 4D cinema. It's been a long time since a museum visit was this much fun, and the time just seemed to fly by. The entrance fee is 14 euros from Tuesdays to Fridays, and 18 euros on Saturdays and Sundays. The museum also has a buffet restaurant.
Just like in Riga, we realised here as well that you can't rely too much on the weather forecast on your phone. In Tallinn, a piece of long-sleeved clothing is a must-have in the bag in the middle of the summer, and so is a water bottle. The water is drinkable, and there are signs everywhere encouraging you to refill your water bottle. The city has plenty of museums, so there's definitely something for every taste, which meant we were never bored for a second. Full of new impressions and unforgettable experiences, we packed our bags, said a slightly sad goodbye to Tallinn, and boarded the ferry to Helsinki. See you in the next issue!
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