A few days in Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn is one of those places that was never on our bucket list but it got there because of its geographical location. After visiting Norway (and loving it) I was looking for destinations in northern Europe which were less expensive and 'discovered' Estonia! Honestly, I had no information about the country but the more I read about it, the more intriguing it became and ultimately was selected 😉 The fact that Helsinki (read more about it here) is just a short ferry ride away from Tallinn also worked in its favor.

The city gates dating back to 13th century.

What astonished me was that with a population of only 1.3 million it is a developed country with one of the world's most digitally-advanced societies.

For the uninitiated, Estonia's capital and largest city is Tallinn. Currency is Euro. It became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.

So, what did we do in Tallinn?

• Take a walking tour

Walking tours are my most favorite way of exploring small medieval towns. We booked a 2 hour walking tour with getyourguide.com. We started at the city gates seen in the picture above and then proceeded to explore the inner part of the old town. It was an informative tour and I am glad we took it otherwise I would have overlooked the little things pointed out by the guide. Like this picture below. What do you see? Notice some peculiar things? Like the top most window does not have window panes/grills. That is because in medieval times a pulley was attached to the wooden shaft at the top which was used to pull heavy objects up to the top window.😎 

Dull buildings filled with hidden clues

• Marvel at the ornate wooden gates in old town

Tallinn's old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. This means that we get to see the houses and even the cobblestone streets as they were hundreds of years ago in the old town. Many houses have wonderful ornate gates that add to the charm of the city.

Just a few of the beautiful gates

• Visit Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

This beautiful cathedral was built in Russian style and opened in 1900. I have not been to Russia yet, so this cathedral was very different and captivating for me. The Russian influences can be seen in many aspects all over Tallinn.

Right in front of this cathedral is the unmissable parliament building. It is possible to take guided tours of the building but we didn't go for it.

I loved the color of the parliament building!

• Visit St. Mary's Cathedral

Estonia has a very long history of being invaded and ruled by many different countries. This history is reflected in the variety of churches as well. I found St. Mary's cathedral to be different because of the family crests of wealthy families from medieval times displayed in the church. 

So many details! So many stories in each one of them!

I had never seen so many coat of arms in one place. A word of caution: many famous people were buried in the church between 13th and 18th century so watch your step inside the church!

• View of the old town from Toompea hill

A disappointing view due to the cloudy skies and snow

This view is one of the highlights of Tallinn and I was really looking forward to seeing the uniform red roofs of the houses from top of the Toompea hill in the old town. But due to the weather and snow the colors were not so prominent 😕 and hence the view was unimpressive. However, the bold birds taking food from the tourists were memorable 😄

A seagull on a mission!

• Visit the maritime museum - Seaplane Harbour Lennusadam

Ships outside the museum

There are many museums in Tallinn and so we had to choose one that we found interesting. This museum gives us a chance to explore ships and a submarine! I did not want to miss it! After falling on the slippery ice a couple of times 😆, I finally made it inside and enjoyed the museum thoroughly.

• Visit the beach 

Sand dunes and the deserted beach

No one in their right mind would visit a beach in winter but it is such a famous beach that I had to see how it looks! We visited the Pirita beach and it did not look much like a beach at all due to the snow 😂 There is a stone platform to walk on and reach a scenic spot further in the bay. I loved walking on this stone platform because I could see big sheets of ice up close floating on the water and sometimes crashing on the stones with the waves. 
On the way to the beach, we made a quick stop at the 

Pirita Convent Ruins. As the name suggests, it is a ruin with very little to see or admire except the impressive entrance. So if you are short of time, it can be skipped unless this piques your interest due to the history or architecture.

Massive entrance, big walls on the sides, no roof and empty inside

• Visit Viru gate at night

Entrance to the old town of Tallinn

The lighting at night makes visiting the Viru gate a must-see. As we went around Christmas time, there were some extra decorations on the street. 😍

• Christmas markets

If you also end up going to Tallinn in the winter like me, try to go when the Christmas markets are present. I like Christmas markets everywhere, every country has something special to offer and different spices in the mulled wine 😋.

Christmas market in Tallinn

• Buy souvenirs

Typical display in a souvenir shop

Due to Estonia's long history of being invaded and occupied, tourists get a lot of variety for souvenirs. Right from Viking ships to scary trolls to the Russian dolls. Be as creative or crazy as you want, you will find a lot of options in the shops.

What we missed in our visit:

• Estonian Open Air Museum - The weather was so cold that visiting this museum did not seem like a good idea.

• St Olaf's church - Unfortunately it was closed on the day we went. Visitors can go to the top of this church for city views.

• Olde Hansa - This restaurant is very famous for its medieval authentic experience. However, Estonia like most north European countries has mostly meat based dishes and hence we skipped this restaurant and instead went to one of the many vegetarian restaurants in the city.
• Tallinn TV Tower - This 314 m tall tower has a viewing platform on the 21st level. Skipped it also due to cloudy weather and snow.

My recommendation: Tallinn's true beauty can be seen better in summer when the land and beaches are not covered in snow hiding all the colors. 😇
Have you visited Tallinn yet? If this post helped you, do leave a comment!💖