02.06.2022
Arriving in Tallinn after a pleasant 2 hour ferry-ride from Helsinki, we headed immediately to check out the medieval charm of the famous old town and quickly found ourselves in a maze of cobbed streets.
We strolled along Viru Street through the pretty Flower Market to the Town Hall Square, surrounded on all sides by impressive Hanseatic architecture.
Walking up to the castle, which encompasses the Toompea district, a city-within-a-city that includes the parliament, embassies and many souvenir shops, we stopped at the viewpoints over the Baltic and at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, where we witnessed a Russian Orthodox service
Tallinn’s architecture bears witness to its precarious position, historically caught between the Russian Empire, its Nordic neighbours, Hanseatic Germany and, more recently, Western Europe. It’s the mix of all these influences which gives the city such a unique charm. The Soviet influence is more visible in some of the neighbourhoods outside the city center.
The obligatory visit to the local fruit and vegetable market was followed by a walk through Telliskivi, a former industrial quarter behind the main train station and which is now home to tech companies, cool restaurants and bars (offering a multitude of craft beers) and independent boutique shops. We even visited a hotel made entirely of 40 foot shipping containers. Quite a contrast to the old town...
After lunch we spontaneously decided to hire a car to travel to the Laheema National Park, about 70km away. Laheema is a vast area of forest trails, bogs, seashore and hidden villages. The highlight for us was the Jagala waterfall.
Insider Tip:
The best way to get around Tallinn is by foot – everywhere in the walled city is within walking distance, but take a sturdy pair of shoes to deal with the cobbled streets.
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