A Two Day Fairytale Guide to Tallinn, Estonia
Vilnius to Riga to Tallinn = a beautiful Baltics backpacking trip. After spending several days traveling through the underrated Baltics state, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I saved the most beautiful Batlics capital for last. There is a fairytale quality about the colorful medieval streets of Tallinn. Here’s my guide to spending two lovely days in Tallinn.
Tallinn Basics
Currency
Estonia is part of the European Union, and uses the Euro. 1 Euro currently equals about $1.15 USD.
Visa Requirements
As part of the European Union’s Schengen Zone, citizens of the US and many other countries can visit visa free. However, be sure to check updated COVID restrictions.
Language
Estonian, but English is widely spoken in Riga.
Basic Phrases:
Hello / Hi – Tere
Good Morning – Tere hommikust
Good Evening – Tere öhtust
Thank You – Tänan
Weather
Outside of the summer, weather in Tallinn ranges from chilly to super cold, so be sure to bring a jacket in the shoulder seasons or a coat in the colder months. When I was there in September, it was definitely already coat weather.
Getting There
Tallinn is well connected to the rest of the Baltics as well as Finland and Russia. Riga, the capital of Latvia, is reachable by bus in about 4.5 hours. Helsinki, Finland is easily and quickly reached by ferry in just 2.5 hours, and if you have more than a couple of days in Tallinn you should definitely consider a day trip to Helsinki. St.Petersburg, Russia is reachable by bus or train in roughly 7 hours.
Things to Do
Go on a Free Walking Tour
If you’ve read my other Baltics blog posts, or several of my blog posts throughout the years, you know that I’m a huge proponent of free walking tours. Nowadays you can find them in most major cities, and I think that they are an affordable and relatively quick way to be introduced to a new city. In Tallinn, I did the free ‘Tallinn in a Nutshell’ walking tour offered by Est Adventures.
My guide, Kadri was absolutely fantastic, and shared so much about the local history and culture of the city. It was a super engaging tour, and the large group of about 20 people we had gave me hope that tourism in the area is picking back up.
Besides an organized tour, the Old Town of Tallinn is simply a beautiful area to wander around. I spent a lot of my time in the city meandering around the pastel buildings, popping in and out of shops and cafes.
See the City from Above
The Old Town of Tallinn is split into the lower area and upper area, and in the upper area, called Toompea, there are 3 lookout points with great views over the city. The first, called the Piiskopi viewing platform, is the quietest of the 3, likely because it offers views of a park and newer parts of the city rather than the Old Town. The Patkuli viewing platform has views of both the newer areas of the city and the Old Town, including some of the old city walls.
The last viewing platform, and the best in my opinion, is the Kohtuosa viewing platform. From this lookout point you can see all of the lower level of the Old Town. All of the lookout points are within a few minutes walk of each other, and are best visited earlier or later in the day in order to avoid the cruise tour groups that flood the city in the middle of some days of the week.
Have an Incredible Dinner at Cafe Moon
In Vilnius and Riga, I had absolutely delicious, hearty food that I simply fell in love with. Both cities had cuisine that was distinctly Lithuanian and Latvian. Tallinn, however, doesn’t quite have its own distinctive food – the food in the city is a blend of the surrounding areas, so it draws inspiration from the other Batlic countries, Finland, and Russia. When looking for restaurants in Tallinn, I found absolutely glowing reviews for Cafe Moon, and it did not disappoint.
Cafe Moon is located right outside of one of the gates of the Old Town, pretty close to the ferry terminals, and serves up fresh Nordic and Russian inspired food. I had handmade Siberian dumplings filled with 3 kinds of meat in a mushroom stock and buckwheat blinis (like pancakes) with whitefish roe, red onion, dill, and sour cream, all served with a complimentary plate of homemade bread. The entire meal was one of the best I’ve ever had on my travels, and was worth the slightly higher bill. Cafe Moon is one of my best recommendations for Tallinn, but be sure to make a reservation if you want to have dinner there!
Try Kohuke
Recommended by my walking tour guide, kohuke is a traditional Estonian dessert that you can pick up for very little. Kohuke is a cheesecake-like, chocolate covered treat that can be found in the dairy section of local grocery stores with several different fillings. I tried basic vanilla, strawberry, coconut, chocolate, poppy seed, and blueberry. They’re about 0.40€ and pretty small, so you won’t feel guilty trying every flavor you can find.
Explore the Telleskivi Area
While the Old Town of Tallinn is gorgeous, it’s worth it to get out of the Old Town and explore other areas of the city. Telleskivi is Talllinn’s trendy, artsy district, and has lots of local shops, galleries, and restaurants, all covered in great street art. While in the area, you can admire the art, pop into galleries, have lunch or dinner, and walk around the nearby Balti Jaam Market. The market has several stalls with souvenirs as well as food vendors and stalls with fresh produce.
Whether you’re making your way through the Baltics or visiting Tallinn for a weekend, there’s plenty of beautiful things to see in the medieval city. I’d love to go back to Tallinn around the holiday season to see the Old Town blanketed in snow and visit the Christmas markets. It was the perfect last stop in the Baltics before heading off to Finland.