Tallinn Guide
1 Travel tips
Tallinn can get pretty nippy even in summer, especially if a cold sea breeze is blowing in. Bring something to cheat the wind in summer, and hat and…
Read more »2 Getting to Tallinn
Above: Soviet engineering at its best Below: Don't waste time on the ferry! By Plane Tallinn Airport is a sleek and modern affair, having…
Read more »3 Getting around Tallinn
Above: Wham bam, thank you tram! Below: Pedal powerBy taxi Taxi drivers are notorious over the world for trying to scam naive tourists with…
Read more »4 Money Matters
You shouldn't have trouble buying anything big and obvious with your flexible friend - almost all hotels and the majority of shops accept the likes…
Read more »5 Language
If you thought Latin was tough at school, then 1) it serves you right for going to a posh school, and 2) you ain't seen nothing yet! Caesar and co.…
Read more »6 Info about Tallinn & Estonia
The capital of Estonia is renowned most of all for its beautiful Old Town, which has survived a long history of raids, invasions and occupations and…
Read more »About the guide
Above: Up Toompea!
Below: Topping up the tan at Pirita beach
When the Baltics States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia made their accession into the EU in 2004, half of Europe seemed to be scrambling for their maps, eager to find out where the exotic-sounding locales of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn were hidden. Enveloped in the Iron Curtain for so long, these amazing cities had disappeared from the conscience of many of their Western neighbours... And when they did pop up again in the 90s the common myth prevailed that Communism had rendered them more grey than a Manchester sky in winter.
Around the turn of the millennium however, an increasing number of bold pioneers (viz. budget travellers, touring rugby groups and opportune stag-nighters) were returning from North East Europe with tales of beautiful architecture, friendly locals and colourful nightlife. Suddenly it seemed you couldn't open the travel section of a national newspaper without finding an article on 'The Bountiful Baltics' by the latest budding Bill Bryson.
Out of the three ex-Soviet cities, it was Tallinn which garnered the most attention, and it's easy to see why. A combination of fairy-tale splendour, sophisticated bars and fresh Baltic breezes along a sandy stretch of coast, quickly made this sleepy town a dynamic hotspot for holiday-makers. And with more and more businesses opening to cater for the tourist industry Tallinn is only set to become increasingly popular in the years to come.
There's certainly no shortage of things to do and see in the capital and those searching for an exciting weekend away are sure to find the petite but very pretty Old Town (a UNESCO-listed treasure no less) with its cobbled streets, conical roofs, churches and castle, perfectly manageable in a two day tour. Whilst those planning to stay in town for a bit longer will have time to explore Tallinn's resurgent City Centre, or even go further afield to the leafy district of Kadriorg, where an Imperial Russian Palace caps a mountain of treasures. If the sun has got his hat on guests to the city might want to check out the Pirita District, where beaches, bikinis, yachts and champagne rule supreme. Why not charter a vessel to one of Estonia's 1,520 islands? Bet you didn't know about them!
City Links
Lower Old Town
Town Hall
St. Olav's Church
Kiek in De Kok
Upper Old Town (Toompea Hill)
Toompea Castle
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Toomkirik Church
