Exploring Tallinn – The unique Estonian capital
We recently took a ferry trip from Helsinki to Tallinn to visit this unique and historical city in a day. As soon as we booked our trip to Helsinki, I knew that a visit to Tallinn was very much needed. I have to admit that I didn’t know very much about this incredible city before my trip but my goodness, did I learn a lot!! Still to this day, Tallinn is one of my favourite cities that I have visited and I will tell anyone that will listen, that they must visit this unique, medieval city at some point.
As previously mentioned, we stayed in Helsinki and visited Tallinn on a day trip. Getting to Tallinn from Helsinki is exceptionally easy and there is a regular Ferry that takes roughly 2 and a half hours. The Ferry is large enough to entertain yourself for the trip and has a lovely restaurant on board as well as multiple bars and shops, alongside a casino. I found the ferry to be particularly rocky, therefore if you suffer from boat sickness, it is worth noting that anti sickness medication may be necessary. On our journey out, we booked a cabin because this was a particularly early journey, so I slept the majority of the journey. However on the way back, we booked the lounge area, which included some light snacks and unlimited drinks and made the motion sickness a lot more bearable. The ferries are large, therefore there is quite a long queuing system to get on and off the boat, but it is well managed by staff and the whole process was very well organised. Once the ferry arrived in Tallinn, it was a short walk from the ferry port to the main area of Tallinn.
Upon arrival in Tallinn, we were immediately met with the most interesting and unique view of the old town and St Olaf’s church, which served as an instant reminder that we were in a medieval city with thousands of years of history. When we arrived I knew that we were short on time as we were only spending the day here and had 7 hours of exploration time before we had to make our way back to the ferry port to begin our return journey to Helsinki. We visited Tallinn on 30th December and something that I found particularly fascinating was that the ferry was full of a lot of people who lived in Helsinki and were making the journey across the sea to pick up cheap alcohol from Tallinn, for their New Year’s plans. This set the day up nicely as it reminded me that the city that we had just arrived in (Tallinn) was sure to be much more affordable than our current home base (Helsinki)!
The walk from Tallinn’s ferry port to the main town was a wonderful route that included lots of stops as we stood in awe of all of the incredibly stunning architecture that we were witnessing on the short walk.
I have made a note of some of the incredible sights/view points that are a must-see when in Tallinn:
- St Olaf’s Church
- Tallinn Tower Hall
- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
- Viru Gate
- Estonian Maritime museum
- Observation deck Nunnatorn ja linnamüüri and Kohtuotsa viewing platform
There are lots more historical sights to see but the above list were some of my favourites that included lots of information boards located around each site explaining the history of the location. The history behind Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is particularly interesting and I would recommend making this stunning cathedral a focal point of your trip if you are particularly interested in the history of the former Russian Empire.
Tallinn is an easy city to explore by foot and all the main points of interest are within walking distance. The layout of the city includes a good variety of historical sights mixed amongst both modern and traditional cafes/restaurants. We stopped into at least four different cafés within our short time in Tallinn because each one enticed us in with either the incredible smell of coffee or its unique decor. I also had one of the most delicious hot chocolates that I have ever had, during my time in Tallinn and I would love to return one day to once again enjoy the incredible hospitality that was shown to me. There are many gift shops located around the city which includes some of the most unique gifts that I have ever seen in a European city. The city is heavily influenced by medieval and Viking culture and this is displayed throughout the unique city architect.
We had dinner in a modern restaurant that could easily be mistaken for both a unique medieval tavern and a traditional English pub. The experience was unique and the food was some of the best that I have had. Overall, if you are interested in history or would just like to experience some delicious food and drink in a unique city, Tallinn is the location for you.
I would also highly recommend a trip to Tallinn if you are visiting Helsinki and I can guarantee that you will appreciate the more affordable prices and delicious culinary experiences from a short ferry trip across the sea.
Tallinn, I hope to be back one day ✨
