I think that within two years we’ve been to Tallinn around 15 times. And not a single time did we have a thought like “oh nooo, Tallinn again”, even if it was 209 km from Narva, the town we lived in. Because Tallinn is a real pearl, which is too charming to be bored of. What do we love it for? We explain it below!
Cosy Medieval Old Town
Very compact, very neat, full of traditional cafés, cute shops, markets and museums. The best-preserved medieval capital of the Baltics. Check out our winter guide to the weekend in Tallinn.
There ARE locals
Often, the old towns are criticised to be just full of tourists and have no hint on the existing of the locals. Tallinn is not the case – just walk there Friday night to make sure of it.
Tasty and affordable food
Even in the Old Town, the numerous restaurants and pretty cafés offer tasty and relatively cheap food. Don’t leave Tallinn without trying the traditional elk soup in the Town hall building!
Great hand-made
Almost every weekend, there is a market where you can find the best hand-made souvenirs, which are, as a rule, made in Estonia (and not in China!) Authentic and sometimes even useful :)
On foot to the airport
Not every European capital can claim to have an international airport so close to the city centre. I loved all my morning walks there before taking the plane to Ukraine. The airport is so cute, by the way, that it would even deserve a separate attention. Recently it had an award of the cosiest airport in Europe! If walking on foot along the road doesn’t charm you, tram number 4 is your choice!
Rich and interactive museums full of humour
Historical and not only museums of Tallinn are never a loss of time. They are interesting, interactive and very original. If you happen to be there, don’t miss the Bastion passages tour (in English with the best Estonian accent!)
Lots of hidden passways and streets
Tallinn is so rich on secret passways and backyards, that every time we were there, we managed to discover a street that we hadn’t seen before. No chance to get tired of this city!
Visible historical layers
Estonia had a long way towards its independence. Denmark, Sweden, Russia, then Russia again masked as the Soviet Union, Germany – it was occupied by every powerful “neighbour” possible. These periods are very clearly reflected in the general architecture of Tallinn, where the old medieval town is surrounded by a soviet belt, which is followed by modern architecture. And, honestly, it’s beautiful.
![[:en]What to do in Tallinn in winter?[:fr]Que faire à Tallinn en hiver ?[:]](https://i0.wp.com/www.independentpeople.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/winter_tallinn-6.jpg?resize=1500%2C1000 "winter_tallinn-6")
2 hours from Helsinki
Just like Paris is listed among “the day-trips” from London, Helsinki can be definitely recommended to be visited from Tallinn (and vice versa). It takes no more than 2 hours by ferry or 35 minutes by plane to get to Finland!
We got married!
Yes, that’s why we are bound with Tallinn and Estonia forever. :)
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![[:en]What to do in Tallinn in winter?[:fr]Quoi faire à Tallinn en hiver[:]](https://i0.wp.com/www.independentpeople.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/winter_tallinn-24.jpg?resize=700%2C441&ssl=1)
![[:en]What to do in Tallinn in winter?[:fr]Que faire à Tallinn en hiver ?[:]](https://i0.wp.com/www.independentpeople.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/winter_tallinn-33.jpg?resize=700%2C441&ssl=1)
Nice article. So true to express my own feelings about my hometown
Sometimes (often) we miss it as if we spent there years. Can’t believe it’s been two years already that we left Estonia…