TALLINN’S 21 PICTURE PERFECT LOCATIONS

| Where is Tallinn?

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, which is on Russia’s eastern border and just across the sea from Finland. It’s about the same size as Denmark.

Flight time from London: 2h 40mins

When I’ve asked people what they think about travelling to Eastern Europe (especially people in their 50s) they often say things such as ‘Isn’t it all concrete communist buildings?’ or ‘do they have tourists there?’. If that’s what you thought too, then I hope this post will surprise you and show you there are beautiful gems to be found in Eastern Europe. One of the best is Tallinn.

1 | Kehrwieder Saiakang Chocolaterie

On the corner of the passage leading to Oma Asi is perhaps the cosiest chocolaterie in all of Europe. The cafe sits at the edge of the town square, almost burrowing under, carved into the rock. The low ceilings covered in ethnic blankets, the wooden floorboards, deep uneven windowsills and alcoves lined with sheepskin rugs make this feel like your own sitting room in the centre of Tallinn. It’s the perfect cosy hideaway, complete with choccy desserts.

TIP… Don’t leave without trying the Snickers cake

Café in old town Tallinn. Kehrwieder Saiakang Chocolaterie by jechstra is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

2 | Oma Asi House

Oma Asi or ‘Little Red House’ waits to greet all who enter Saiakang Passage from the main square. The name Saiakang translates as ‘Bun Passage’, as this was the bakery lane of the old town. The red house is now a design/concept store selling local artists’ work. You can find unique gifts inside, but for me the main attraction is how cute this little house looks from the street. Very Hansel and Gretel-esque!

3 | City Walls & Towers

Tallinn’s fortified walls have protected it for 8 centuries, and though they are no longer necessary, they encircle the city in a fairytale charm. Walking the medieval city walls is not only a great way to see the city, but fantastic for photos of Tallinn’s colourful rooftops. Of the 20 remaining guard towers, the three oldest – Nunne, Sauna and Kuldjala – remain open to the public. Within, are miniature doors left open, providing visitors with a secret view of the city.

TIP… Tickets cost €3 and you can find opening times here

Click here to read my post on a day trip to the medieval walled town of Obidos

4 | Maiden’s Tower Cafe

Above the Danish King’s Gardens is another section of the city wall open to visitors, but this might just be the best section, as it’s also a balcony cafe. Guests can sit at a coffee table directly on the city wall, facing out across the old town. For an extra dash of medieval weirdness, the walkway is lined with wooden carvings of horses’ heads decorated with medieval armour. It all seems picture perfect until you find out this is one of the most haunted spots in Tallin. The Maiden’s Tower was ironically the name of a prison for prostitutes.

TIP… Just along from Maiden’s Tower Cafe is the equally charming Cafe Dannebrog

5 | Bastion Tunnels

The bastion tunnels were built as an armoury under Tallinn’s city walls. However, Tallinn was hit by a plague which entirely removed the city from most wars of its time. Later the tunnels found use again, not just as a home for rats but as a prison. Those poor prisoners, there is absolutely no natural light down there. Soon the prison was cleared out and the tunnels became air raid shelters during WW2 and even nuclear fall out shelters for Tallinn’s elite during the Cold War. Now, they are part of the museum. You can explore Tallinn’s multi-purpose underground labyrinth via the Kiek in de Kök Museum (means ‘Peep into the Kitchen’ – the tower above the tunnels is so high, guards used to be able to see into the kitchens of the city). Entrance is €8 or free with the Tallinn Card.

TIP… No matter the time of year, the tunnels remain a cool 10°C so bring a jacket

Kiek in de Kök, Tallinn: Bastion Passages by MacP2007 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

6 | Viru Gates

The two towers of the Viru Gates guard the old town and are likely to be most peoples’ first glimpse of Medieval Tallinn. The leafy ivy grows from the tower windows beneath the roof like rapunzel’s hair, if only it were green. It’s an exciting start to the rest of your exploration of the city’s largely untouched streets and passageways.

Foregate of Viru Gates in Tallinn, August 2012 by Maigi licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

7 | Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

I love onion-domed churches! The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral of Tallinn (not to be confused with the one in Sofia, Bulgaria) is no exception. Built in honour of Saint ‘Alex’ who was a hero of Medieval Russia and held legendary status for winning the very epic sounding ‘Battle of the Ice‘! It was intended as a symbol of Tsarist Russia’s dominance over the unruly Baltics. For this reason many wanted it destroyed. However, when the USSR took over Russia all symbols of religion were left to rot and the locals got their wish. Today the cathedral is one of the city’s key attractions and has been restored to its former glory. But don’t just stand outside gawping, head inside to see the incredible gold altar and towering painted archways. Entrance is free.

TIP… Photography is strictly prohibited inside the cathedral and is monitored

8 | Pikk Street

As Tallin grew larger and larger Pikk street grew longer and longer to accommodate it. Hence the name Pikk, which means long. This also means that the street is lined by some of the city’s oldest buildings. I love the jumble of rooflines and pastel colours along this street, no building is the same.

Tallinn_2013 05 24_0085 by HBarrison is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

9 | Kateriina Passage

Named by Tallinn residents as the ‘cutest street in the city‘ is none other than the historic Kateriina Passage. This was one of the first images I saw when researching Tallin and knew immediately that I had to write about this city even if it was just this street! Along the cobbled alleyway you will find artisan workshops popping out of the walls, leafy cafes which take up half of the already narrow street and even enormous 15th century tombstones held to the wall with iron spikes. No walking tour of the old town is complete without this street!

10 | Secret Corners of Tallinn

Soti Park and Rapunzel’s Tower (photo on left) aren’t just beautiful from the street, their entrance conceals a hidden courtyard in a garden restaurant! Strangely enough, it belongs to Tallinn’s Scottish Club (Soti Klub) who also commissioned a bust of Sean Connery in honour of his visit! The Pope even blessed the pub on his tour of Estonia! If you’re wondering what the connection is between Scotland and Tallinn you’re not alone, but locals suggest it is all for a shared love of whisky. The bar not only sells 75 types of whiskey but organises excursions to Scotland for it’s Estonian patrons! The more I read, the more unlikely it gets, especially when you find out that this pub was built at the foot of one of the city’s fortified towers, Rapunzel’s Tower!

Though it may not look like it in this photo (right) Lühike Jalg street (Little Leg Street) and staircase is very Instagrammable! However, it has also earnt the name of ‘Tallinn’s most haunted street‘. If you walk alone here at night it is said the ghost of the monk, originally an executioner, wonders the street restless with his guilty conscience. Running paralell to Lühike Jalg is Pikk Jalg which means ‘Long Leg’ Street. Between one long leg and one short leg, Tallin has been nicknamed by Estonians as ‘The Town that Limps‘. Haha

11 | Draakon or Olde Hanse

This fantastic pub is a great alternative to the slightly more touristy Olde Hanse pub you have seen every tourist walk into. Just like Hanse, Draakon is a medieval themed pub, complete with medieval style furniture, tankards and staff costumes. I prefer this one to Hanse as it doesn’t feel like a theme park attraction. Instead it has candlelit corners, dried herbs hanging from the eaves and the attention to detail you would expect from a film set.

TIP… There is a limited veggie menu under ‘The Merchant’s Herb Garden’

12 | Master’s Courtyard

Another courtyard to add to your list is Master’s Courtyard. If you want to hide from the crowded streets, sit down for a drink in Tallinn’s most beautiful dead end. The courtyard is still home to local craftsmen as it was centuries ago, though one of them has now been replaced with a delicious chocolaterie. I love the idea of sitting under these hanging vines as local craftsmen busy around the yard.

Tallinn by Tania & Artur licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

13 | Manna La Roosa

When it comes to bars and cafes, I’m not really bothered about how good the drinks are, but what the atmosphere inside is like. Well, Manna La Roosa ticks every box for me! This quirky house/bar/cafe/restaurant is an unexpected gem I found whilst researching Tallinn. From the outside it reminds me of an American colonial style house that has been bought by a frat or sorority, but inside it is an eclectic wonderland of colour and decorations! Manna La Roosa shares this space with Tai Boh, an Asian restaurant which is equally cluttered and quirky, but in a designer way. Either way, it’s a fantastic place to spend any time of the day, especially as the bartenders come up with new signature drinks every couple of months!

Manna La Roosa restaurant by VisitEstonia is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

14 | The Furry Owl Bar

You can’t leave Eastern Europe without having tried at least one cellar bar, so why not start small with the Furry Owl Bar. The tiniest bar in all of Tallinn! Climb in to the cellar through the old delivery doors and enter a candle lit cave lined with books, vintage photos and beer bottles. Though the walls are white, the entire cellar is filled with a warm orange glow from the dim lights strung from the low cellar ceiling. You are bound to fall in love with this hideaway, but don’t bring all your friends at once! The seating is intimate, there are only about 10 seats in the whole bar!

15 | Tagged Viewpoints of Tallinn

Even though I’m certainly guilty of seeing the world through my camera, I still appreciate making fun of this behaviour and so does Tallinn it seems! Many of Tallinn’s best viewpoints have been graffitied with little messages. One of the most popular viewpoints (Danish Gardens) has a tag saying ‘breathe baby’ next to a statue of the haunted monk (which I thought was a grim reaper). The other favourite, Kohtuotsa viewpoint says ‘ the times we had’, but I think I love the one at Patkuli Viewpoint the most. It says ‘Save the camera honey, enjoy the view‘. With views as fairytale-esque as those over the rooftops of Tallinn, we should definitely do as we’re told.

16 | St Olaf’s Tower

This is the tower to climb if you want a 360 view of all of old town. Only 232 steps to climb before you’re rewarded with a the view in the photo below. You’ll be able to see the onion domes of Alexander Nevsky’s Cathedral on the left and the spire of St. Mary’s on the right. The church tower is open from 10am till 8pm in the summer and tickets are €5.

Tallinn Old Town by rlanvin is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

17 | Doors of Tallinn

In a medieval city as well preserved as Tallinn, you know you will be spoilt for choice, even when it comes to ‘door-grammers’! In fact, like many other cities, a poster has been created showing off the best ones. Though all residents agree that the number one door will always be the door of the House of the Brotherhood of Black Heads. Some of the doors are so picture perfect that they are used as backdrops for wedding photo shoots, such as the doors of restaurant Boordu (Pikk 71). I love intricate detailing which is why I have included number 30 Vene street (photo left).

One door in particular has made national news in Estonia, Suur-Karja 3, otherwise known as ‘The Pink Door’. The doors of Tallinns’ Old Town are protected, and for good reason, so when one owner painted their door fuchsia pink it wasn’t long before a plan was put in action to get it back to its original colour.

18 | The Dominican Monastery

The Dominican Monastery, also known as St. Catherine’s Monastery, is an echo of medieval Tallinn now blanketed in ivy. Though the monastery and garden is small, it is a peaceful retreat from the rest of the city. Even if you do not pay to go in, the courtyard entrance is a beautiful place to sit for free.

19 | Ichthus Gallery

Hidden beneath the monastery is a secret art gallery, Ichthus, in the cellar rooms the monks used to live and study in. Descend the stone steps into the gloom and be greeted by a large open fireplace where two ancient armchairs are warming themselves. Continue along the tunnels and you can explore the small libraries used by the monks to further their devotion. But how is this an art gallery I hear you say! Well if your eyes can pierce the gloom, you will see the watercolour artwork of the resident artist whose workshop is hidden within these underground chambers. He’ll be around somewhere, probably swapping the CD player over to the next album of monastic Latin chants.

20 | Telliskivi Creative City

Telliskivi Creative City is an ex-Soviet industrial complex turned the new hipster zone of Estonia, with over 600 cultural events a year and of course the telltale Sunday flea market for all your hipster needs. The area is also a canvas for the best street artists in the city. Not all of the area’s history has been erased to make way for vegan cafes though. The unfortunately named Depoo, is a secondhand market selling all kinds of bric-a-brac such as old posters and military memorabilia left over from the Soviet era.

Click here to read about a similar creative city that has grown in Lisbon

Restaurant Peatus in Telliskivi Creative City by VisitEstonia is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

21 | Wooden Districts of Tallinn

If you want to get out of the perfect medieval district and see some of Tallinn’s secrets, then go on a walking tour of Kopli. A Soviet shack ghost town and former USSR naval base on the edge of the city. However, I should make a clear distinction – the ‘Professors’ Village’ is a safe area to explore, unlike the Kopli Lines neighbourhood which has become a squatters’ village which even locals stay away from. In the Professors’ Village you can find the old colourful wooden houses of Tallin’s workers, which unlike Kopli Lines, have been preserved by the city council. The city creatives and planners intend to extend the hipster regeneration of ex-Soviet bases like Kalamaja into Kopli and bring it back to life. Eastern Europe is desperate to separate itself from its Soviet past and display its creative side, which is exactly what Tallinn is successfully doing.

TIP… Kalamaja district has a festival every May with street food and pop-up markets

Safer yet, explore the Kalamaja district meaning ‘fish house’, which has become the new trendy district with flea markets and street murals amongst some of the city’s oldest wooden structures. The wooden houses in the Professors’ Village and in Kalamaja are known as ‘Tallinn houses’ for their unique communal design. The prettiest examples can be found on Salme street.

| MORE TO EXPLORE IN ESTONIA

Estonia may begin with Tallinn, but it certainly doesn’t have to end there.

Click here to read my post on Trips Around Estonia