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Old town with towers and red roofs under a blue sky.
Old town with towers and red roofs under a blue sky.

Tallinn

Published: 19 May 2023, 08:00

Medieval meets modern

Tallinn’s historical Old Town alone is worth a visit: amidst the narrow alleyways, cobbled streets, Gothic churches and well-preserved buildings, you are immediately immersed in a bygone age Estonia also has a turbulent history; in recent centuries, the country has belonged to Denmark, Sweden and the Soviet Union. All of these cultures have left traces here, which can be found in the architecture, the language and the food. In addition to its historical heritage, Tallinn also has a varied, young creative scene and an attractive location directly on the Baltic Sea.

numbers, data, facts

  •  Time difference: + one hour 
  •  Population: 435.000
  •  Official Language: Estonia
  •  Currency: Euro

Ten historical highlights in Tallinn

Old city wall with round tower and tiled roof in sunlight.
A walk along the 1.9-kilometre-long, well-preserved city wall around the Old Town is a must for every Tallinn tourist. © rh2010/AdobeStocks
Toompea Castle with tall tower viewed from below against blue sky.
Situated on a hill, Toompea Castle is the seat of the Estonian Parliament and offers a wonderful view of the Old Town. © borisb17/AdobeStocks
Town Hall Square with colorful houses and Gothic town hall in Tallinn.
The central Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square) in Tallinn’s Old Town is surrounded by colourful merchants’ houses and dominated by the Gothic Town Hall building. © Arcady/AdobeStocks
Aerial view of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with its onion domes.
One of Tallinn’s landmarks is the magnificent Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The Orthodox church was built at the end of the 19th century. © Irina Sen/AdobeStocks
Viru Gate with 14th-century towers at the entrance to the old town.
The famous Viru Gate from the 14th century is part of the city wall and serves as the entrance to the Old Town. © Boris Stroujko/AdobeStocks
Gothic St. Olaf's Church with tall spire towering over the old town.
The impressive 13th-century Gothic St. Olaf’s Church with its tower overlooking the Old Town was once the tallest building in Europe. © Grigory Bruev/AdobeStocks
St. Catherine's Passage with workshops for jewelry, glass, and ceramics.
The medieval St. Catherine’s Passage is home to numerous handicraft shops that make and sell jewellery, glassware and ceramics, among other things. © irra_irra/AdobeStocks
Cannon tower on the city wall, now a museum, once a defense structure.
The impressive cannon tower on Tallinn’s city walls once defended the city – today, it houses a museum © Raquel Pedrosa/AdobeStocks
Kadriorg Palace with baroque garden, once the Tsar’s summer residence.
Kadriorg Palace was built by Tsar Peter the Great as a summer residence. The palace and its magnificent garden are definitely worth a visit. © Mikhail Markovskiy/AdobeStocks
Maarjamäe Palace with History Museum and extensive historical collection.
Maarjamäe Palace is the location of the Tallinn History Museum, which houses an impressive collection of exhibits on Estonian history. © Bluemoment72/AdobeStocks

Tallinn’s varied creative scene

In recent years, Tallinn has become a real mecca for young and creative people looking for inspiration and new experiences. Numerous places throughout the city showcase examples of the vibrant creative scene that attracts people from all over the world. There are art installations and street art everywhere; Tallinn also has a thriving music scene with numerous clubs and venues in which live music is performed. In addition to the historic Old Town, the vibrant cultural life is another reason to definitely pay a visit to the Estonian metropolis!

Young and creative Tallinn: five highlights

Colorful wooden houses in trendy Kalamaja with cafés and shops.
The trendy Kalamaja district with its colourful wooden houses offers a variety of hip cafés, restaurants and shops. © Brad Pict/ AdobeStocks
Colorful wooden houses in Trakai, home of the Karaims with living traditions.
The KUMU Art Museum is the largest and most modern art museum in the Baltic States, housing Estonian art from the 18th century to the present day. © aquatarkus/AdobeStocks
Telliskivi creative hub with galleries, shops, and cafés in former factories.
Telliskivi Creative City is an old industrial plant that has been developed into a vibrant creative centre. Today there are a multitude of galleries, design shops, cafés and restaurants to be found he
Modern Rotermann district with contemporary architecture in Tallinn.
Tallinn isn’t just medieval – it’s modern, too! The hip Rotermann district provides numerous examples of more recent architecture. © bortnikau/AdobeStocks
Modern Balti Jaama Turg market hall with shops and street food area.
Just behind the train station is the modern market hall Balti Jaama Turg (Baltic Station Market). Here you can shop to your heart’s content and taste all kinds of delicacies in the large street food a

Tallinn from BER

Aircraft shortly before touching down on the runway

Air Baltic

Ryanair

Tallinn Airport (TLL)

Five travel tips for...

  1. The 2.5-kilometre-long Pirita Beach is located just 15 minutes from the city centre.
  2. Around seven kilometres west of the city centre is the family-friendly Stroomi Beach with shallow waters.
  3. Kakumäe Beach boasts crystal-clear waters and beautiful surroundings and is around 15 kilometres west of the city.
  4. Laulasmaa has a wide sandy beach about 30 kilometres west of Tallinn
  5. Around 25 kilometres east of the city centre on a peninsula is the picturesque Kaberneeme Beach

  1. Refreshing and tasty: the non-alcoholic drink kvass, made from fermented rye bread.
  2. Smoked, fried, pickled: fish of all kinds, especially sprats and herring, which come from the Baltic Sea.
  3. Nutty and nutritious: kama is a roasted porridge eaten for breakfast or as a dessert
  4. Filling and omnipresent: savoury rye bread is almost considered to be a national treasure in Estonia
  5. Protein-rich and crunchy: kohuke, a chocolate-covered, curd cheese snack

  1. Superb jazz music at the legendary Philly Joe’s Jazz Club
  2. Experience international artists and bands at the Rock Cafe
  3. Regular jazz concerts are also held at Clazz
  4. Bar Sinilind is a popular place for good drinks and live music 
  5. Erinevate Tubade Klubi (ETK) holds many concerts and other cultural events

Title: © Boris Stroujko / stock.adobe.com

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