Overview
For being a town of only around 200,000 inhabitants, in a country of only 1 million, Tallinn is a thriving metropolis that has an excellent mixture of historical sites, religious monuments and sleek Scandinavian modernity. The streets are quiet, organized and clean, the city a gorgeous testament to medieval architecture and something that Estonians have gone to leaps and bounds to protect.
Walking around the old town transports you to another time. Enter most of the small shops and restaurants and you’ll find locals in traditional time-period dress preserving ancient traditions. You can find small bands playing old flute like instruments and lutes, “soldiers” walking around the castle gate and a bevy of shops selling everything from swords and chainmail to proper knight attire. Tallinn seamlessly incorporates these traditions in their city while being modern and sophisticated, looking towards the future as one of the most forward thinking countries in Europe.
Is It Cheap?
Yes, compared to other Nordic countries, but we wouldn’t classify it as cheap. The young nation is modern and comfortable without being overly pricy. A good meal will cost around 10-13 Euros and beers stay around 4-5. An average night in a hostel is anywhere from 15-20 Euros. Along with the other Baltics states, Estonia made a recent change to the Euro, increasing the prices of goods and services dramatically.
Rummu Gulag
Old Town Square
Colorful Tallinn Streets
City Fortifications
What to Do
Tallinn is easily explored, small enough to see all the things you want to see while being incredibly interactive. It’s foreign yet comfortable, creating an atmosphere you can’t help but fall in love with.
Take a Time Machine Back to Medieval Days: The old town of Tallinn is considered one of the best preserved medieval towns in the whole of Europe, and the image of the old town hasn’t truly changed much since then. The only changes came after repairs to monuments due to damage taken after the Soviets bombed Estonia during WWII.
Walk around the old town and you’ll get swept away and won over by the locals, all dressed in traditional outfits, selling ale and roasted meat in the various restaurants in the main square. It is the only city in the world that I would recommend sitting down and eating at a “tourist” restaurant. They are doing there best to keep their old town special, and it’s truly a unique experience.
Climb the Steps of the Tallest Church in Estonia: St Olaf’s Church stands high above the Tallinn old town and has been looking over the city for centuries. Estonians claim that St. Olafs was once the tallest building in the world during the mid 1500’s and this may as well be true because getting to the top is quite the task. Wind up the tight, stone spiral staircase and you’ll ascend nearly 115 meters. The view at the top is extraordinary, and the best place in the city to catch all the views.
Take a Day Trip to Rummu: About an hour bus ride outside of Tallinn sits an old abandoned Soviet gulag that was once used as a labor camp for Estonian dissidents. The gulag was set on a quarry and has become a local beach getaway over the last decade or so. The quarry, out of commission for thirty years plus years, has since then turned into a psuedo man made lake, with a beach, places for diving and exploring. There is a subtle irony in a place that caused so much pain to so many, to now be used for recreation, but in a way, it is how the Estonians have come to terms with their past.
Pro-tip: When you get to Rummu, you will feel a bit in the middle of nowhere. There are gates with barbed wire and no entrances to the quarry. You can either go over the gate, but the government has covered it with a black tar like substance. You can go under the gate, which is easily done. You can also walk all the way around and climb over a shorter wall. You know you are in the right place when you see local’s cars.
Go to the Beach and Explore the Estonia’s Soviet Past: Walk about 15 minutes north of the old town and you’ll hit the Tallinn port where all the ferries to Helsinki and the Baltic cruise ships dock. If you go a bit west from that point you’ll find a small rocky beach called Kalarand. It’s a perfect place to relax and enjoy the cool ocean breeze of the Baltic sea. If you go a bit more west from there you will encounter Paterei Prison. Another gulag much like Rummu, this one is even more ominous. It’s fenced in and stands eerily silent. It looks like something out of one of your favorite horror movies. Peak in the boarded up windows and you’ll see old Soviet style cell rooms, with decrepit beds, operation equipment, shackles; the works. If you dare to go in, you may find the “red room” an execution chamber painted red to make clean up easier for Russian staff. It’s a cool spot, but terrifying.
What to Eat and Drink
Pancakes: If you are looking for something cheap and incredibly filling while being extraordinarily delicious, go to Kompressor in the old town. They make stuffed pancakes, more like crepes, filled with smoked meats, smoked fish, cheese, bacon or sweet fillings depending on how you are feeling. Everything on the menu is under 9 Euros.
The Three Dragons: We normally would never recommend to eat at a tourist restaurant in the middle of old town but the Three Dragons is something special. They have taken the medieval vibe to a whole new level. The restaurant is located right below the main square’s largest church. Upon entering you will notice there are no lights, only candlelight. Women dressed in medieval gowns dishing out hot meat pies, elk sausage and huge racks of ribs greet you bluntly and rush you into ordering. They request you pay them in “money” and tell you to hurry and sit down and get to eating. Don’t forget to spear a pickle with a large wooden pitchfork out of the pickle bucket before sitting down. The dark wood tables, animal pelts and other decor look like something right out of Game of Thrones and it is epic.
Hurry up and eat and don’t forget to clean up after yourself. Wash down your meat with a local ale served in a clay mug.
Hot Nut Vendors: Hot nuts can be found all over Europe but with the cold and windy weather of Tallinn, they just seem better here. Go for the roasted almonds with cinnamon and sugar. Simply awesome and only 4 Euros.
Transport
Tallinn is walkable but if you want to take a day trip, they have regional buses that are cheap and efficient. To get on the bus to Rummu, make sure to take your bus just south of Independance Square.
Clubbing and Nightlife
Typically the lively old town dies out when the sun goes down around 9 pm. Luckily for you, there is an entire street dedicated to partying and have some very cool bars indeed. Locals call it the Bermuda Triangle because once you go in you’ll never come out. They have a bit of everything there; karaoke, irish pubs and fancy cocktail places. If you are looking for crazy nightlife, we couldn’t say that Tallinn is the best for that.
Here is our video of The Monk’s Bunk just a few minutes walk from the old town.
My Travel Essentials For A European Backpacking Trip
Below you'll find a list of my must bring backpacking items. I have gotten this list down to my essentials through trial and error over 4 years of living in a backpack. I hope you'll find these items helpful on your journey!
►Main Backpacking Backpack: https://amzn.to/3vUHdik [Amazon]
►Great Front Facing Duffle-bag : https://amzn.to/3SjK6Ra [Amazon]
►Quick Dry Towel : https://amzn.to/3uarxH8 [Amazon]
►Multi Country Charger Adapter : https://amzn.to/3Ul37p0 [Amazon]
►Refillable Water Bottle : https://amzn.to/48SnG0n [Amazon]
►Padlock : https://amzn.to/3SdyYp7 [Amazon]
►Earplugs : https://amzn.to/498xTpl [Amazon]
►Power Bank : https://amzn.to/3SyXP8e [Amazon]
Travel Photography & Video Favorites
If you're interested in creating your own video content on your trip, these are some of my favorite items I've had. They work, they're effective and besides the Sony Aa7C, they aren't going to break the bank either!
►On the Go Video | Go Pro Hero 12 : https://amzn.to/3u38oHh [Amazon]
►Photography | Sony A7C : https://amzn.to/3u1Y6ap [Amazon]
►Portable Tripod | https://amzn.to/42ojHqc [Amazon]
►Lavalier Microphone | https://amzn.to/3SbL41U [Amazon]
►Drone | https://amzn.to/47TCwSY [Amazon]
►Portable Monitor | https://amzn.to/3Hzv2dg [Amazon]
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