View over Tallinn’s Old Town by Amanda Kendle

Museums in Tallinn

The Kumu Art Museum in Tallinn is in a very modern building and is just five years old. It covers Estonian art from centuries ago right up to modern times.

Model of the Kumu Art Museum

The Museum of Occupations is worth visiting to understand the tumultuous history Estonia has lived through in the relatively short period between 1940 and 1991. It houses an excellent permanent exhibition but also has interesting temporary exhibitions.

The Estonian Open Air Museum just outside of Tallinn features old-style houses typical to the area – when you see the wooden and stone buildings and imagine how cold they must be in an Estonian winter, you’ll be glad you didn’t have to live in one. There are also some impressive windmills to be seen.

Windmill at the Estonian Open Air Museum

The Kalev Chocolate Museum sounds pretty tempting.

Architecture and Other Sights in Tallinn

Simply wandering through the streets of Tallinn will keep your camera busy – there are numerous interesting buildings and views around the city. For example, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a particularly photogenic building – perched on top of the hill, it’s a Russian orthodox building from 1900 and seeing this is almost as good as going to Russia itself.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral by Amanda Kendle

Nearby, the impressive Toompea Castle houses the Estonian parliament. The castle walls extend from Toompea Hill and include many towers like Pikk Herman. The entire hill and surrounds form part of the UNESCO World Heritage site and you can access several viewing platforms and walk along parts of the Old Town wall.

Towers in Tallinn by Amanda Kendle

The Kadriorg Palace was home to Catherine I of Russia and today includes a branch of the Art Museum of Estonia, and it is housed within an enormous park that’s well worth taking a stroll through.

Kadriorg Palace

Eating and Drinking in Tallinn

There are numerous restaurants and bars across Tallinn and a quick stroll around the Old Town is an easy way to find one, but if you’re after a suitably medieval experience, Sian recommends the Olde Hansa. It’s unashamedly aimed at tourists and ex-pats but the food is good, the theme is well-executed and the whole experience is fun.

Olde Hanse Restaurant by sian

Sian also gave us a tip for a great wine bar in Tallinn – so great that she proclaimed it her favourite wine bar in the world! The Gloria Wine Bar is actually many things: a restaurant, a guest house, a cigar bar, a wine shop and finally a wine bar. It’s beautifully decorated and may just be like no wine bar you’ve ever visited before!

Gloria Wine Bar by sian

And finally, if you’re looking to warm up on a chilly day, try a hot chocolate at the Chocolaterie Pierre. They also have good cakes but even for me, one of those genuine gooey hot chocolates is enough without the cake!

Where to Stay in Tallinn

Sian enjoyed her stay at the Merchant’s House Hotel. Demetrius thought that the Barons Hotels offered great value for half board with free wifi.

View from Baron’s Hotel restaurant

Click here for the lowest prices on Tallin hotels

Day Trips from Tallinn

I recommend a day trip to the city Tartu, the second largest city in Estonia, which can by reached in around two and a half hours by express coach from Tallinn. Here you can visit the crooked Art Museum, the Student’s Lock Up at the University and follow some literary highlights.

Tartu’s crooked Museum of Art by Amanda Kendle

The Finnish capital of Helsinki is a two hour ferry ride across the Baltic sea. As Finland can be pricey, we’ve even some tips for free and cheap things to do in Helsinki.

Your Tips for Tallinn

If you’ve already discovered the pleasures of Tallinn, do leave us your favourite tip in the comments below.

Best of Tallinn Travel Tips

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Gate in Tallinn’s Old Town

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Please leave a comment below with your recommendations for what to do in Tallinn.

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Interior of Kumu Art Museum in Tallinn

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It’s Tallinn Week on Europe a la Carte 27 June – 3 July 2011

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Estonia Open Air Museum map

The Open Air Museum entry ticket costs 3 euro. There are excellent directions and the good path takes you through mixed woodland and past typically Estonian houses from bygone ages, which were brought here from all over the country and reconstructed on site.

Typical Estonian countryside building re-erected at the museum

There are also other types of traditional buildings like barns, fishermen’s net storage huts, saunas and several unusual windmills all through the Park.

Stone construction Estonian building

The Park is on Kopli Bay, meaning you also get great sea views and there are good picnic spots.

Classic Estonia type windmill at the museum

You can also go around the Park on a (very friendly) horse buggy, driven by a member of staff dressed in traditional clothing. On the day we visited there was snow and the buggy was on skis.

Friendly horses taking visitors on trips through open air the museum on their break

The Park is a good size and walking shoes are recommended.

Most buildings were padlocked, but there was one where a lady in traditional dress was baking some type of scones and you could visit the interior. This house was from the early 1900s and the interior decor looked somewhat Victorian.

Interior of typical 1930′s house at the museum

Unfortunately we weren’t offered any scones, although to be fair it wasn’t clear if they were ready at that time.

Model dwelling exterior

There is also a charming little gift shop near the area you buy the tickets.

Souvenir dolls at the museum

There are several toilets throughout the Park and although it’s fenced off, it is also patrolled by private security.

Another Estonia-style windmill at the museum

This is a very straightforward and pleasant day trip from Tallinn that won’t require early/late journeys as the Park’s nearby, or break the bank.

The bus journey also goes through some interesting Estonian-style modern housing estates.

Visiting the Estonian Open Air Museum near Tallinn

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Kumu Art Museum exterior

The Kumu Art Museum is an unashamedly huge 5-year old ultra-modern  building, which fills its vast spaces with a unique mixture of pure Estonian art from various stages in its history and currently-themed temporary exhibitions.

Tallinn Art Museum posters from various exhibitions

We initially experienced the ‘For Love Not Money’ 15th Tallinn Print Triennial, featuring artistic takes on issues like family, politics, religion, fetishes, sex, yearning and dependency.

This exhibition was over two floors, the 2nd and 5th, and a good mix of artists was represented. Keeping in with the Estonian/Russian/Baltic themes, one of the exhibits featured a woman’s memories through 80 years of political change in the form of a cartoon character looking at a life-long collection of cards, while another featured allegories through sexual life, experiences and birth. Print shape co-mingling with context was explored in several, most unexpected, forms.

Sculptures amongst paintings at Kumu art Museum

The ‘Difficult choices’ permanent exhibition of Estonian Art from 1945-1991, covering the Soviet occupation era, struck several chords and familiar faces like the Russian Marxist revolutionary, economic theorist, political philosopher, author and lawyer Vladimir Ilyich Lenin as well as the head of the Politburo Stalin were amongst Estonian notables in the form of either a painting or bust.

The oppression of Estonians and their agony and spirit of fight and despair comes through clearly in these artistic representations, some of the most vivid and disturbing of the paintigs being life-size. As there was little/no influence from the West during this era, some of the works also rerpresented most unusual departures.

Some of the busts in a discrete area containing over 100

The Treasury permanent exhibition covered earlier Estonian art, approximately 18th century to 1945, and it was fascinating to note the similarities, influences and differences between it and styles predominating in the West during the same time period.

Exhibits with local character at the Kumu

‘The Colours of Light’ exhibition on the 3rd floor examined the functions of these elements as classic forms of expression in painting, as well as interpretations by Estonian artists during the pre-WW2 period.

Modern sculptures at the Kumu

The 5.5 Euro charge covered cloakroom facilities.

Some of the posters exhibited at the Kumu

A charming modern little cafe at the 1st floor by the auditorium, with lovely views over the grounds and Kadriorg Park, completed the rich experience.

Model of the Kumu Art Museum and its grounds

In my opinion, the Kumu Art Museum is a ‘must see‘ Tallinn museum during a visit to the city. I’d recommend that you leave at least 1/2 to 1 day in order to take in the experience.

The Kumu Art Museum in Tallinn, Estonia

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We stayed at the restored 4 star Barons Hotel in Tallinn Old Town for five nights in March 2011.  Karen found the best rate through the HotelsCombined price comparison site on the Thomas Cook site for £67.40 per night for a twin room for 2 guests (as Thomas Cook had a £30 off bookings over £300 at that time). The price included buffet breakfast, afternoon coffee with pastries, buffet dinner and free wifi.

It was easy to reach the hotel from the airport (5 kms distance), or by bus followed by a five minute walk. The lobby and public areas were beautifully presented and the staff courteous and helpful. There are several interesting spaces in the hotel, like a cigar and cognac room reached by spiral staircase. The hotel and rooms were immaculately clean, beautifully and tastefully lit and decorated. There was free wireless internet in the lobby.

Cigar room Barons hotel, Tallinn

Our room was clean and nice and warm, considering the -2C temperature outside. There was adequate storage space, two desks and a mini-bar fridge. Ample hangers, soap and shampoo were provided, some nice touches (eg slippers and bathrobes) were present and the room’s own wireless access internet point was great. No password was needed, so traffic might have not been encrypted. The room was small (but high ceilinged), just adequate for 2 adults. The twin bed mattresses were somewhat on the soft side. There was a little outside noise and you could also hear some noise from the rooms next door as well as water running. The curtains did shut most of the outside light away.

The buffet-type food was included in the price of the room on a half-board basis. It was served in a very cosy restaurant on the 2nd floor with views of old city buildings all round and unique glass partitions with frost-effect figures.

View from Barons Hotel Restaurant

The breakfast was wonderful for choice, care and quality.

The dinner was variable, with a choice of at least two main courses and free drinking water was provided. The breakfast hours (7-11am weekdays, 8-11am Sundays) were fine but dinner hours (6-8pm except Thursdays, 7-9pm) were restrictive. On one of the days we were offered an a la carte menu, both for breakfast and dinner, which was fine. In addition, there were speciality teas, coffee and cake included for guests 1-4pm in the lobby.

Afternoon coffee in the lobby at Barons Hotel Tallinn

Our stay was over 5 nights, during which we felt that the hotel occupied a very central position, ideal for the old and new city, port, art museums and galleries, shopping, bars and restaurants as well as buses and trains all within walking distance. These and the generally very polite staff, coupled with the reasonable prices made us feel we had obtained excellent value for money. I’d recommend the Barons Hotel for a short stay in Tallinn.

Click here to check out availability and prices at the Barons Hotels for your trip to Tallinn.

Find the Best Deals on Tallinn Hotels

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Review of the Barons Hotel Tallinn

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Tallinn Old Town

Podcast on Things to Do in Tallinn

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Take a Leisurely Stroll Around the Old Town

And then another, possibly a third and fourth. So, it may be worth splitting it in quadrants if you have the time. The point is that the Old Town of Tallinn, which is very much a living, breathing entity for locals and not just preserved for tourists, is both very beautiful and fascinating. It features an excellent mix of churches, palatial houses, sprawling parks with gardens and green areas plus well-preserved walls and towers, covering an historic period of several hundreds of years. It is also a great cultural and night life hub, with locals and visitors making full use of its charming and eclectic mix of eating and drinking establishments.

Tallinn Old Town Gate

Visit Kardriog Park and the Kumu Art Museum

We walked past the beautiful Kardriog Palace Museum on our way to the Kumu Art Museum.

Kardriog Palace and Museum

We spent four great hours going in the Kumu Art Museum with its fascinating mix of old, modern and traditional.

Exterior of Kumu Art Museum of Tallinn

Visit the Estonian Open Air Museum

Located at Kopli Bay, traditional buildings from all around Estonia have been lovingly reconstructed within a lovely natural setting at this open air museum.

Estonian Open Air Museum at Kopli Bay

Do some Tasting at the Beer House

Go for a selection of house-brewed beers and excellent food to the German-style Beer House and microbrewery of Tallinn’s  Old Town.

Tallinn Beer House, by davehighbury

Take a Day Trip to Helsinki in Finland

Particularly amazing in the winter as you effortlessly and majestically cut through the ice.  Helsinki is famous for beautiful, open spaces, museums and a great music scene. The journey takes around two hours each way and cost 42 Euro return (in March 2011) departing Tallinn at 07.30 and arriving back in the evening.

Ferry in Tallinn

Go Shopping

Visit the Viru Keskus shopping complex, the easiest modern building in town to find as it’s the tallest. There the shopping experience is unrivalled, with 5 floors of different types of quality goods sold by independent retailers. There are also several other shopping complexes, both in and out of town.

A modern shopping centre interior in Tallinn

Visit Olevieste (St Olaf’s) Church

It has the tallest/thinnest one spire the Old Town. Take in panoramic views of Tallinn from the top. Public concerts sometimes take place here, particularly before Lent and Christmas.

Tallinn skyline with St Olaf’s Church having the highest spire

Go Ice-skating

There was at least one ice rink in the old town near Olevieste Church, with an entry fee of 5 euro per hour for adults plus a small fee for shoes hire. For those that cannot ice skate, helper frames are provided, so everyone can have fun. Great for families too, as many locals bring their kids here at the weekend.

Ice Skating in Tallinn by Diego Sideburns

Admire Views Down to the Port

There is a step-wise ascent about 1km to the left of the ferry port, at what seems to be some type of abandoned grand public concrete park – it’s difficult to miss. The views from here are amazing particularly in the winter, when you can see the Tallinn-Helsinki ferries slicing effortlessly through the ice.

Tallinn edifice, ascent to viewing platform with ferry port to the right

Get Connected to the Free Wifi at Tallinn Airport

Tallin Airport offers travellers free wifi, so you can pass the time waiting for your flight online, without spending a cent. If only all other airports would offer this free service.

Tallinn Airport by fergie lancealot

Find Great Deals on Hotels in Tallinn

Click here to find low prices on Tallinn Hotels using the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

More Tallinn Tips from Europe a la Carte Readers

You can read more Tallin tips from Europe a la Carte readers offered in response to Karen’s request for recommendations prior to our visit to the city. Please leave your tips for things to do in Tallinn as a comment.

10 Things to Do in Tallinn, Estonia

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Tallinn panorama by Adrian Perez

Sian recommended eating at the Old Hansa Restaurant, a drink at Gloria’s Wine Bar and a perfect hot chocolate at Chocolaterie Pierre on Europe a la Carte, after her trip to the city last year.

Hot Chocolate at Chocolaterie Pierre by Sian Meades

Your Tips for Things to Do in Tallinn

Mishi Dulwich Morath – Without a doubt the Occupations Museum. And there’s a small bar called Depeche Mode….dedicated to the old band of the same name!

Melodie – I was in Tallinn only for 2 days so I spent them walking around the old town, having coffee here and there. But I spent about 6 days in Helsinki, just 2 hours away by ferry from Tallinn. That might be an idea for a day-trip.

Nat - I live in Tallinn and I love this city!! I would suggest you going on the 24th floor of Radisson Blue Hotel, an awesome view on town from there. Then, not really sure if it’s gonna be open for visitors by the end of March, but you could also climb the tower of Oleviste church. Terrific!! Some other places: Open Air Museum (Vabaohumuuseum), a walk along Pirita promenade, Kalev SPA (swimming pool & saunas – love it!!), Keila-joa and Jagala waterfalls are on the outskirts of Tallinn. Beer House and Olde Hansa are definitely the best places to eat.

Kaspar - I suggest to check out the European Capital of Culture Tallinn 2011 event calendar first. Link: http://www.tallinn2011.ee/eng I also suggest to go outside the walls of old town. Yes, old town is really amazing as most tourist traps are in the world, but that is just one part of Tallinn. Rent a car and make a trip around whole Tallinn and pay a visit also to Tartu or Pärnu. Estonia is a small country and every corner of the country is only few hours drive. There are many different manors (link: http://www.mois.ee/english/) and castles. Near Kohtla-Järve, there is a oil-shale museum (link: http://www.kaevanduspark.ee/eng/index.htm), 2here people are taken undergorund into the mines and can try oil-shale mining with their own hands. Saaremaa and Hiiumaa are two largest islands, and it is also worth to take a little ferry trip over there. Traffic is mostly calm (except rush-hours in Tallinn maybe) and all car rentals offer cars with gps devices. But when you are certain not to leave from Tallinn, then it will be worth to visit kiek in the Kök (link: http://linnamuuseum.ee/kok/en/) where you can find time train and underground passages. You can find everything from here: http://www.tourism.tallinn.ee/

Taavi - I also live in Tallinn. I will recommend also platforms in Toompea Hill (Kohtuotsa and Patkuli) where is also a cool view. In Old Town Square is a funky little cafe called Kehrwieder ( link: http://www.kohvik.ee/). Hope You will have lot of fun in Tallinn :)

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Looking for Tips for Things to Do in Tallinn, Estonia

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Introduction

My husband Demetrius and our son Simon are are off to Tallinn, the Estonian capital, for 5 nights at the end of March 2011. We found flights with Ryanair from Edinburgh for only £23 per person return (hand luggage only and payment by Mastercard prepaid debit card to avoid the £5 per person per flight admin fee). As the family travel expert, I was charged with finding a hotel for their Tallinn trip.

Tallinn by sashapo

Tallinn Hotel Criteria

• Buffet breakfast included
• Not more than one mile from city centre
• At least 75% in verified guest ratings
• Free wifi
• A budget of £70 a night for either one twin room or 2 single rooms (in order to keep the cost per person to under £200 including flights for the 5 nights).

The Search

I started off searching for hotels in Tallinn on the HotelsCombined price comparison site. It quickly became apparent that single rooms cost almost the same as twin rooms.  Most hotels offered free wifi.

I was attracted by the 4* Hotel Barons at £67.40 per night for a twin room, which included buffet breakfast, afternoon coffee with pastries and buffet dinner, free wifi and wired internet, scoring an average guest rating of 80%. We find that going for the half board option makes it easier to stick to your budget when travelling.

Exterior of Hotel Barons, Estonia

After I spotted that had a £30 off code (TCSAVE30) for hotel bookings of £300+, reducing the price of a twin room at the Hotel Barons for 5 nights from £337 to £307  i.e. £61.40 a night per room, we decided to book there. (No dates were given on the Thomas Cook site for expiry of offer).

Total Cost

With return Ryanair flights from Edinburgh to Tallinn at £23 and half board in a 4 star hotel at £154, the total cost per person is £177.

However if you’re looking for a budget Tallinn trip. you can find some B&B deals at 3 star hotels from around £25 a night for a double or twin room.

Click here to check availability and prices for all hotels in Tallin for your dates.

Tallin Trip: Flight & 5 nights 4* half board for under £180

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Photo by nagillum

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, just 50 miles south of Helsinki on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, making it a great daytrip from Helsinki (or vice versa).  I loved Tallin, and this gorgeous medieval town is no stranger here at Europe a la Carte.   Sian points out that it a great place to get hot chocolate, Gloria’s wine bar is also recommended as is a meal at the tasty restaurant Old Hansa.

But those things are there anytime.  What can you expect for the European City of Culture festivities?  The official website suggest a few interesting things going on, including:

• Stories of the Seashore: a forum where writers from all of Europe and globally can share stories
• Rooftop Cinema:  sounds great – bet the stars are beautiful at night up thr!
• 52 Surprises & Ideas: a weekly arts and cultural event
• Maritime Days:  a festival in July celebrating harbour culture

A few other things sound interesting – such as the “60 seconds of Solitude in Year Zero,” but unfortunately much of the content isn’t available in English so I can’t tell you more.  But I can tell you that, European Capital of Culture or not, you’ll love it here.

It looks like Tallinn is a great bet for a European city break in 2011. You can find a range of Tallinn hotels for your stay, using the LateRooms search box below.

European Culture Capital 2011: Tallinn, Estonia

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Of all the places that I visited in Tallinn on my recent trip to Estonia, Chocolaterie Pierre (just off Vene), has stolen my heart and it’ll probably remain with them until I can make hot chocolate as perfect as it was here. I would WALK across Europe for another one. Actually, I’d rather they gave me the recipe at the end, that’s a heck of a walk. But it’s honestly the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. And it just so happens that the rest of the cafe it pretty wonderful too.

If this cafe existed in London, it would be a horrible victim of it’s own success. It would be packed, queues would be out the door, and you’d never get any hot chocolate. Here, it’s easy. Quite enough to nab a table (albeit one with a broken chair bottom) but busy enough to catch snippets of conversation. You see, it’s very dark, and dark makes people whisper, and whispering makes you think everyone is having much more interesting conversations than you. Everything is red, extravagant, velvet, falling apart, vintage, old, fancy. Beautiful. All those things, and more. Like somewhere that has grown for years and years and more pretty things have been added over time.

If the pretty cafe wasn’t enough, there’s the courtyard. The downside with this is if it’s warm enough to sit outside, you’re not going to want hot chocolate. And if you don’t have hot chocolate you’re really doing it wrong. But, they have a quartet playing under a tiny little bandstand so that’s a really nice touch.

So why is the hot chocolate so good? Well I’m pretty sure there’s no milk in for a start. It’s basically melted chocolate, cream and rum. With a mix of raisins and chilli which all sink to the bottom and a gooey pile of tastiness. This is not a speedy drink. You could sit for ages drinking the same drink, and eating Sachertorte. The cakes are excellent too. You’ll pay about £5-7 for a drink and some cake. Not cheap, granted. But worth every single of your pennies. I told you, I’d walk back for the recipe.

The only thing not so great? The chocolates they sell. They’re super expensive, and I was really disappointed when I got home and found that they weren’t that nice at all. Not unpleasant, just no where near as good as the hot chocolate. But, you live and learn. Come, drink the hot chocolate, have a nose around and leave very very happy.

And make sure you don’t go on a Sunday. Like most cafes in Tallinn, they’re closed then. Shame, because we’d have loved to treat ourselves just one more time before leaving. If you’re in Tallinn, you really shouldn’t leave without coming here.

I’d recommend eating at the Old Hansa Restaurant, a drink at Gloria’s Wine Bar and staying at Merchant’s House Hotel for an altogether wonderful Tallinn experience.

Chocolaterie Pierre, Tallinn

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