Tallinn: a first-timer's guide to Estonia's capital

Why go

Tallinn's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a maze of cobbled lanes, gabled merchant houses, church spires and defensive towers that survived largely intact. Yet the city never feels like a museum. Old factories have become markets, galleries and food halls, the seafront has been opened up for walking, and the café and bar culture is relaxed and creative. It also has a strong digital spirit: Skype was developed here, and paying by phone is the norm.

Top things to do

Start in the **Town Hall Square**, the heart of the Lower Town, with its Gothic town hall and the old Town Hall Pharmacy, one of the oldest continuously working pharmacies in Europe. Climb to **Toompea**, the upper town, for the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Toompea Castle and the Kohtuotsa and Patkuli viewing platforms over the red roofs. Walk a section of the **town wall** and visit **St Olaf's Church** tower in the warmer months.

Outside the walls, take the tram to **Kadriorg**, a baroque palace and park built by Peter the Great, now home to the Kadriorg Art Museum and **Kumu**, the national art museum. In **Kalamaja**, wooden houses line quiet streets near the **Seaplane Harbour** museum, where a submarine and seaplanes sit in vast concrete hangars. Next door, **Telliskivi Creative City** and the **Balti Jaam Market** are the places for street art, design shops, vintage stalls and casual food.

Further out, the **Estonian Open Air Museum** at Rocca al Mare shows farmhouses, windmills and village life across two centuries, and **Pirita** has a beach, convent ruins and the TV Tower with a high glass floor. For a sobering view of the Soviet years, visit **Vabamu**, the museum of occupations and freedom, and the **KGB prison cells** on Pagari Street.

Food and drink

Try black rye bread, smoked fish, sprats on rye, blood sausage in winter and kama, a roasted grain flour stirred into sour milk. Tallinn's dining scene ranges from medieval themed taverns in the Old Town to modern Nordic tasting menus in Kalamaja and Rotermann Quarter. Order kali, a fermented bread drink, and look for local craft beer and the herbal liqueur Vana Tallinn.

Saunas

Sauna is a way of life in Estonia. Public saunas range from old wood fired city bathhouses to modern seaside complexes. Bring swimwear for mixed areas and follow the house rules at each one.

Where to stay

The **Old Town** is magical but busier with cruise visitors in summer days. **Rotermann** and the city centre around Viru are convenient and modern. **Kalamaja** suits travellers who prefer a neighbourhood feel, cafés and the sea nearby, and **Kadriorg** is green and quiet.

Getting there and around

Tallinn Airport is linked to the centre by tram line 4 and by buses. Trams, buses and trolley buses cover the city, and you can pay by contactless card on board. Ride hailing apps such as Bolt, an Estonian company, are widely used. Fast ferries to Helsinki leave from the Old City Harbour many times a day.

Safety tips

Tallinn is safe. Keep an eye on bags in crowded Old Town lanes, check the price list before ordering in late night bars, and avoid anyone who approaches you on the street to invite you to a club.