Tallinn, Estonia. A place I chose to visit because of its name, and because of a pretty winter picture on reddit. Thankfully, it did not disappoint.
I spent an amazing weekend indulging in Estonian culture and marvelling at the history of Tallinn’s medieval old town.
A One Day Walking Tour of Old Town
Tallinn is definitely a town you can walk around in less than a day. However, for such a small town, there was so much to discover on every street I turned.
I started out our self-guided walking tour at the Town Hall Square, and continued to check out arts and antiques shops in the Masters’ Courtyard and St. Catherine’s Passage.
I walked through the Viru Gate, a castle-like entrance to the Old Town and the starting point for the city wall that was used to defend the city back in the 14th century.
Tallinn is filled with old churches and cathedrals which are never hard to find, as they tower above the city. You can practically spot one every time you walk down one of the cobblestone streets.
I visited both St. Olaf’s Church (which was closed) and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
Then I climbed up high to get THE best view of the Old Town. Definitely worth the stair climb…
Tallinna Kultuuri
The culture in Tallinn (aka “Tallinna kultuuri”) felt like a mix of many things, but also very alive and strong in its own way. Over the years, Nordic & Baltic influences including Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Russia have had a big impact on the city.
There were scary statues in the Danish King’s Garden, and I spent our Friday night watching retro soviet TV commercials from the 80’s…
Interesting Eats
When you find a tavern that appears to be from the 1330’s called Dragon (“Draakon”) playing loud Estonian music on a Friday night, do you go inside? Well, I did.
What I found was a witch-like woman from 500 years ago serving mysterious beer in clay jugs. She was also serving soup from a cauldron, and oxmeat for “3 monies”. The tavern was filled with candles, and the witch was not happy when a gentleman at another table set his scarf on fire.
On the second day in Tallinn, I tried a modern Estonian dining experience with the most amazing homemade bread. I also grabbed some almond fudge served by a monk in the streets.
Tallinn Apartment Therapy
High ceilings. Big windows. Heated bathroom floors. Local art. A super old elevator. And chocolates on the pillow…
All in all, I loved my time in the town named after me.
If you ever feel like escaping modern life and getting lost in an old medieval town, Tallinn will be waiting for you!
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