Tallinn is Estonia's capital and largest city. Tallinn is an important port of the Baltic Sea, with the busy passenger section of the port reaching the foothill of the picturesque medieval Old Town, which has been astonishingly well preserved and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
On the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is a city of over 450,000 inhabitants (2023). It is home to a third of the country's population, and is also the capital of Harju County in Northern Estonia. In a striking contrast to its Old Town, its immediate outskirts are filled with a cluster of modern office towers, with intermittent architectural monuments to the Soviet era. Further out, you will find a bewildering variety of historic and modern neighbourhoods, religious, civic, industrial and maritime heritage.
The Old Town is best navigated on foot, not that you have much choice. A network of buses, trams and trolleybuses covers the rest of the city. There is an abundance of relatively cheap taxis. Before you jump in a random taxi car make sure you check the price on the window of the car. In Tallinn there are more than 20 taxi companies and some can be a rip-off. TLT operates frequent bus, trolley and tram services daily 06:00-23:59. Timetables and maps are available in English.
The Tenet tour is a showcase of sets of the 2020 film Tenet. The Tallinn history tour is a walk through the city's long history. According to myth, the hill was built on top of the grave of legendary Estonian king Kalev, but more historically, its solid limestone and the site of the Danish castle that founded the city in 1219. Toompea was the home of the Danish and later Baltic German aristocracy and relations between the toffs and the plebs were often inflamed, which is why it's surrounded by thick walls and there's a gate tower (1380) guarding the entrance. Check out the viewpoints, some of which give great views over the city.
1 Medieval Days (Keskaja Päevad), Raekoja plats (in the Old Town), ☏ +372 660 4772, +372 518 7812 (Estonian Folk Art and Handicraft Union), +372 5364 8854 (Costume rental), info@folkart.ee. July. Come and experience the medieval atmosphere of the historic Hanseatic City! You can find workshops and market with traders, participate in tours and witness exciting tournaments. 2 Kultuurikatel (creative hub), Põhja pst 27a, ☏ +372 56 2011 15. A former industrial site, it now Tallinn's main creative hub, site of many events (see website). (updated Oct 2018) 3 Energy Discovery Centre (for youngsters), Põhja pst 29, ☏ +372 620 9020, info@energiakeskus.ee.
The Old Town is packed with restaurants claiming to offer authentic Estonian food, particularly on and around Raekoja plats. Prices at restaurants near the Raekoja Plats are generally more expensive, yet offer the same quality of food, as restaurants off this main square. Prices are steep by Estonian standards, but still much cheaper than neighbouring Helsinki, which explains why on weekends they're always packed with day tripping Finns. 1 Maiasmokk, Pikk 16, ☏ +372 64 64 079, maiasmokk@kalev.eu. Mostly 09:00–21:00. The oldest still operating café in Tallinn, dating back to 1864. Coffee, tea, chocolate and various sweet and savoury pastries at quite cheap prices.
There are plenty of nice cafés, especially in the centre. Among the interesting ones: 1 Café Mademoiselle (Kohvik Mademoiselle), Toompuiestee 27 / Paldiski mnt 4 (in the Kelmiküla district; at the Meriton Grand Conference & Spa Hotel), ☏ +372 62 88 155, pastry.meriton.tallinn@parkinn.com. Daily 08:00–22:00. A café with the high quality confectionery products. (updated Jun 2023) 2 Wabadus Kohvik (Café Wabadus), Vabaduse väljak 10, ☏ +372 6604019. M-Th 9-23; F 9-1; Sa 11-1, Su 11-22. located just next to the freedom square, this café has good drinks as well as dishes. The interior is a great blend of classical styles of prior decades with the modern times.
Tallinn is easily among Europe's safest capitals, with violent crime being rare and petty crime being negligible compared to other cities. However, various governments warn against the risk of being pickpocketed, particularly in the Old Town. Watch your valuables closely, especially on public transport and at Viru Street. The stigmatized neighbourhoods of Kopli and Lasnamäe – both predominantly Russian-speaking areas known as hotbeds for the notorious "Gopnik" culture – are probably best to be avoided after dark, although they are a lot safer than the "bad neighbourhoods" in Western European or North American cities.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Tallinn typically sees ~23°C daytime highs and 16 rainy days.
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