During our trip to Finland we took advantage of Estonia’s proximity to Helsinki and made a short day trip to the city of Tallinn. The cruise from Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland was about 2 hours, which gave us the better part of a day to explore Tallinn.

Estonia is the smallest of the Baltic states and is bordered by Latvia in the south and Russia in the East. Given its strategic location between Scandinavia, Russia and the rest of continental Europe, Estonia was always a coveted prize throughout the centuries. From the early 13th century, Estonia was either invaded, sold or occupied by the Danish Kingdom, German crusader knights, Swedish royals, Tsarist Russia, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union – before eventually gaining independence in 1991. Throughout all this, the country maintained its old world charm and historical architecture – the prime example of which is the city of Tallinn.

Tallinn is one of the most well preserved medieval towns in Europe, and a worthy recipient of its UNESCO World Heritage status. The city is dotted with gothic buildings, winding cobblestone alleys, conical roofed towers, and the remnants of the original walled fort. Hard to imagine that we had almost stepped back in time to a medieval land, and were in a completely different world just 2 hours away from Helsinki.

Toompea

We started our Tallinn sightseeing activities by heading straight up to Toompea hill from our cruise ship to get the best views of Old town. We huffed and puffed our way pushing baby A’s stroller on the cobblestone streets in search of the best viewpoints, and despite the cloudy and dreary weather, managed to secure some great views from the Kohtuotsa and Patkuli viewing platforms. Both locations afforded us sweeping views of old town, with the red brick roofed buildings, various church spires and even the harbor that we had just left.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

The stunning Alexander Nevsky Cathedral dominates the Toompea hilltop with its red & white facade, black onion shaped domes, and golden crosses. This Orthodox Church is named after a Russian war hero, and local Estonians still see it as an unwanted symbol of the Russian occupation. The interior of the church is even more stunning, with detailed frescoes, opulent chandeliers, and numerous icons of saints. When we visited there was an orthodox mass in progress, so we were afforded a chance to see the locals worshiping and to experience the deeply moving chants and hymns.

Town Hall Square

Old Town is centered around Town Hall Square, which is flanked by multiple pastel colored medieval buildings and is always bustling with tourists and locals selling souvenirs. The imposing Town Hall building is the center of the square, and it stands tall with an octagonal tower. many of the buildings around town square now host all kinds of bars and restaurants (Maharajah’s indian food, anyone?).

Viru Gate

This gate at the southernmost part of Old Town is one of the most iconic Tallinn sights. After most of the fort walls and gates were brought down to widen entrances into Old Town, the two towers of Viru gate are all that remain of the original south entrance.

Helleman Tower

In order to get a feel for what it must have been like for soldiers manning the fort in the medieval times, we climbed up the winding staircase of Helleman tower to walk along one of the remaining fort walls. The steep and narrow stone staircase was a thigh burner, but we were rewarded with some great views of the various church steeples that dot Toompea hill. This tower is only 1 of the remaining 26 towers, from the original 45 that helped serve as watchtowers for the original city wall back in the 1400s.

Soon it was time to wrap up our short but truly memorable Tallinn visit and return to Helsinki. Just a day trip does not do justice, so we’ll definitely plan to return and explore more of charming Tallinn and the rest of Estonia again!

 

Eats: Rataskaevu Restaurant

Although we only had a day in Tallin, we had it high on our list to try to local food. After heading down from Toompea hill to town hall square, we were famished and sat down to lunch at Rastakaevu restaurant, which specializes in authentic Estonian cuisine and amazing service. All the dishes were made with fresh local and seasonal ingredients, but the highlight for us was the crisp yet juicy bread pudding!