Book Olympic Air Flights to Tallinn

Sightseeing in Tallinn

Start your tour of the Old Town, the whole of which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and then wander through the modern, bustling part of the centre with the tall modern buildings. For the best view of the old town, climb to the top of Toompea Hill to admire it from above.

The historic Freedom Square of Tallinn (Victory Square during the Soviet period) is where all the military parades took place. Another important square is that of Town Hall Square, which you should definitely put on your “To See” list if you visit Tallinn from the end of November onwards, where there is a beautiful Christmas market. Europe’s oldest pharmacy is also located in this square, which first opened in 1422 and is still running today.

Tallinn’s city walls are the best-preserved medieval walls in the whole of Europe. With a total length of 1.9 kilometres and 20 towers, the walls give the city a fairy-tale atmosphere.

Kadriorg Park is one of the largest and most beautiful parks in the whole of Europe, the main attractions being its swan lake and Japanese garden. Inside the park is Kadriorg Palace, which was built in 1718 and is one of the richest and most impressive in Estonia. This grand baroque palace hosts Estonia’s most important collection of Western European and Russian art from the 16th to the 20th centuries.

St Mary's Cathedral (or Dome Church), the oldest in Estonia, and the Orthodox church of St Nicholas, built in the early 19th century on the designs of the famous architect Luigi Rusca. Particularly impressive is the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, with its luxurious decor and onion-shaped domes.

Tallinn TV Tower. Built in 1980 for the Moscow Olympics, it is the tallest building (314 metres) in Estonia. There is an observation deck at 170 metres high, with panoramic views of the city.
Address: Kloostrimetsa tee 58A, 11913 Tallinn, www.teletorn.ee

Patarei is an imposing seaside complex built on the order of Tsar Nicholas I as a defensive fortress although it was very quickly turned into a barracks and later a Soviet prison. Today it is a symbol of the occupations of Estonia.
Address: Kalaranna 2, 13913 Tallinn, www.patarei.org

Visit the Museum of Occupations to learn more about Estonia under German and Soviet rule, through its audio-visual material, photographs and recordings.
Address: Toompea 8, 10142 Tallinn, www.okupatsioon.ee

Things to do in Tallinn

If you have children, then take a visit to Tallinn Zoo, home to 13,000 animals from all over the world. The stars here are the rare Amur leopards, as there are so few of this species left in the world today.
Address: Paldiski mnt 145, www.tallinnzoo.ee

The Lahemaa National Park, 80 km, east of Tallinn, is ideal for a day trip and strolls through the natural countryside.

Food and entertainment in Tallinn

Tallinn has a great range of entertainment options, with hundreds of pubs and bars that are open from early in the day and where you can also have lunch or dinner.

Among the city’s best clubs are the Rockclub Tapper, popular with hard rock fans and which often has live concerts, the dance club Café Amigo, which is located beneath the Hotel Viru, and the Kultuuriklubi Kelm, where there are different shows and events every night and which has one of the biggest selections of beers in town.

When you are in the Old Town, have a stop in one of the restaurants and enjoy some traditional Estonian dishes. Try sauerkraut (hapukapsas), pickles, local sausages (verivorst), head cheese (sült), sour soups, marinated eel and, of course, rye bread.

Shopping

Put high-quality food, handmade knitted items and local designer clothes at the top of your shopping list in Tallinn. Sweaters, knitted gloves and handmade knitted socks with traditional motifs, wood-carved mugs, felt hats and rustic jewellery are just some of the objects that reveal the traditional crafts of the inhabitants, namely knitting, embroidery and woodcarving. Most shops selling souvenirs, knitted items and antiques are located in the Old Town and on Viru, Müürivahe, Suur-Karja, Väike-Karja and Kullassepa Streets.

The most centrally-located shopping centre in Tallin is the Viru Center, while the department store Tallinna Kaubamaja, located right next door, is also a great choice.

You can find fresh local products in the central Kesturg Market. Don’t leave Tallinn without first having packed some wholemeal bread from the island of Muhu, pilchards and herring from the Baltic Sea, smoked sausages and honey.

Getting from the airport to Tallinn

Bus and tram stops as well as a taxi rank are located right outside the arrivals hall. Tram #4 will take you to the city centre in 15-17 minutes, while you can also get to central Tallinn from the airport with buses #2 and #65.

The Tallinn Airport website recommends that to avoid any unpleasant surprises you should not jump into the first taxi that you see in front of you but only take a taxi from one of the official airport taxi ranks. To be totally on the safe side, agree on the fare before the journey.

If you find yourself in Tallinn in the summer, then don’t miss the traditional Tallinn Old Town Days festival that takes place in the Old Town and marks the start of the summer. For a week the squares, streets and cafes of the city are filled with music, art and theatre and other events, in a modern version of a medieval carnival. Book your flights for Tallinn at the Olympic Air site and discover the capital of Estonia, a charming amalgam of the old and the new!