We travelled to Tallinn, Estonia and was blown away by this beautiful, ancient city. There’s so much history and even though the population is quite small (approximately 400,000), there’s still so much to see in the city. Here are some of our picks for things to do in the city.
Visit the DM Baar
Down a short street in Old Town, you’ll find a bar which was “…devoted for the band they chosed to honour”. That band is Depeche Mode. DM Baar plays Depeche Mode’s music and videos, and has lots of DM related memorabilia. The band has visited the bar too, so it’s totally legit.
Wander through Telliskivi Creative City
Telliskivi Loomelinnak aka Creative City is basically a bunch fo old warehouses and factories that have been converted into shops, restaurants, markets, cafes, bars, and offices. You can walk around and pop in and out of the stores and grab coffee or a beer. Lots of independent Estonian designers are selling their stuff here. The graffiti wall runs behind the Creative City beside the railway tracks. There’s a very cool vibe in the area, which makes it a must see when visiting Tallinn.
Browse the market
Adjacent to Telliskivi Loomelinnak is Balti Jaama Market (indoor / outdoor market) that sells lots of vintage clothes and antiques, as well as new products by local designer. There’s also meat, cheese, flowers, fruits and vegetables, and some take away restaurants. Make sure to grab a coffee and cinnamon bun (aka Kaneelirullid) from Ristikheina Kohvik.
Check out some modern art
You should definitely check out the EKKM (Modern Art Museum) when you visit Tallinn. It’s located in a converted multi floor warehouse building. Grab a coffee on the main floor, then explore the installations on each floor. During our visit, there were many audio video installations – very cool indeed. For more information, visit ekkm.ee/en/.
Find independent galleries
There are loads of artists in Tallinn, so it’s not hard to find independent galleries. We happened across an gallery opening and were welcomed to join the party. This is how you can immerse yourself in the local culture…get right in there to experience it. You can also buy local art in many of the shops.
Check out ships at the Seaplane Harbor Maritime Museum
The Seaplane Harbour Maritime Museum (in Estonian that’s Lennusadam) is located in the Kalamaja district of Tallinn. The museum presents us about two hundred large exhibits. Each attraction is placed in three levels: below the sea, on the sea, and in the air. We saved a bit of money by only paying for the ships located outside, which was interesting enough. You could walk inside the boats in the marina next to the museum. If you want to fork out more money, check out both the inside and outside exhibits.
Walk up an abandoned building
This was one of our favourite things we did in Tallinn – and it was free. What’s better than cool and free, right? Linnahall is a mostly abandoned, crumbling, concrete structure built for the boycotted 1980 Moscow Olympics. It still has a helipad and restaurant on the waterside of the building. Once you get up top of Linnahall, you get amazing unobstructed views of the city and water.
Take a ferry to Helsinki
The Helsinki Tallinn ferry route connects Helsinki with Tallinn and is currently operated by 3 ferry companies. Fast ferries get you between the cities in as little as two hours. If you’re budget conscious, tickets may be cheaper in advance and cheaper if you take the slightly slower 3.5 hour ferry.
For more information about Tallinn, visit visitestonia.com/en/where-to-go/tallinn.
