Hi guys! I can’t wait to share my wonderful Finland stories and travel guide with you! But while that post is going to take a little more work, I wanted to fill you in on my beautiful day trip to Tallinn, Estonia, in midst of my Finnish adventures.
Tallinn, Estonia is one of the most scrumptious places on the planet. Yes, I like to use food vocab when explaining top tier things. From the moment I stepped foot onto this lovely town, I knew it was going to be a day that would stick with me forever. It is confirmed that I will 100% be visiting this magical land again.
My friend and I did not have set goals for this little day trip. In fact, it was not even confirmed that we would be taking this journey through the Baltic, to visit this land of the Medieval Times. Our impromptu, yet “promptu”, decision was made the night before we actually left Helsinki.
Travelling from Helsinki to Tallinn was a struggle. For starters, we took a HUGE cruise ship. It had multiple floors, a mini casino, restaurants, lounges, bars and even grocery stores located within. (I was so claustrophobic) The ETA to Tallin was 2 hours… and we arrived exactly in 2 hours. How dare they? Lastly, we did not get stuck in passport control because it was one of their off days. Seriously… could the experience get any worse? 🙂 In all honesty, it was the simplest situation ever. The fare is about 37 euros round-trip. I’m not quite sure if the price changes if you buy tickets in advance but you can buy your tickets online if you click here. Oh and the ship has free wifi… I mean hell yea <3
First thing’s first…
FOOD. We were STARVED and just wanted some comfort food because it was a few days into our trip and we were missing our usual flavors of American dining… But we found the complete opposite: Mexican. And we couldn’t have been happier. This little random, yet cute, hole in the wall restaurant was exactly what we needed. The name of the restaurant is called Ancho, and it took about 20 minutes to walk to from the port (it is located in the Old Town). The food was great but the restaurant itself was amazing. It has so many little trinkets and beautiful colored decor everywhere. The ceiling was completely covered with beer boxes, which gave it a super fun vibe. I highly recommend the nachos and the quesadillas… because they are nachos and quesadillas. 🙂
When we were done with lunch, we walked straight to Hellemani Tower. We walked up a few flight of stairs (the first of many) and got an incredible view of one section of the town. I don’t think pictures can even do justice because the colors of this town are simply incredible.
And some more walking…
Next up – we took a stroll through the street of Katariina Kirik, which is such a marvelous street. There are so many little shops, beautiful flowers hanging from doors, and very aged architecture that fits right in with the Medieval Times. If you like history at all, well then here’s a fact for you and more of a reason for you to visit: Tallinn is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List due to the WW2 bombings that severely affected the town. As you are walking around, you can just tell that this place is filled with so much history in every angle possible.
Sunny town squares…
Our next stop was the Town Square, also known as Raekoja plats, which is the one thing I was looking forward to the most. Walking through it literally makes you think, “WOW. I am walking through a fairytale.” The stores are formed perfectly into a square and the colors of the shops are so vibrant. There are an endless amount of vendors that set up their tiny huts right in the middle of the square, selling items that can make for great souvenirs! The Town Square is located right beside the Town Hall, making it one of the busiest areas of the Old Town. There are dozens of outdoor restaurants that are lined up against the shops so I would highly recommend grabbing a bite or even a drink after you are done exploring just to sit and absorb all of the endless beauty 🙂
Royal landmarks…
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was our next pit stop in our journey through Tallinn. This is one of the most beautifully structured Cathedrals from the outside that I have ever seen. It reminds me of the mosques you would see in Russia, with the beautiful pointed domes at the top. For me, the colors are what did it. It is so royal and traditional which I absolutely love. The Cathedral was just as gorgeous inside, however, we were not allowed to take any photos when we entered. I wish I could have captured a shot for you but I guess you’ll just have to go there to see it for yourselves!
Views on views…
For a full view of the town from up top, we walked over to St. Olaf’s Church. This church was the community center for all Tallinn locals in the 12th century before Denmark had taken over. It’s crazy to see that buildings from the 1200’s are still up and STILL stunning. For 3 euros, you can walk up to the top of the building for the most break taking views of the red roof town. I would suggest going early on in the day because there is only one spiral staircase that is used for people going up and down. The climb is a bit steep and narrow so if possible, try to go when there is less traffic! I immediately forgot about my minor panic attack while climbing into the air when I saw this:
The perfect ending to the perfect day…
We had pre-bought our boat tickets and had exactly 1 hour left before heading back… That one hour obviously called for a cocktail 🙂 We headed back to the Town Square and sat down at one of the outdoor restaurants called “Vana Toomas”. As I was sipping on my Vana Tallinn Mojito, (Estonian rum-based liquor), I was thinking that I could stay here for days, shuffling down the cobblestone paths of the narrow streets and staring at the sunny squares full of people and life. It is truly such a pleasant place to be.
As you can tell by now, Estonia stole a piece of my heart. I honestly don’t think I can rave about it any more than I already have. (Well… I probably can). It’s a hidden little gem that no one really thinks to visit, so I’m really glad that I was fortunate enough to take a day from my Helsinki trip to travel there. This old Medieval, cobblestone, village-like town is so simple yet so intricate. If you like the historical feel when vacationing, I highly recommend visiting Tallinn. You certainly do not need a whole lot of time to explore the town so even if you are flying elsewhere in Europe, please please please make a pit stop!! And if you have any specific questions, feel free to comment below!!
xx