The obvious number 1 thing that any guide to Tallinn has to mention is the UNESCO World Heritage site: Tallinn Old Town. Locally known as Vanalinn, the Old Town is a historic living area. A picturesque part of the city that you can spend a lovely couple hours walking around.
For shoppers it offers great restaurants, local souveniers and handicrafts, and loads more. For architecture geeks, it’s a beautiful example of a Hansa city that has been preserved in most parts for hundreds of years. The Old Town is a must visit, but Tallinn has a lot more to offer!
For an epic road trip, hire a car for your Tallinn vacation
Rotermanni Kvartal
What most tourists don’t know is that Tallinn has dozens of intriguing places to offer other than just the beautiful Old Town. In this guide to Tallinn you’ll discover all the hidden gems!
Right between the harbour and the Old Town there is the serene Rotermanni kvartal. This area has a unique architecture about it, seasoned with wonderful restaurants and bars. Some of my favourites in the area include:
- R14
- Flamm
- Pull
- Levier (brilliant for remote work!)
- Platz
And RØST! Oh my lord, you must get a cinnamon bun from this little bakery!
Telliskivi and Kalamaja
Walk across the Old Town and you end up at the train station (Baltijaam). Walk across the train station and you come across a Market Hall (Baltijaam Turg) that sits on the border of 2 of the most trendy living areas in Tallinn: Telliskivi and Kalamaja. This guide to Tallinn calls them a ‘must visit’!
These are former suburbs and industrial areas, so there are loads of old factory ruins. These ruins have since been transformed into most amazing loft apartments and restaurants with artsy cafés and little boutiques everywhere.
The “gate” to these areas is the aforementoned brand new market hall where you can find probably the best selection of second hand shops in the world, art, delicious food and local delicacies. Definitely worth a visit!
Kadriorg Palace and Park
To the opposite direction, East from the Old Town, you will find the most delightful, and the least known area of Tallinn; Kadriorg. It’s a leafy park area with gorgeous, well looked after wooden houses. And the former imperial palace with the President’s castle behind it (it’s pink!!).
In the park you will find a swan lake with a gazebo in the middle, and a bit further into the woods there is a secret Japanese garden. A guide to Tallinn wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that this part of the park was donated to Tallinn in its entirety by Japan.
It is my ultimate favourite place in Tallinn (in addition to the seaside): ultimate zen and peace. Especially when the cherry blossoms take over the little park.
Right after Kadriorg you will find yourself by the Baltic Sea. There you can follow the cruise ships sailing back and forth between Helsinki and Tallinn, chill on the beach or enjoy some delish food on a terrace.
Noblessner
A former dock and shipyard has recently been transformed into one of the most attractive ports and leisure areas in Northern Europe. Here you can find amazing culinary experiences, like 180o, which as a Michelin star.
Order a drink and relax on the vast terrace wathing sailing boats gliding in and out of the small port. Here you can also find an indoor amusement park, Proto. Suitable for children and adults, this land of fun offers virtual and physical experiences that you can’t find elsewhere.
If you wander through the vast Noblessner terrace towards the sea, you’ll end up in the Iglu village. These little iglus act as hotels and they come with mini saunas, a bar and a barbeque. Continue onwards and you’ll find yourself in Lennusadam:
A maritime museum, which includes plenty of ships to explore and a submarine. In the actual museum building you can get acquainted with a ship that sunk in the Baltic Sea in the 1560’s.
Expert Guide to Tallinn – Conclusion
I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t overly excited when I moved to Tallinn 3 years ago. But during Summer the city is exceptionally beautiful and nothing beats having lunch and a glass of wine on a terrace in the Old Town.
There’s one thing where Tallinn beats many other big cities running along the Baltic Sea: food culture. There’s a variety of global cuisines, but the best restaurants are the ones that focus on local production and ingredients. Simple but tasty.
The restaurants that this guide to Tallinn recommends with a gusto are:
- Rataskaevu 16 (Old Town)
- Pegasus (Old Town)
- Kolm Sibulat (Kesklinn)
- NOP (Kadriorg)
- Salt (Kadriorg)
- Pull (Rotermanni)
- R14 (Rotermanni)
- F hoone (Telliskivi)
- The Kurze (Kalamaja)
- Flower Garden Kafe (Kalamaja)
Book a table beforehand! Restaurants here are small and very popular, so walk-ins are often left outside.
Also, architecture here is something you can’t find anywhere else. It’s a mixture of Swedish and St. Petersburg’s decorative and imperial style next to ultra modern and simplistic buildings influenced by Scandinavia.
Where Scandinavian architecture is plain boring, Estonians have managed to make it interesting and surprising.
Tallinn is quickly becoming busier and busier, so if you want to see this Baltic pearl, you’d do better to go see it soon. The small country has a lot more to offer than just the capital as well, so a wee road trip would also be very justified here.
Summer is the best time with the city blooming and all kinds of events taking place every week. Or another good period would be Christmas. Like many European cities, also Tallinn has a proper Christmas Market.
