Before coming to Estonia I had no real information about the country. I knew it was a former Soviet-bloc country so there would be a Russian influence, but that was about it. That and in the 1992 movie “Encino Man” Pauly Shore’s character tells everyone that the caveman, played by Brendan Fraser, is actually an exchange student from Estonia.
Activities
Once we arrived at the airport and caught a bus to Old Town that was pretty much the only time we used public transportation. Old Town is for the most part closed off to cars and it is small enough so that you can primarily get around by foot. Although Tallinn is a modern city by any means, Old Town is the main tourist attraction. It is a cobblestone lined part of the city almost entirely surrounded by 15th century castle walls. Inside are numerous restaurants, shops, and stands. On the outside of the walls are varying towers. There is Fat Margaret’s tower which is the biggest, the Viru Gates, and Kiek in de koek (means peek into the kitchen). Remarkably, although probably with some restoration, the wall and towers have preserved quite well.
Inside the Old Town are a few other sites as well. There is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a large Russian Orthodox cathedral; the Estonian Parliament building on Toompea Hill; a number of viewing platforms on the castle walls; Freedom Square commemorating Estonian independence; and the world’s oldest continually running pharmacy. We had a tour guide to walk us through certain parts which was fun because he told us about all the legends and stories of the city. He told us everything from how certain buildings were named to the Russians bombing the city in WWII.
We also took a trip outside of Old Town to get a feel for the rest of more modern day Tallinn. This was incredibly interesting because you have 15th century remnants in one part of the city, Soviet-era factory buildings in another, and then modern architecture right next to it. It really gave the city a cool vibe. We also veered into a number of antique shops and a lot of the items in there were original Soviet era memorabilia: coins, medals, military uniforms, even passports. It was pretty amazing to think that all of those things, probably meaningless 30 years ago, are now being sold to tourists.
Food
In Tallinn we were able to get a much better feel for traditional food. Although Estonia recently went to the Euro, it was still pretty comparable to what you would pay in the US, sometimes even cheaper. We were able to eat at what I thought were a lot of really nice restaurants for a good price. Elk meat and boars meat were the more exotic things that we tried, and I have to say, I indulged with food and drink every single day. The beer was dark and delicious, the portions were good, and the service was pleasant except for one robotic Russian girl. Local bake shops and chocolate shops certainly had a spike in business during our trip; every day I would try a new treat and I was not disappointed.
As we were in Tallinn on Christmas day we went into the Town Square where they had, along with a few reindeer, some traditional food and drink. Sweden and Estonia have glogg, or hot wine, which to my surprise I really enjoyed. They also had blood sausages which were tasty and some other snacks. Their traditional pancakes, more like a thicker crepe filled with meat, were awesome as well. If it were not for walking around every day I think I would have gained 5 pounds in a week. What topped it off was seeing the movie “Puss n’ Boots” and them giving us free candy at the movie theater. Can’t go wrong with that!
Overall
The city of Tallinn was really quite charming. It is a major tourist destination, but it seemed like it was mostly from other northern Europeans and Russians. The city still seems relatively unknown to many people but I would highly recommend a visit. It is easily accessible, provides glimpses into two different, major periods in history, and isn’t that costly. It has a good overall atmosphere that is very welcoming. Well worth the visit, and about 5-6 days here was just about perfect.
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