The elaborate breakfast spread at our centrally located Hestia
Barons hotel is the best of our whole trip -- and that's saying a lot
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Where We Be
Patkuli and Kohtuotsa Viewing Platforms offer spectacular
(and free) views of Tallinn's Old Town from on high
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Recipe for a perfect day in Tallinn: get up early
and begin exploring this magical medieval city
in the morning light. Start at Town Hall Square
(Raekoja Plats), the heart of the old walled city,
then make your way to St. Catherine’s Passage,
one of Old Town’s most picturesque lanes.
Climb the towers and walk the ramparts of the
intact city walls (€3), then wander the streets,
marveling at the eclectic architecture, until it's
time for lunch at one of the many outdoor cafes.
Use your transit pass to visit two sights outside
Old Town. Kadriorg Park boasts formal gardens
and a palace built by Peter the Great. Telliskivi
Creative City is an artsy former industrial area
with a fun vibe and lots of murals and graffiti art.
Two amazing viewing platforms -- Patkuli and
Kohtuotsa -- are situated atop Toompea Hill on
the western side of Old Town. We recommend
visiting these in the late afternoon when the
lighting is best. Then stroll over to Alexander
Nevsky Cathedral with its onion domes. Nearby
is Toompea Castle, Estonian seat of power for
800 years. Walk down past the castle walls on
your way back to Town Hall Square and dinner.
Three views of the same tower from different spots around town
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It's such a pleasure to walk in the shadow of Tallinn's intact city walls
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Katariina Kaik is one of the city's most picturesque lanes -- and it even has its own cafe
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Be sure to leave some time just to wander around the streets of Old Town
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Town Hall Square's pharmacy is one of the oldest continually working apothecaries in the world (first mentioned in 1422)
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Town Hall Square in the morning sunshine -- what a great way to start your day
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Have a seat on the dachsund bench right on the square
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The buildings are bathed in soft light and the square is mostly empty at this hour
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We recommend climbing up to Toompea Hill by this pleasant route through Old Town
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Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with its distinctive onion domes sits atop Toompea Hill
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Toompea Castle (with pink Baroque addition per Catherine the Great)
and the Tall Hermann Tower are also located atop Toompea Hill
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Weather vane near Kohtuotsa viewing platform
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You'll pass guild halls, churches, merchants' homes, monuments, and more
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This Art Nouveau building is a special delight
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Cats, or humans masquerading as cats, bare their fangs
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Ukrainian tributes are a common sight these days
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Red-topped turrets, sky-high spires, and the blue Baltic Sea make for delightful views
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We recommend descending Toompea Hill by a different path, just outside the city walls
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Peaceful spot near the base of Toompea Hill
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Tallinn's trams are convenient and fun to ride
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Kadriorg Park is home to this magnificent palace built by Peter the Great (it now houses a Kunst art museum)
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The colorful formal gardens seem to mirror the colorful palace
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Also at Kadriorg Park: the Estonian presidential palace (pink)
and a small house where Peter the Great once summered
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Telliskivi Creative City is easily reachable by tram and has a fun vibe all its own
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You never know what you're going to find at Telliskivi. Carnival mirrors? Sure, why not?
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City gates allow you to enter and exit Old Town at different spots
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Many of the buildings in Tallinn have a distinctive look all their own
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Another winner is the French fries with "cheese sauce" and smoky tofu bits (€8) at Vegan Restoran V
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Either way, the views from above are terrific
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Tallinn's red roofs and fairy-tale turrets look especially pretty on a blue-sky day
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The cost is minimal (€3) and it's a fun experience to climb the
steep tower stairs -- or just climb to the (flat) ramparts if you prefer
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You can walk the ramparts of the town wall between three towers -- Nunna, Sauna, and Kuldjala
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The two views are similar -- this photo is from Patkuli and the top
one is from Kohtuotsa -- but in either case, late afternoon is best
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We also recommend the mushroom soup at
Café Black Poodle (Kohvik Must Puudle)
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Turret nestled among trees
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Entrance to St. Catherine's Passage
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A bespectacled man peers down at you from above
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A dragon wraps around an archway
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An outdoor clock keeps time on the side of a church
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Florist displays add color to any city
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This former industrial area has some pretty cool murals and graffiti art to enjoy
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Hopefully it's not our last visit to this wonderful little city on the Baltic
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