Traversing Tallinn

Tallinn is a city of interesting mixes. Culturally and linguistically, it has very close ties to Finland, though politically and for a significant part of its history, has ties to Russia. It was part of the Hanseatic League, and ruled for a while by the Danish. Despite this mix, overall, Tallinn is a city of its own. It is this combination that makes Tallinn the gem of the Baltics for me. Reminiscent of Prague, Tallinn is somewhat of a stepping stone between what can be called Eastern and Western Europe. It is like no other city that I have ever traveled to.

The Estonian people are some of the friendliest that I have met, and are very willing to help you in any way possible. Most people in the city are fluent in Estonian, Russian, Finnish, and English (often German as well), so there is little chance that you will not be understood. As you venture outside the centre of the city however, less people are likely to speak English, and you may have to get by on Russian or Estonian. Even if you only plan on staying within the city, I recommend picking up some of the Estonian pleasantries, as the locals will be impressed and very appreciative of your attempts to learn a little of their language. The locals will even help you with your Estonian if you ask.

Although most visitors are only day-trippers from Helsinki, there is a lot more to do than just what can fit between the first ferry arrival and last ferry departure of the day. Within the city, there are many different areas that each would afford a portion of the day on your itinerary. Toompea Hill, the Old Town, and Town Hall Square should not be missed in the town centre, and if you have time, a trip to Kadriorg, just 2 kilometres east of the centre has many historical buildings and palaces. Medieval churches abound and are difficult to miss in this city that has so many of them.

Quick Tips:

The best suggestion that I can make, regardless of the city, is to stay in or near the centre of town. This cuts down on the transportation costs to get to the attractions, as well as cuts down on the time it takes to get there. Even if it costs a little more to stay central, it's probably worth the travel time and hassle saved. Although there are some very good restaurants in the Old Town, they are generally a bit more expensive than you can find in other parts of the city. The prices there are comparable to what you would expect from a Western European city such as Munich or Rome. For cheap eats venture outside of the Old Town, and to a lesser extent Toompea Hill, and not only will you find cheaper food, but also local Estonian cuisine, and be able to experience the beautiful Estonian culture.

If you are planning on doing a bit of travel by bus and exploring the many museums and other sights of Tallinn, investing in a "Tallinn Card" may be the most economical solution. With this card, you can gain free bus travel, free access to most museums, free sightseeing tours (including a bicycle tour), nightclub entry, and even free bowling. The card is available in time allocations, 6h, 24h, 48h, or 72h, with prices of EEK130, EEK350, EEK400, EEK450, respectively. Children prices are half of the adult price, though note that some attractions are not available with the 6h card.

It all depends on the season as to what clothes to bring, and what good sightseeing tours there are to do. If you are venturing to Tallinn during the late fall to early spring, be sure to bring warm clothing as the average temperatures are below freezing. Though, visiting in the winter will allow you to visit the Christmas markets in the Town Hall Square and other seasonal festivities. The autumn months generally have more precipitation than spring. Summer is the ideal time to visit with temperatures reaching anywhere up to the low 30s Celsius (80s Fahrenheit), so a short sleeve shirt and shorts is the best way to go. Though, due to its location on the Baltic Sea, weather changes any time of year are possible, so be sure to bring a jacket during the summer just to be safe.

Best Way To Get Around:

Most people visit Tallinn only as a day-trip from Helsinki, but I believe that to fully experience Tallinn, you need a few days to explore this beautiful medieval city. Getting to (or from) Finland is relatively easy, quick, and cheap. From the seaport located in the middle of the city, numerous different ferry lines offer services on the heavily trafficked route between Tallinn and Helsinki. From my experience, I recommend Silja Lines, as they have most often the cheapest fares (though all the companies are relatively priced the same), and their staff is exceptional, both extremely friendly and extremely helpful, going out of their way to assist you. I would choose Silja Lines again simply because of their marvellous staff.

Once in Tallinn, travel to get anywhere is quite easy. The city has a vast network of public transportation available, from buses to trams to trolleys. Though, make sure that the service you want is running, as twice in Tallinn we experienced that that tram we wanted was inoperational due to mechanical problems. Bus fares are extremely affordable, and have services to anywhere in the city you could ever desire to go. It is most economical to pre-purchase a ticket from the kiosk at any bus stations, and then validate it once entering the bus (read my article about validating your ticket so you don't get a ride in the "red van"). A pre-purchased ticket can save you up to half price of the fare. The tickets are a flat-fee, meaning that it costs EEK5 (about .35) for students and EKK10 (.70) for the adult fare, regardless whether you ride one stop, or ride until the end of the line.

Though, my favourite way to get around any city is by using my two feet. It costs nothing, gives me a little exercise, is environmentally friendly, and is the only way to experience those off-the-beaten-track things that you stumble upon whilst exploring a new city. Since Tallin is not too spread out, everything that one would want to see of this medieval city is within a short walking distance. Even the seaport is only a short walk from the centre of town.

Taxis are plentiful, and depending on where you are looking to go, offer very inexpensive fares, especially if you are travelling in a group.

If you want to stay in an area outside of central Tallinn, in what looks like a former Soviet housing project, then staying in Mahtra is the way to go. Otherwise, I'd recommend finding someplace different.

The problems began at check-in. I was travelling with three mates, and we had booked our stay in the Mahtra Hostel months before our arrival. Despite this, the not-so-friendly staff still managed to only allocate us a three-person room, not the four-person room we had reserved; and naturally, all the four person rooms were already full. They ended up putting a cot (rollaway bed) in the room for the fourth person, which took up most of the meagre floorspace we had. They still wanted to charge us the full price of a four-bed room, but after a little discussion with them, they took a bit off the price.

Security is apparently not a priority for the hostel, as the only way to lock the door when you are inside the room is with a chain (thereby still allowing the door to be partially opened). The doorknob itself can only be locked from outside the room. Since actually locking the doorknob was impossible by being inside, we simply had our door closed, unchained as we sat in our room discussing plans for the next day. Suddenly, an unending commotion began from outside our door, and the door swung open with multiple schoolchildren laughing and starring at us. They then slammed the door and continued to be loud in the hallway. This disturbance continued, even though we chained the door, since it could still be partially opened. If there was a lock on the doorknob, this could have been avoided.

Left to be desired was the toilet, or better said "water closet" since the toilet (shared by three rooms) was literally in the closet, whose dimensions couldn't have been more than one metre square. Because there was shelving behind the toilet itself, there was only about 20 centimetres (8 inches) of legroom between the toilet and the door, which makes doing "Number 2" difficult for a person of any height. Plus, the light switch is on the outside of the "closet," so anyone has the ability to turn off the lights whilst you're doing your business, and that's exactly what those obnoxious schoolchildren did, thus making it a bit difficult. Both the toilet and the separate bathroom were quite dingy, and could barely be called clean.

The Mahtra Hostel is a 20 minute bus ride from central Tallinn, and there are plenty of connections into the city from the bus stops nearby. A supermarket is located close by, though the alleyway to get there is frequented by transients.

The only positive feature of this hostel were the very comfortable beds and blankets (which appeared clean), and the price of about $10USD per person (depending on room size).

If you are still keen on staying at Mahtra, you can find more info and make bookings at www.mahtra.ee/hostel/index.php.

If you find yourself in Tallinn's Old Town, just up the road from the Town Hall Square, give your feet a rest by dropping in this wonderful sidewalk beer house.

This brewery/restaurant was established in 2002, and has been attracting tourists and locals alike, ever since. There is a strong Austrian influence on both the decor and the gastronomy of the restaurant, which adheres closely to the time-tested brewing and cooking methods of Austria. The seven house-brewed beers (ranging from Pilsner to Dunkles -Dark- to Helles -Light- to Honey) are a feast for any beer lover. Available in many sizes, possibly the most popular is the Masskrug, measuring in at one litre. Though, this amount comes at a price, and can set you back about $7USD, which although is a bit expensive for Estonia, is somewhat on par with the rest of Europe. I was originally deterred by this price, though after thoroughly enjoying this brew, I realised every cent was well spent. If the house brews aren't up your alley, they also have a few imported brews, as well as a wide range of wines, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages.

The menu has quite an international flare to it, offering dishes ranging from fish pizza to tandori chicken with Mediterranean vegetables. For a quite bite to accompany a house beer, I recommend the Bratwurst with sauerkraut. Though if you are looking for something a little more filling, try the grilled mutton in a prune chutney. Though I didn't have it myself, a neighboring table did, and I must say that the presentation was exquisite.

The service was wonderful, and adhering to the Austrian theme of this restaurant, the waitresses wear Dirndls, though the Lederhosen are absent from the male staff (maybe that would have been too cliche).

There is a large amount of seating inside the restaurant, though to take in the grandeur of the Old Town, take a seat at one of the many wooden tables located in the auto-free Dunkri Street. It's a great way to sit and enjoy a brew with your mates whilst watching the daily life of Tallinn unfold in front of you.

The restaurant provided a good experience out in Tallinn, and I'd recommend this for all ages, family, group, or single travellers. It is open daily from 10am until midnight weekdays and 2am weekends. For the full menu and a map of the location, check out www.beerhouse.ee.

Where else in the world can you visit a location where you feel transported back to the medieval period of the 14th century? Tallinn's Toompea Hill affords just that with its iconic buildings and quaint streets and walkways.

Rising above the western part of Tallinn, Toompea Hill is easily seen from any place within Tallinn City. The onion domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the daunting stone façade and tower of Toompea Castle soar above the rest of Tallinn, making it easy to wander your way to, and through, the cobblestoned streets of Toompea.

Quite possibly the most recognisable building in Toompea is the Russian orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Built at the turn of the 19th century, whilst under Russian rule, the cathedral received a lot of heat in the mid-1900s because it was a symbol of the Russian occupation. The inside is adorned with numerous mosaics and paintings, though be sure to be dressed modestly when entering. The cathedral is open daily from 8am to 7pm.

Located across the Lossiplaats from the Cathedral is the Toompea Castle, which was built in the 12th century by the local population but, in subsequent years, was taken over by the Danish. Today, behind the pinkish façade, is the Parliament of Estonia (Riigikogu), which has met there since 1922. Tours of the castle are available on weekdays between 10am and 4pm. The Castle Gardens are located directly to the south of the castle, and are an ideal place to take a rest break whilst still reveling in the grandeur of Toompea Hill.

Right near the intersection of Toom-Rüütli and Kohtu streets, there is an open courtyard that is a perfect vantage point for looking out over much of Tallinn. If you ever see the amazing pictures of Tallinn encompassing much of the Old Town, it is most likely from this lookout point that they were taken. Because of this, it's hardly off the beaten track, and you'll be accompanied by dozens of other tourists racing to get an open spot along the wall to get your snapshots of the city. Since there are often many tourists at this location, merchants have discovered the wealth they can receive by setting up a stand. Most are selling slightly overpriced "antique" souvenirs, and we were also approached by a man trying to sell us historical coins, some of which were from the Soviet era, and others which were hundreds of years old. Now, I don't know my historic coins too well, but I don't think that a 400 year old coin would only sell for around 2 Euro. They looked legitimate, but the price surely didn't sound it. Other, licenced, shops are located around the area, where the prices seemed to be slightly higher than one would find in the Old Town.

Toompea Hill is a place where you can just wander the streets and alleys, and be marveled by what you stumble accross. It's a safe area, but stay assertive as you would in any other city.

Like any typical European city, Tallinn is centred around its main square; and in the Estonian capital, it is known locally as Raekoja Plats or to the tourists as Town Hall Square.

The main building on the Town Hall Square is obviously Town Hall, or Tallinna Raekoda. Although the building was built over 600 years ago, it has kept to its original use and externally looks much the same as it did during its completion. The Town Hall Tower rises about 40 metres (about 130 feet) over the Square, and affords an amazing view over the Old Town and towards Toompea Hill. Although there are only a little over a hundred steps to reach the top of the tower, the higher you get, the larger the steps become, with some steps near the top approaching 18 inches (almost half a metre). The climb up is quite narrow, though there were occasional alcoves along the way in case you needed to catch your breath, or wanted to see what the Estonians used for a toilet over 500 years ago! The climb didn't seem like it was too high on the other Tallinn visitors' lists as we encountered no-one during the climb or at the top; which was probably all the better since there was only room for about four people at the top anyway. The view from the top was well worth the climb, and since we had a pristine day, you could see for miles. The tower is open from June through August, 11am to 6pm, and costs 30EEK (though half-price for students, children, and senior citizens). On a clear day it is well worth the effort! The same price is charged for entrance into the Town Hall itself, though if you want to take a tour, be ready to fork out another 300EEK on top of the entrance fee. During the summer the town hall is open daily, but visits from September through May require a prior appointment.

During the summer months, the Square is teeming with locals and tourists alike. There are plenty of cafes to enjoy a quick bite to eat or a coffee, and souvenir shops to fill your shopping craze. However, the shops here are generally slightly more expensive than those in the side-streets and outside the central square. Occasional events and free concerts are also on the Square, but be sure to check what is on offer as events change frequently.

If you find yourself in Tallinn in winter, be sure to stop by the Town Hall Square as a large Christmas market is present on the Raekoja Plats. From filling your stomach with chestnuts or filling your shopping bags with Christmas gifts, a visit to the market will enchant you into the Christmas spirit. The markets are ideal for families and couples alike, and the snow covered buildings around the square are certain to leave lasting memories of your Tallinn experience.

Perhaps one of the best pieces of advice I can give anyone riding the public buses in Tallinn is that you must validate your bus ticket once you board the bus. Sounds easy (and obvious) enough, but if you make a mistake, you probably won't be happy with the outcome.

After arriving in Tallinn after a 10-hour overnight bus ride from southern Lithuania, we were a little frazzled and sleepy upon arrival in Estonia. To make things worse, the tram that would take us from the Eurolines station to the station where we needed to catch the bus to our hostel was in-operational, so we had to make our way blindly about one kilometre on foot. Oh well, that journey made another story.

Anyways, we bought our bus tickets from a newsstand near the bus stop and boarded the bus. I stuck my ticket into the little validation machine thinking that it would automatically stamp it (as the machines do in Germany and Australia), though this was not our luck. We waited until someone boarded the bus two stops later and watched them how to validate it. You simply had to stick the ticket in, and then pull the green thing towards you to punch holes in it. After validating our tickets (and feeling pretty dumb that we didn't figure that out ourselves), we sat in for the ride to our hostel.

Before reaching the next stop, though, our bus pulled over on the side of a fairly busy street next to a red van. Out of the van stormed about five people in black clothing (I thought that the bus was going to get robbed) and entered the bus from every door. They began to ask (or rather demand) to see the passenger's tickets. Because we saw someone do it the prior stop, my friends and I had all ours validated, though there was some unlucky bloke at the back of the bus who wasn't carrying a valid ticket. Two of the workers grabbed him by the arms and forced him out of the bus and into the back of the red van. Now, I don't know what happened to him, but I'd also rather not know. Thank God for the woman who had validated hers one stop earlier, showing us how to do it!

So, what seems like a relatively straightforward task of validating your ticket can turn into an interesting experience. Whenever we rode the bus in Estonia, we made sure that our tickets were properly validated, as none of us wanted to see the back of the red van.