Tallinn

Tallinn (Reval formerly in Swedish and German, Та́ллин in Russian, Tallinna in Finnish, Tallina in Latvian) is a 434,562 inhabitants city and capital of Estonia in the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. This city is the most populated in Estonia and it's also the capital of Harju County. Tallinn was European Capital City of culture in 2011 and its Old Town, considered one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe, was listed in UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997.

How do I arrive to Tallinn?

  Tallinn is the most important city in Estonia so there are many way to arrive there from all over the country and the neighbour ones. 

• Plane: there are many international flights to Tallinn International Airport and also national flights to Kärdla (Hiiumaa) and Kuressaare (Saaremaa) every day. To go from the airport to the city there are buses (number 2, every 20 minutes) and taxis. It's 4 km southwest from the center of the city.
• Boat: there are ships from Tallinn to Helsinki (Finland) every day (aprox. 2 hours 15 minutes) and to other Baltic harbours. All the terminals are located 1 km from the city center.
• Train: there are train routes from Tallinn to all over the country because it's the center of the Estonian railway net, with routes to many destinations like these ones: Rakvere (3 daily trains; aprox. 1.5 hours), Pärnu (3 daily trains; aprox. 2 hours 15 minutes), Viljandi (4 daily trains; aprox. 2 hours 15 minutes), Tartu (8 daily trains; aprox. 2.5 hours), Narva (2 daily trains; aprox. 2 hours 45 minutes) or Valga (4 daily trains; aprox. 3 hours 15 minutes). There's a company that has a daily train to Saint Petersburg and Moscow (Russia) via Rakvere (aprox 1 hour 15 minutes) and Narva (aprox. 3 hours).
• Bus: the city has frequent connections from Tallinn Bus Station with all the cities of Estonia like Haapsalu (every hour; aprox. 1 hour 45 minutes), Pärnu (every hour; aprox. 2 hours), Tartu (every 30 minutes; aprox. 2.5 hours), Viljandi (11 daily buses; aprox. 2.5 hours) or Kuressaare (11 daily buses; aprox. 4 hours). As Estonia's capital city, Tallinn has connections with other countries like Latvia, in particular with Riga (buses every hour, aprox. 4.5 hours).
• Car: renting a car you can reach more destinations than with other means of transport. From Tallinn you could arrive to Keila-Joa, (aprox. 30 minutes), Lahemaa National Park (aprox. 40 minutes), Padise (aprox. 45 minutes), Haapsalu (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes), Rakvere (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes), Pärnu (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes), Viljandi (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes), Tartu (aprox. 2 hours 10 minutes), Narva (aprox. 2 hours 30 minutes), Valga (aprox. 2 hours 50 minutes) or Kuressaare (aprox. 4 hours 15 minutes). Tallinn can also be reached from Russian cities like Pskov (aprox. 4 hours 10 minutes) or Saint Petersburg (aprox. 4 hours 45 minutes) and from Riga (aprox. 4 hours) in Latvia.

Once in Tallinn the best ways of moving in the city are using public transport. In the old city, bike or just walking are the best ways to move, because they are usually pedestrian streets and most of the places are close ones from the others. Bus service goes from 6 am to 24 pm and their prize is 1.60€ (buying them to the bus driver), but there are city cards which reduce what you pay.

History

The first settlements in Tallinn are thought to be 5,000 years old. The first fortress in Tallinn was built in the hill of Toompea around 1050, becoming an important trade point between Russia and Scandinavia. That caused the desire of the Teutonic Order and Denmark during the Northern Cruises. Reval (former name of Tallinn) became part of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1219 and in 1285 the city joined the Hanseatic League, being its northernmost member. In 1346 Denmark sold Reval and its possesions in northern Estonia to the Teutonic Knights and then, the Livonian Order. During the Protestant Reformation the city converted into Lutheranism and in 1561 started the Swedish dominion. In the Great Northern War Reval capitulated to Imperial Russia in 1710, taking part of the Governorated of Estonia and retaining its local self-government institutions till 1889. Reval was industrialised during the 19th century and in the last decades russification measures became stronger. The meeting in 1908 between tsar Nicholas II and king Edward VII confirmed the Anglo-Russian Entente. After WW1 the Independence Manifiesto (1918) was proclaimed in Reval (now Tallinn), occupied afterwards by the German Empire and the ward of independence of Estonia, becoming its capital after the end of it. During WW2 it was annexed to the Soviet Union in 1940 and then occupied by Nazi Germany (1941-1944), period in which the remaining 1,000 Jews were murdered in Holocaust. When the war finished Tallinn was again occupied by the Soviet Union (being the capital city of Estonian SSR) and its important German population was expelled. Sailing events from Moscow 1980 Olympics took place in Tallinn. Since the Estonian independence Tallinn grew in importance, becoming one of the technological capital cities of Europe. Here it was founded Skype and Transferwise, there's the highest number of star-ups per person in Europe, has the headquarters of NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence and the European Union IT agency.

Tallinn's top 10

If you have little or you just don't want to visit all Tallinn, here's a list of the 10 places you can't miss in Tallinn.

1. Walking all over Tallinn Old Town.
2. Kadriorg Palace.
3. Alexander Nevski Russian Orthodox Cathedral.
4. Tallinn Lutheran Cathedral.
5. Raekoja Plats.
6. Kumu.
7. Estonia Open-Air Museum.
8. Seaplane Harbour Lennusadam.
9. St. Oleviste Church.
10. Kiek in de Kök Museum and Bastion Passages.

What can I visit in Tallinn?

Tallinn is the opposite of what a former Soviet city is said to be, being considered one of the most beautiful walled cities in Europe. It's fusion between Medieval and Modern architecture makes it a fascinating place to visit. There's a card that allows you to get into many monuments for free and get discounts (Tallinn Card). Old city or Vanalinn is mostly a pedestrian area and the most fascinating district in Estonia, making the visitor believe to be back to the 15th century. Toompea  is located in the Old city and is the place where the aristocracy used to live and nearer to the coast there's the trendy and hipster district of Kalamaja. Kadriorg is an area in the eastern part of the city popular for its palace; Maarjamäe is the district located around Pirita tee by Tallinn Bay and from here there are nice views of the Old Town at the sunset and the easternmost district in Tallin, Pirita, where 1980 Olympics took place and Kloostrimetsa. In the western part of Tallinn it's placed the huge district of Haabersti, whose construction begun in the 1970s.

These are Tallinn's main attractions:

Raekoja plats and Tallinn Town Hall

• Tallinn Town Hall (10-16 Mon-Sat from Jul to Sep; 10-16 Mon-Fri  from Oct to Jun; 5€/ 3€  adults/ students): only Gothic town hall in northern Europe (1404). It can be visited some halls in the building that introduce to its former function and has the olderst wooden carvings in Estonia (1374). It's located in Raekoja plats, one of the most popular and nice squares of the city with photogenic 15th-17th century buildings. The building has Tallin Town Hall Tower (11-18 from May to Sep; 4€/ 2€  adults/ kids under 16) where getting excellent views of the skyline of the city. In the tower there's the symbol of Tallinn, the weather vane Vana Toomas and according to the legend its design was inspired in a minaret.

  

  Inner part of Püha Vaimu
  Lutheran Church

• Tallinn Town Hall Pharmacy (10-18 Tue-Sat): oldest pharmacy still in use, already opened by 1422. Johann Burchardt owned it in 1583 and it was managed by the same family till 1913. It has a small exposition and medicine can be bought there.
  
  
• Püha Vaimu Lutheran Church (10-17 Mon-Sat from May to Sep; 10-15 Mon-Sat Apr and from Oct to Dec; 12-14 Mon-Fri, 10-16 Sat from Jan to Mar; 1€/ 0.50€  adults/ kids under 16): impressing 13th century Gothic church with a blue and golden clock from 1684 (oldest in Tallinn) on its façade. Inside the church it has nice wooden carvings (including an altarpiece from 1483) and a Baroque pulpit. A former priest from this church, Johann Koell, is said to be the author of the first book in Estonian (1535). 
  

  

  Estonia History Museum

• Draakoni Gallery (11-18 Mon-Fri, 11-17 Sat; free): Contemporary art museum located between former guilds sites. The building where it's placed has a nice Art-Nouveau façade.
• Estonian History Museum (11-17 Wed-Sun; 3€/ 1.50€  adults/ kids): museum hosted in the Great Guild Hall (1410) that shows the history of Estonia and its people through interactive expositions. Numismatics and military history lovers won't be deceived and will love its expositions. The museum tries to answers questions like if Estonian are the unhappiest nationality in Europe or the most atheist country in the world. Not far from it there's another colourful former guild hall, House of the Blackheads.
  
• Russian Museum in Tallinn (11-18 Wed-Sat and 11-16 Sun; 4€/ 3€  adults/ retiree and students): museum that shows the influence of Russian culture in Estonia, displaying some Estonian Russian cultural objects. There's a combined ticket for Russian Museum in Tallinn and House of Peter the Great (7€/ 5€  adults/ retiree and students) and also for Tallinn Russian Museum, Tallinn City Museum, Museum of Photography, Kiek in de Kök Fortifications and Museum in Kalamaja (20€/ 15€  adults/ retiree and students).

  

  St. Kateriina Monastery Claustrum
  

• Tallinn City Museum (10-18; 6€/ 4€  adults/ retiree and students): museum that presents the history of Tallinn since its foundation to the reestablishment of Estonian independence (1991). It's settled in a medieval merchant's house.
• St. Nikolai Russian Orthodox Church (10-17 Mon-Fri, 8-19 Sat, 7:30-15 Sun): 19th century church whose origin dates back to the 11th century.
• St. Kateriina Monastery Claustrum (10-18 from May to Sep; 2€/ 1€  adults/ kids): one of the oldest buildings in Tallinn (whose construction goes back to 1246). It used to have its own brewery and hospital but a Lutheran mob set fire to it in 1524.
• Viru Gate: entrance to Tallin Old Town by Viru tänav. This area is where the merchants and artisans of old Tallinn lived. Today Viru tänav is still the trendiest shopping street in Tallinn.

  

  Viru Gate
  

  
  
• Museum of Russian Icons (open on demand; 12€): museum with over 500 icons from the 16th to the 20th century, being one of the largest European as well as Russian collections of this pieces.
• Museum of Photography (10-18; 4€/ 2€  adults/ retiree and students): small museum with old photographies and cameras, perfect for photography lovers.  
• Stembock House: 18th century courthouse that was built for the Russian authorities but they didn't manage to pay it so COunt Stenbock was left with it (although the threasury managed to buy it a century later). Today it's the seat of Estonia's government.
  

  

  Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom

• Tallinn Museum of Orders of Knighthood (10-18; 9€/ 5€  adults/ retiree, students and children): museum that introduces the visitor to the history of orders of knighthood across the world with a collection of 700 badges, stars, chains and other decorations.
• St. Jaani Lutheran Church: 19th century Neo-Gothic church located in one of the most important squares in Tallinn, Vabaduse väljak.
• Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom (10-18 from May to Sep; 11-18 Tue-Sun from Oct to Apr; 11€/ 7€  adults/ retiree and students): museum that teaches about the horrors that were suffered under Nazi Germany and Soviet Union occupations (particulary this latter one). It has some long videos that have a happy end.

  

  St. Niguliste Church and Museum

• St. Kaarli Lutheran Church (10-15 Mon-Fri): 19th century church designed by Otto Pius Hippius in honour of Charles XI of Sweden.
• National Library of Estonia (12-18 Mon-Fri): library whose architecture is a typical example of Soviet architecture (although it was finished after the Estonian independence). There are usually temporary expositions.
• St. Niguliste Church and Museum (10-18 from May to Sep; 10-17 Wed-Sun from Oct to Apr; 6€/ 5€  adults/ retiree and students): interesting Gothic church which resulted damaged by Soviet bombs in 1944 and a fire in 1980. Its museum is specialised in religious art, being its most popular work of art Danse Macabre by Bernt Notke.
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  Alexander Nevski Orthodox Cathedral

  Kiek in de Kök Museum (9-8 from May to Sep; 10-17 Tue-Sun; 10€/ 6€  adults/ retiree and students): tall and strong fortress from 1475 it's considered one of the greatest artillery barracks in Tallinn. Inside it's shown the history of the fortifications of the city and displays military objects; it was damaged during the Livonian Wars and it still has some cannonballs on its walls. From here there are tours to the Bastion Passages (8€/ 5€  adults/ retiree and students), 17th century tunnels built by the Swedish to connect the towers. There's a combined ticket for both places (14€/ 8€  adults/ retiree and students).
• Alexander Nevski Russian Orthodox Cathedral (8-19): awesome 19th century cathedral built during the Russification period completed in 1900. In 1928, when Estonia was independent, it was argued that the church is a symbol of oppression should be demolished although it wasn't finally done. The cathedral is totally outstanding and has impressing icons and frescoes inside it.
  

  

  Toompea Castle

• Toompea Castle: remains of the former castle built by the Teutonic Knights around the 14th century, whose nicest tower is named Pikk Hermann. Catherine the Great of Russia modified it in the 18th century and transformed it into a Baroque palace that currently hosts the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu). The castle is surrounded by Lindamäe Park (Kalev's wife) that according to the legend she built for his husband.
• Tallinn Lutheran Cathedral (9-17 from May to Sep; 10-16 Tue-Sun from Oct to Apr; 5€/ 2€  tower/ cathedral): cathedral founded in 1233 (formerly Catholic) with a 15th century façade and a tower from 1779. Wealthy families and nobility used to be buried here (and the coat of arms of those families are on the wall). From it tower there are nice views of Tallinn.

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  St. Oleviste Baptist Church

  Tallinn Town Walls and Towers (10-19 from May to Aug; 11-16 Fri-Tue from Oct to Apr; 2€/ 1€  adults/ kids): a wall surrounds all the Old Town of Tallinn but its best preserved part is in the western part of the city. Close to them it can be found Patkul viewing platform and Kohtuotsa viewing platform with views of the city and the sea
  
• St. Oleviste Baptist Church (10-20 from Jul to Aug; 10-18 from Sep to Jun; 2€/ 1€  adults/ kids): church that was tallest building in the world between 1549 and 1625 (a thunder partially destroyed its bell tower then). The style of the church was modified along years (since the 13th century) and it's dedicated to Olaf II of Norway; its tower has nice views of the district of Toompea.
• Estonian Maritime Museum (11-18 Tue-Sat; 12-17 Sun; 10€/ 5€ adults/ reduced): museum that shows the history of ships and navigation in Estonia and related to Estonia. It's located in Fat Margaret tower. There's a combined ticket for Estonian Maritime Museum and Seaplane Harbour Lennusadam (20€/ 10€  adults/ students and kids).
• Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM) (12-19 Tue-Sun from Apr to Dec; free): disappointing museum placed ina former warehouse with alternative and bizarre expositions. 

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  Seaplane Harbour Lennusadam

  Tallinn Linnahall: building that is a fine example of Soviet Brutalist architecture built for the 22nd Moscow Olympic Games in 1980, for sailing events held in Tallinn.
  
• Seaplane Harbour Lennusadam (10-19 from May to Sep; 10-18 Tue-Sun from Oct to Apr; 15€/ 8€  adults/ students and kids): unique seaplane harbour from 1917 that hosts interactive maritime expositions like an icebreaker, a submarine from the 1930s or a minesweeper.
  
• Sea Fortress Paterei (10-18 from Jun to Aug; 10-18 Tue-Sun in May, Sep; 5€/ 3€  adults/ retiree, students and kids): former prission and 1840 maritime fortress that talks about its past as a jailing, brutality and opression place. Here, specially under Nazi and Soviet occupations were tortured and executed. A part of the complex has graffiti and works of art and the other, the hanging room.
• Telliskivi Creative City: complex of 10 former factories that has been transformed into the most alternative and hipster shopping spot in Tallinn. It has cafes, bicycles shops, artisan breweries, graffities and food trucks.

  

  Telliskivi Creative City

• KGB Museum (guided tour booking on advance): museum located in the one and only skycraper in Estonia. It was the only place where tourists could sleep in Tallinn and KGB built an spying site in the 23rd floor to control tourists didn't get in touch with locals.
• Estonian Museum of Architecture (11-18 Tue-Sun; 6€/ 3€  adults/ retiree, students and kids): small museum that displays mockups of different buildings and cities plus temporary expositions. It's placed in a former salt warehouse. 
• Estonian Jewish Museum (10-17 Mon-Thu; 10-16 Fri; free): small museum that shows the history of Jews in Estonia. Comparted to the other Baltic countries Estonia had a small community that was almost fully eliminated with Holocaust. 
• Kadriorg Park: locals favourite park (2 km far from the city center) in Formalist style. Its construction began after the conquest by tsar Peter the Great of current Estonia and name it on its wife, Catherine I of Russia, honour.

  

  Kadriorg Palace

• Kadriorg Palace (10-18 Tue-Sun; 6.50€/ 4.50€  adults/ retiree, students and kids): 18th century palace built for Peter the Great of Russia between 1718 and 1736. Currently it displays expositions of Dutch, German and Italian paintings (16th-18th centuries) as well as Russian works of arts (18th-20th centuries), being quite curious the porcelain decorated with communist symbols. The building is wonderful and in the background it has a French-style garden. There's a combined ticket for Kadriorg Palace and Mikkel Museum (8€/ 6€  adults/ retiree, students and kids) or Peter the Great House-Museum (9€/ 6.50€  adults/ retiree, students and kids).
  

  

  Mikkel Museum
  

• Mikkel Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 6€/ 3.50€  adults/ retiree, students and kids): small museum placed in the former cuisine of Kadriorg Palace with an interesting collection of paintings and porcelain, as well as temporary expositions.
• Office of the President of the Republic of Estonia: palace built in 1938 for the President of Estonia imitating the style of Kadriorg Palace. The first president of Estonia couldn't enjoy it much because with the Soviet occupation of 1940 it was hospitalized in mental hospital.
• Peter the Great House-Museum (10-18 Mon-Sat, 11-17 Sun from May to Sep; 10-20 Wed, 10-17 Thu-Sat, 10-16 Sun from Oct to Apr; 4€/ 3€  adults/ retiree, students and kids): humble house where tsar Peter the Great used live whenever he visited Tallinn during Kadriorg palace's construction. It has portraits, furniture and objects from the 17th and 18th centuries.

  

  Kumu
• National Art Museum Kumu (10-18 Tue-Wed and Fri-Sun, 10-20 Thu; 8€/ 6€  adults/ retiree, students and kids): art gallery with the largest store of works of art in Estonia located in a futurist 7 floors building of Finnish design. Its permament exposition goes from the beginning of the 18th century (3rd floor) to art nowadays (5th floor), going through Soviet art (4th floor).
• Tallinn Song Festival Grounds: amphitheater from 1959 with capacity for 75,000 people; although it was built during the Soviet times it's quite elegant and curved. In 1988 the Singing Revolution began here when 300,000 people asked for the Estonian independence. When there isn't any concert or festival it can be visited its lighthouse (9-16 Mon-Fri) where the festival's flame is kindled; it has photographies about the festival.

  

  Maarjamäe Palace

• Maarjamäe Palace (10-18 from May to Sep; 10-18 Tue-Sun from Oct to Apr; 8€/ 6€  adults/ retiree and students): Neo-Gothic palace built in 1874 for the Count Anatoli Orlov-Davydov. Inside it can be visited Estonia Film Museum (10-18 from May to Sep; 10-18 Tue-Sun from Oct to Apr; 8€/ 6€  adults/ retiree and students), an introduction to Estonian film industry, and a branch of the History Museum of Estonia (10-18 from May to Sep; 10-18 Tue-Sun from Oct to Apr; 6€/ 4€  adults/ retiree and students) about the 20th century. There's a Soviet sculptures cementery in the background and a nice socialist mural called Friendship of Nations.
• Maarjamäe Stables (10-18 from May to Sep; 10-18 Tue-Sun from Oct to Apr; 6€/ 4€  adults/ retiree and students): 19th century stables that now has a branch of the History Museum of Estonia about the Nazi German occupation (1941-1944). It shows how was life under the occupation (at first, after the Soviet occupation, many Estonian celebrated the German invation) and has interviews to survivor to concentration camps. The Nazi army executed more than 8,000 Estonians (1,000 Jews and 500 gypsies) and 12,500 foreign Jews.

  

  Maarjamäe War Memorial

• Maarjamäe War Memorial: obelisk in a square from Soviet times (1960) to conmemorate the Soviet troops that participated in the Estonian War of Independence (1918). The complex has large avenues to honour the Red Army fighter against Nazi Germany and there's a German cementery from 1941 too.
  
• Ruins of Pirita Convent (10-18 from Apr to Oct; 12-16 from Nov to Mar; 3€/ 1.50€  adults/ retiree and students): remains of a 1436 Gothic convent destroyed by Ivan the Terrible during the Livonian Order.
• Metsakalmistu Cemetery: most famous cemetery in Tallinn, housing Estonia’s presidents Konstantin Päts and Lennart Meri or chess player Paul Keres. It's a peaceful experience to just stroll among the trees.
  

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  Pirita Beach

  Tallinn TV Tower (10-19; 13€/ 7€  adults/ retiree and students): 314 m tower opened for 1980 Olympics, being the tallest building in Estonia. It's views from the 22nd floor are simply great and it can also provide vertical views (and you can even have a walk with harness by the cornice). In 1991 the Soviet army tried to take control of it but didn't manage to do it. It is possible to get a combined ticket for the TV Tower and the Botanic Garden (15€/ 8€  adults/ retiree and students).
• Tallinn Botanic Garden (10-19 from May to Sep; 11-16 from Oct to Apr; 5.50€/ 3€  adults/ retiree and students): huge garden (1.2 km² ) close to the river Pirita with more than 8,000 different species in greenhouses and tematic gardens.
• Tallinn has also some interesting beaches that get full of people in summer. The most popular one is Pirita Beach (6 km from the center) and another insteresting one is Stroomi Beach (3km from the center), popular in the Russian community.
  

  

  Estonian Open Air Museum

• Estonian Open-Air Museum (10-18 from May to Sep; 10-17 from Oct to Apr; 10€/ 7€  adults/ retiree and students from May to Sep,  8€/ 6€  adults/ retiree and students from Oct to Apr): ethnographic complex with tall trees and historical monuments that has been moved here (and in summer, workers with old traditional dressings) that gives an insight into Estonian culture and traditions. There's a chapel from 1699, an old wooden tabern with traditional Estonian cuisine.

Kaila Waterfall

Near Tallinn the main day trip is to Lahemaa National Park, the most impressing national park in Estonia. Going 31 km west there's Keila-Joa, a 309 inhabitants village in the County of Harju. This village is quite popular for its waterfall, Keila Waterfall, a 6 m high waterfall that in a plain country like Estonia it's quite highlighted. Moreover here it's placed Keila-Joa Manor (10-18; 8€/ 5€  adults/ retiree and students), a Neo-Gothic manor built in 1833 for the Baltic German Count Alexander von Benckendorf. Tsar Nicholas I visited it twice and it impressed him so much that ordered his architect, Andre Stackenschneider, modify some palaces in Saint Peterburg. It was looted in 1917, nationalised in 1920 and abandoned during many decades. Close to Keila-Joa there's Laulasmaa, a 309 people village that has been a well-known holiday place since the 1930s because of its beach, Laulasmaa Beach.

Kaberneeme Beach

 In case of driving towards Lahemaa National Park there are many nice stops that can be done in the journey. The first one may be Araküla (Arroküll in German), a 2,103 inhabitants small town only 25 km far from Tallinn. Here there's a nice manor, Araküla Manor, built in the 17th century for Karl Gustav von Baranoff and belonged to Baranoff family till 1920. Since then it's used as a school and cultural center. The next stop in the trip can be visited the 121 inhabitants village Kaberneeme, famous because of Kaberneeme Beach, a 2 km long beach with pine tree forests edging right up to the shore.

Which activities can I do in Tallinn?

Tallinn City Theater

 Despite being the smallest Baltic capital city Tallinn has a wide cultural offer that doesn't envy Riga or Vilnius ones, being Estonia's cultural center. The threater, opera and ballet shows are mostly in Estonian (sometimes in Russian). Some of the halls to enjoy such performances are Tallinn City Theater (favourite one for locals), Estonia Drama Theater (specialised in classical plays), Von Krahli Theater for experimental plays and Kanuti Gildi Saal (Modern and Classic dance temple). The offer of life music is also important with many pubs with life music and Eesti Kontserdisaal (home of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and Estonian National Ballet), the most prestigious concert hall in Tallinn. 
If you feel like watching a film and you can't speak Estonian, don't worry! Films are usually original version with subtitles in Estonian or Russian. Some of the most popular cinemas in the city are Kino Artis (Estonia puiestee 9), Kino Sõprus (Vana-Posti 8) and Coca-Cola Plaza (Hobujaama 5).
Sport-lovers can enjoy local matches of football at A. Le Coq Arena (Jalgpalli 21) and basketball at Saku Suurhall (Paldiski maantee 104b), one of the most popular sports in Estonia.
There are many other activities you can do in Tallinn, for example visiting Tallinn Zoo (Paldiski maantee 145) with the best collection of wild goats, Kalev Spa Water Park (Aia 18), ice-skate at Harju Ice Rink (Harju 32) or enjoying the Estonian spa experience in places like Club 26 (Liivalaia 33) or Kalma Saun (Vana-Kalamaja 9a)

Where can I buy in Tallinn?

Meistrite Hoov

Tallinn has many places where buying so many different things. In case you're looking for some markets the coolest ones are the Railway Station Market (Kopli) that seems stucked in Soviet times, Telliskivi Market (Telliskivi 60a) for 2nd hand objects, Knitting Market by the city wall and Central Market (Keldrimäe 9) mostly selling fruits and vegetables. The most sumptuous shopping area is Rotermann; Old Town is the best choice for souvenirs and Telliskivi, for eclectic things. In Old Town the best ideas for crafworks are Meistrite Hoov (Vene 6), Katariina Gild (Katariina käik), Lühikese Jala Galerii (Lühike jalg 6) or the antiques shop Rae Antiik (Raekoja plats 11); for clothing shopping you may try Ivo Nikkolo (Suur-Karja 14) and also have a look at Zizi (Vene 12) for tableware, the tea shop Chado (Uus 11) and Kalev (Roseni 7) for sweets and chocolate bars. 
If you're looking for something bigger Tallinn has a wide offer of malls and department stores too like Viru Keskus (Viru väljak 4/6), the luxurous department store Kaubamaja (Gonsiori 2), Stockmann Kaubamaja (Liivalaia 53) or the shopping mall Foorum (Narva maantee 5). For souvenirs it can be an interesting idea buying at Estonian Design House (Estonia puiestee 9).

Where can I eat in Tallinn?

Central Market of Tallinn

The gastronomic offer in Tallinn . In case you have low budget some recommendations are supermarkets (like Rimi), the vegan restaurant V (Rataskaevu 12), cafes like III Draakon (Raekoja plats 1), Pierre Chocolaterie (Vene 6), Must Puudel (Müürivahe 20), Kehrwieder Chocolaterie (Raekoja plats 1) and the crepe shop Kompressor (Rataskaevu 3). If you want to spend a bit more, the medium price suggestions could be the restaurants Rataskaevu 16 (Rataskaevu 16), Vanaema Juures (Rataskaevu 10) for Estonian dishes, Von Krahli Aed (Rataskaevu 8), Sfäär Resto (Mere puiestee 6e), Pegasus (Harju 1) for modern dishes, the cafes Boheem (Kopli 18) and NOP (J. Köleri 1); or the pubs Clayhills Gastropub (Pikk 13) and F-Hoone (Telliskivi 60a). Among internationa food restaurants these are some: the Indian restaurant Elevant (Vene 5), the Italian trattoria La Bottega (Vene 4), the Russian restaurant MOON (Võrgu 3) and the French cafe Lyon (Meistri 22). High budget allows you to know and taste some of the following gastronomic experiences: Tchaikovsky (Vene 9), restaurant with French and Russian food; Leib Restoran (Uus 31), NOA (Ranna tee 3); modern food choices like Restaurant Ö (Mere pueistee 6e), Veinirestoran Dominic (Vene 10), MEKK (Suur-Karja 17), Horisont (Tornimäe 3) or Ribe (Vene 7) or traditional dishes in places such as Olde Hansa (Vana turg 1). In the international category of expensive restaurants appear the Asian restaurant Chedi (Sulevimägi 1) or the Italian Bocca (Pikk 40). 
After the Estonian independence Tallinn became a party destination and it was a bit out of control. Luckily nowadays it's much more tranquil and it's possible to enjoy the interesting nightlife offer of Tallin. This is a list of recommended bars in Tallinn: Depeche Mode Baar (Voorimehe 4), Von Krahil Baar (Rataskaevu 10), Frank (Sauna 2), Levist Väljas (Olevimägi 12), Pudel (Telliskivi 60a-5), TOPS (Soo 15) or Scotland Yard (Mere puiestee 6). The city has also a vast pubs and clubbing offer, with clubs like Hell Hunt (Pikk 39), Põrgu (Rüütli 4), Drink Bar & Grill (Väike-Karja 8), the pub chain St. Patrick's, Club Privé (Harju 6), Taka (Miera iela 10); wineries such as Maiden Tower Museum-Cafe (Lossi plats 11) or Paar Veini (Sauna 1) and breweries like Beer House (Dunkri 5) or Labietis (Aristida Briāna iela 9a) or The Left Door Bar (Antonijas iela 12). To go out and dance there are some discoes like Club Hollywood (Vana-Posti 8).
Tallinn is also one of the most LGBT+-friendly cities in eastern Europe and there are some bars popular in this community like Club 69 (Sakala 24).

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