MissViaggio in Tallinn

31 January 2020

Visiting Estonia's beautiful capital Tallinn was one of the most spontaneous and at the same time one of the best decisions we've ever made. Our only challenge was that we simply had twelve hours to get to know this gorgeous city. So, let's not waste more time, but dive right in.

If there is one thing I have learnt, it is that as a traveller you sometimes have to be bold and venture to walk on the wild side. As we were lying in bed in Helsinki the other night, we suddenly felt this urgent need to visit Estonia. And guess what? Seconds later, we had bought two ferry tickets (Tallink Silja line, fares are less than 50 Euros for both of us) and set our alarm clock to 5.30 am.

We didn't get much sleep that night. But having in mind that we will soon be in Estonia, we couldn't be more excited. We board the ferry at seven in the morning with a lot of other passengers assuming that most of them are just tourists like us.

9:30 AM

The minute we get off the ferry I am already hungry so our first pit stop is the oldest café in Tallinn, the Maiasmokk. They sell delicious pastries, cakes, and tartlets. I cannot help it, I have to try Pavlova, a dessert consisting of cream, fresh fruits and meringue. It's very sweet and very, very tasty. With it there comes rooibos tea and coffee.

Delicious dessert called Pavlova with strawberry topping.
The Maiasmokk is the oldest café in Tallinn.

Good to Know

  • Ferry Transfer from Helsinki to Tallinn: Tallink Silja line covers the transfer between Helsinki and Tallinn. Single ticket fare is about 12 €. Travel time is about two hours. For more information, click here.

11:30 AM

We decide to conquer the Old Town of Tallinn walking - first we stroll through St. Catherine's Passage, where we find old tombstones hanging on stone walls, then we "climb" the Domberg on top of which we arrive at the magnificent cathedral, built around the turn of the century by the Russian conquerors (in only four years!) to give the impression that the Estonians and Russians are on the same side when it comes to religion (which they are not - in fact, most Estonians have a low opinion of religion. As a result, marriage is not important at all (unlike for catholics) and a large part of the couples remains unmarried.)

Tombstones along the St. Catherine's Passage.

We walk through Parliament Garden, which is worth seeing even in winter, and admire Tall Hermann Tower with the Estonian flag fluttering in the wind. Early birds can watch the flag-hoisting-ceremony every morning at sunrise, but no earlier than 7 am. The same procedure is repeated at dawn. These daily flag-hoisting rituals might seem a bit over the top but it is an expression of pride to being independent. Estonians have been long and extensively subjugated throughout their history - first by the Danes, then the Germans, Swedes, Russians, and after a short period of independence by the Soviets again. By hoisting their flag, Estonians celebrate their independence anew every day.

Parliament Garden with Tall Hermann Tower at the left side of the picture.

In case you've wondered what the colors of the flag mean (I did!): Blue signifies the sea and clear sky, black the past and the ground and white peace and the pursuit of enlightenment.

View of Tallinn from one of the viewing platforms.

12:30 PM

Tallinn's creative quarter, Telliskivi Loomelinnak, is located right behind the main train station. The old factory buildings now house hip restaurants, bars, clubs, alternative theaters, galleries, or art studios. Our tour guide Vivian will tell us later that a few years ago she warned tourists to visit this area. Too dangerous. Tourists and locals alike were robbed or stabbed. Only when a group of investors got together to revitalize the neighborhood did crime drop. Our destination is the Kivi Paber Käärid (Rock Paper Scissors), the first and only 100% gluten-free kitchen in Estonia. For me, it's like a dream has come true. We choose the Vietnamese noodle soup as well as sweet potato fries. A perfect choice.

Cathedral
Vietnamese noodle soup

2:00 PM

I took a liking to free-walking tours, especially when I have little time to discover a city on my own. We are a group of a dozen Americans, two Australians and us - all up for a stroll through Tallinn in icy weather. Our tour guide is Vivian, a young film student born and raised in Tallinn. Her tour is entertaining as she tells us all the strange, creepy, and interesting stories about her home town.

  • During Soviet times, the Hotel Viru was infiltrated by the KGB. All rooms were bugged, some even had peepholes. Files were kept on all persons (especially Finnish tourists) who stayed at the hotel. Vivian's dad can tell first-hand stories, he worked as a doorman. Today you can still visit the surveillance system on the 23rd floor.

  • And there is the story of vaana Toomas, old Thomas, as the vane on top of the town hall tower is called. As a young boy, he won an archery competition. Only the noblest men in Tallinn were actually allowed to take part in this competition, but there was one time when none of the men shot the parrot off the stake. Then Thomas tried his luck and won. As a reward, Thomas was inducted into the army and gained fame and glory. After his death, the people of Tallinn realized that the weather vane resembled old Thomas and named it after him. They are convinced that the city will not be harmed as long as old Thomas watches over the roofs of Tallinn.

  • Or the cruel legend of the wheel well, in which cats were said to have been drowned in the Middle Ages. The reason was that the residents wanted to prevent the well from drying up.

  • Or the Maiden Tower, which is now part of a museum. Legend has it that young girls who refused to marry the groom chosen by their parents were imprisoned here. A couple of nights should bring the girls to their senses. For one of the girls, however, the imprisonment is said to have ended tragically. She died and is said to still haunt the tower today.

Maiden Tower(left) is now part of a museum.

There are numerous more stories about Tallinn and Estonia in general. Anyone who spends time with Vivian learns them all.

  • In the 16th century, St. Olai church was the highest church in the world. The church tower measured 159 meters, which made it the first target of lightning strikes. The church burned down completely twice after being struck by lightning. With each reconstruction, the tower got smaller.

  • Did you know that the Estonian language is one of the most difficult languages in the world? Me neither! But it is related to Finnish and Hungarian. It is assumed that it was spread by the Finno-Ugric native population also in the Baltic States. Interesting fact: The Estonian language does not have a gender and therefore no "gender problem".

  • The Estonians are leading when it comes to digitalization. Since 2005 they are able to vote online. Tour guide Vivian blabs that there are only three processes that still cannot be handled online: marriage, house buying, and divorce.

The weather vane on top of the town hall is named after old Thomas.

4:30 PM

At the end of the tour we are completely frozen. Vivian recommends a visit to Restoran V - the most popular vegan restaurant in Tallinn (with a lot of gluten free dishes) and usually crowded as hell - even in off-season. Today, we're lucky to get the last table, so I am happy to fill my belly again while we enjoy the last few hours in Tallinn in the warm.

Gluten free Tallinn

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