Hello, hello!
I am back with a new cool story, so let's not wait and discover Tallinn.

Today I will start with how I got there. By ferry. From Helsinki. Payed 20EUR. 2 hours. Yes yes, that simple. However you're probably not interested in it and I better list all the available options.


1 - by plane. Tallinn is situated in north-east of Europe and has pretty decent connections with almost all European countries (I prefer the Ryanair flight with a direct connection from Vienna, takes only 2 hours).

2 - by bus/train. As Estonia a proud member of EU and Schengen zone, traveling with a bus or a train is a convenient method because there are no border controls between the countries whatsoever and you will have plenty of time to relax, read a book and enjoy beautiful European landscape from the window. For most of my bus rides I use Flixbus (cheap and high quality bus services + wifi, washroom and reclinable seats on board). Also do not forget about local companies in every state as they might be cheaper and faster.

3 - by car. Its easy if you have one - simply get where you need to. Also there is one benefit, Estonia is placed towards the east of Europe and in countries like Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia (on the way to Tallinn from central and western Europe) fuel prices tend to be lower. The roads quality is good enough to completely enjoy the travel.

4 - by ferry. You can get to Tallinn's port from all surrounding countries by ferry. Those are Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Germany and Denmark. Grab a family, pack a car and organise yourself a voyage!

(!) If you travel from Russia there are 2 options on how you can get there from Saint-Petersburg during the war. By bus (~3500RUB/person) and by car. Since there are no flights to Europe, Tallinn becomes a good stopover for international travels (also consider Helsinki and Vilnius [through Minsk]). Not only this way is cheaper than reaching Europe through Turkey but also pretty convenient.

Finally, we are in Tallinn. What to do next? I’ll go with the old town first because it is what any tourist would visit first and Tallinn is way way more special that it may seem. The center is not large but very beautiful. It has something in common with medieval British style seasoned by European vibe. Founded in 1219 it has saved its charm and atmosphere, besides simply walking around my 10 personal recommendations for visiting in the city are:

1 - Tallinn's city wall
2 - Tallinn town hall
3 - Estonian history museum
4 - Church of the holy spirit
5 - St. Olav's Church Tower
6 - Patkuli viewing platform
7 - Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
8 - Toompea Castle
9 - Niguliste museum
10 - St. Mary's cathedral

Some places you can go to have a nice lunch or dinner:

1 - La Bottega (stunning Italian cuisine restaurant in the center)
2 - Olde Hansa (dive into the medieval vibe with styled building, local dishes and theme-dressed waiters)
3 - Rukis (cozy bakery with delicious coffee and pastries)

Also check Tripadvisor for more places: LINK

(!) In Tallinn besides Estonian almost everyone speaks English and Russian - very easy to navigate and communicate.

Tallinn has lots to offer despite being not a large city even for European standards. There is one more thing to see and it is a promenade with the stunning view on the Gulf of Finland and the city itself.

And it is a food time again!

So I've already been in old fashioned authentic places around the town, what's next? Definitely need to taste some of fusion baltic cuisine right before heading back to Helsinki for a couple of more days to spend there. The choice fell on the Michelin Guide restaurant called Noa which is not quite in the center or in the city at all but approximately 20-25 minutes outside Tallinn. The easiest way to get there is a taxi (which is very cheap in Tallinn btw, I'd recommend using Bolt or Uber here). Besides delicious food the restaurant provides its visitors with a wonderful lawn on the shore of the bay with a view of the city and a magnificent sunset.

We had an amazing family time here but lets talk about the meals we had. First of all we got some delicious starters, those were: Beef Tartar (last photo), a made out of celery meal (roasted celery, crispy celery, caramel butter sauce, fermented celery foam - upper middle photo), duck taco and some prosciutto plate with asparagus. As a main course dish I've ordered the Rack of Lamb, however meat in this restaurant was disappointing, not soft at all.
Speaking about alcohol, we were kindly advised to mix our order with Austrian "Grüner Weltiner" wine from Vienna's surroundings Weinviertel.

To summarise the trip, I have to say that I came to Tallinn with pretty low expectations but it has pressed me in a good way. Recommend the city to everyone who has an opportunity to go there and spend several days exploring this small but cozy and pleasant place!