Must See in Tallinn, Estonia

Located on the Baltic Sea, Tallinn is a must see for anyone wanting to walk back in time while also enjoying the unique culture that makes up Estonia. While it is a popular tourist spot for cruise ships in the summer, wintertime in Tallinn is breathtaking.

Even with a relatively small city centre, which you could visit within one day, here are 8 things to do when visiting Tallinn.

1. Visit the City Centre

Known for its medieval buildings, amazing restaurants, and nice finds around every corner, the walled city centre of Tallinn should be one of the first things you hit up when you are there. I especially recommend you taking a free guided walking tour, I used Guru, which is great as the guides are local from the city.

2. Take tour of the KGP Museum

Located in Hotel Viru, this museum is a neat look back at how the hotel was run during Soviet Era. Especially, with it being built during Soviet Era to be used by the KGB to monitor guests of interest and send communication back to headquarters.

3. Visit a Sauna

Similar to Finnish culture, Estonia is known for its sauna culture, with several people having saunas built into their homes/apartments. While several hotels have saunas available for day use, try searching for a local sauna. Some family saunas have been turned into spaces where the public can go and experience the sauna life.

4. Upper Old Town

While the lower part of Tallinn’s old town is beautiful and historic, it is worth also checking out the upper part. Here you will find the parliament, a Russian orthodox church, some cute streets, and lookouts over the city (both the new and the old).

5. Visit Telliskivi neighborhood

What has been dubbed as the more histpery part of town, Telliskivi boosts some nice food venues, including a “Food Hall”, food vendors selling in old shipping containers, and Telliskivi Creative City with lots of food options.

6. Seaside

Near to the Noblessner Port there is a nice area with a museum, theme park, some restaurants that sit near to the water and brewery, but also gives you a great view of the sea.

7. Visit a museum

From Kiek in de Kök Museum and Bastion Tunnels to the Maritime Museum, and Fotografiska Tallinn, Tallinn offers options for any type of museum goer. And it is a great way to stay warm if you happen to be visiting during the winter months.

8. Eating

While there is no specific food that is from Estonia, eating in Tallinn is quite an experience. With various options from Italian to Japanese or even Fusion, the food scene is quite well known. Rataskaevu street in the city center is great for finding a variety of options.