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Resource Guide for Luxury Travel, Culture, & Eats

RESOURCE GUIDE FOR LUXURY TRAVEL, CULTURE, & EATS

Why I Fell in Love with Tallinn, Estonia

Why I Fell in Love with Tallinn, Estonia

I have a passion for traveling, photography, eating, and cruising. Imagine how happy it made me when all my passions are combined; I feel like I have hit the jackpot! This most recently happened, to my surprise, when my Norwegian Baltic Capitals cruise pulled into the port of Tallinn, Estonia.

I would be lying if I said I had heard of Tallinn; it was foreign rolling off my tongue. I did not know one single person who had ever been to Estonia. My friend, Jo, and I traveled together on a cruise, which had a packed itinerary for large European cities.

On our trip, we visited St. Petersburg, Berlin, Helsinki, Copenhagen, and Stockholm. We were so tired from traveling and unfamiliar with Estonia, that we almost stayed on the boat to do nothing. At the last minute, we found a walking and food tour that caught our interest, so we booked it and left the comfort of our boat.  I am so grateful for that tour because I fell in love with Tallinn.

tallinn-red-roofs

waterfront-tallinn-estonia

The Gorgeous Town of Tallinn

Tallinn is a proud and gorgeous country that has been claimed by many other countries. It only became independent in the year 1991. Jo and I left the boat and began our walk to the center of town to meet up for our tour, Food Sightseeing Estonia.

Walking on the cobblestone streets around the quaint Old Town felt magical; interesting and ancient buildings with bright orange roofs toppled over the people and us. The crowds were laughing and happy. We passed by trendy boutiques and haute couture clothing and handbag stores, as well as the cheesy tourist traps that sold reputable souvenirs.

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I wish I could have service like this at every restaurant!

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I loved that people gathered, with no sense of purpose, simply appreciating being outdoors, wandering the twisty streets, enjoying coffee at little outdoor cafes, or catching up with friends.

Tallinn’s people were polished and sharp dressed, very metropolitan for what I would have expected in an “Old Town”. Cafe workers dressed in vintage clothing embraced their heritage and stood proudly as they ushered guests into Estonian restaurants and pulled them to their fragrant almond kiosks. Shop workers invited visitors to partake in their local traditions, such as having a shot of Pepper Schnapps (I do not recommend) as if we were old friends.  

Bottom line, I felt wanted in this town and like my visiting meant something to the town and its people, and it felt good.

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Go forth and explore!

Super Fun Food and Walking Tour

Our excursion through Food Sightseeing Estonia, took us on a 3-hour gastronomic foodie tour of the city. One of our stops featured tomato chutney and black bread which was filled with nuts and raisins.

At other locations, we sampled pumpkin soup with giant pepitas, and kama, a local drink that was creamy and interesting. We explored the Viru Gates, Town Hall Square, and ancient churches. We climbed to a rooftop for panoramic photos of the splendid city.

Tallinn’s architecture is amazing and you will not want to miss the dozens of photo ops at every twist and turn. Catherine’s Alley was a great place to stroll and watch the artisans painting pictures and selling their wares.

The tour concluded with a visit to an old pharmacy, where it is rumored that marzipan was invented. At the Luscher and Matiesen Wine Museum, the shopkeeper shared local lore and tragedies, healthy snacks, and unpleasant local wines. Even though we did not care for the wine, we still gave the tour the thumbs up.

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Old Town Tallinn is full of interesting architecture.

Tallinn is regarded as the medieval pearl of Europe. After spending the day in Tallinn, I can say I fell in love with this country and its culture.  I hope to return there again some day. In fact, I loved it so much that I must continue exploring all these Baltic States that might offer a bit of the same fascination. Next on my agenda will be Lithuania and Latvia.

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Cool Info: It is rumored that Peter the Great fell in love with Tallinn and had St. Petersburg not already been under construction, he would have chosen Tallinn to place his empire instead.

Check out our other Eastern European posts!

Berlin       

St. Petersburg       

Pushkin & Peterhov

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About Melody Pittman

Melody and Taylor are a mom/daughter team who write about luxury travel, culture, cruising, food, and most recently, life with a toddler. Places they specialize in are FL, MS, WV, and the Midwest, as well as Panama. Both ladies freelance (print & online publications), host a Southern-based travel conference host, and are digital influencers. They love cruising, animals, National Parks, small towns, Broadway, TV, and cooking.

Comments

  6. Lesley says

    When I visited Latvia last year, I wanted to visit Estonia as well. It was so close but I never made it. I still long to return, especially to Tallinn. Thanks fr the reminder to move it up my list.

  8. Geert says

    With all those people wearing costumes, it almost looks like you visited a village from Peter Pan or the Pirates of the Caribbean or something 😉 I haven’t made it to Estonia yet, but it sure looks lovely!

  10. Dariece says

    This sounds heavenly! Tallinn looks like a town straight from a fairytale, and it sounds like it felt that way, too! It’s too bad you had such little time there, but at least it was a great experience. 🙂

  13. Pam says

    Many people told me how Tallin is one of their fav cities…I still can’t believe I’ve never took time and will to go and see the Baltic countries cause I met quite a few travellers from there 🙂 It’s a bit higher on my list now for sure

  15. Carlie says

    It sure looks (and sounds) like you had a wonderful time! I love the idea of the gastronomic tour. What a great way to speed through a short stop but still get the most out of it!

  17. Rob Taylor says

    What a cool, enchanting town with so much fun to experience. Um, and this is the first post of yours I’ve read where you’ve had two negative comments in it. Usually you have such awesome luck with wonderful restaurants and sights, but the local wines AND the schnapps weren’t great? Estonia must be a very sober land indeed. 😉

  22. mark says

    One of the most beautiful cities in the world. We loved our 3 days spent there in 2013 . The old town area of Tallinn is beautiful. We traveled by ferry from Helsinki easy 2 hour trip across the baltic sea.

  24. Marta says

    I am definitely putting Tallin on my list of places to visit: it looks so charming! I have a friend who is originally from there: I should start pulling strings and get invited 😉

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