A plan for Tallinn

On the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is a city of over 450,000 inhabitants (2023). It is home to a third of the country's population, and is also the capital of Harju County in Northern Estonia.

In a striking contrast to its Old Town, its immediate outskirts are filled with a cluster of modern office towers, with intermittent architectural monuments to the Soviet era. Further out, you will find a bewildering variety of historic and modern neighbourhoods, religious, civic, industrial and maritime heritage. This all provides for the city seeing very sizeable tourist traffic given its size, which in turn means the infrastructure is robust and extensive.

History

Tallinn is a historic city dating back to medieval times. The first fortress on Toompea was built around 1050 and Tallinn was possibly first recorded on a world map in 1154. In 1219, the city was conquered by Valdemar II of Denmark and it became a member of the Hanseatic League in 1285. The city, known as Reval at the time, prospered as a trading town in the 14th century, and much of Tallinn's historic centre was built at this time.

Tallinn then became a pawn in the geopolitical games of its big neighbours, passing into Swedish hands in 1561 and then to the Russian Empire under Peter the Great in 1710. By World War I and the ensuing brief Estonian independence (starting 1918) Tallinn's population had reached 150,000.

Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, conquered by Nazi Germany (1941–44), and then retaken by the Soviets. In World War II, the city was quite extensively bombed by the Soviets, although luckily the medieval town survived. The Soviet Union undertook a program of massive East Slavic migration, and just over 40% of Tallinn's current inhabitants are Slavic (compared to an average of 28% for the entire country). On 20 August 1991, Estonia declared independence and Tallinn became its capital once again.

The Tenet tour is a showcase of sets of the 2020 film Tenet. The Tallinn history tour is a walk through the city's long history.

Kesklinn (city centre)

Toompea Hill

According to myth, the hill was built on top of the grave of legendary Estonian king Kalev, but more historically, its solid limestone and the site of the Danish castle that founded the city in 1219. Toompea was the home of the Danish and later Baltic German aristocracy and relations between the toffs and the plebs were often inflamed, which is why it's surrounded by thick walls and there's a gate tower (1380) guarding the entrance. Check out the viewpoints, some of which give great views over the city. There's also a cluster of amber (merevaik) shops around here (no Estonian origin but popular among cruise tourists).

1 Toompea Castle (Parliament of Estonia), Lossi plats 1A, ☏ +372 6316357, ekskursioon@riigikogu.ee. 10:00–16:00. Seat of Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu). The castle complex consists of several parts: the western wall and the towers of Tall Hermann, Pilsticker and Landskrone built by the Danes between 13th and 15th centuries; the classic style building of the government of the Estonian Governorate built 1767–1773 by the Russians, and the building of the Riigikogu from the 1920s. It's believed that already in the middle of the 11th century there was an ancient Estonian wooden fortress on the location. (updated Aug 2021)

2 Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Lossi plats 10, ☏ +372 644 3484, nevsky@hot.ee. A classic onion-domed Russian Orthodox church, built 1894–1900, during the Russification period when Estonia was part of the Russian Empire. In 1928, when Estonia was independent, it was argued that the church is a symbol of oppression and architecturally non-suitable, therefore should be demolished. But it survived also the Soviet times, and now is used by the Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate.

1 Medieval Days (Keskaja Päevad), Raekoja plats (in the Old Town), ☏ +372 660 4772, +372 518 7812 (Estonian Folk Art and Handicraft Union), +372 5364 8854 (Costume rental), info@folkart.ee. July. Come and experience the medieval atmosphere of the historic Hanseatic City! You can find workshops and market with traders, participate in tours and witness exciting tournaments.

2 Kultuurikatel (creative hub), Põhja pst 27a, ☏ +372 56 2011 15. A former industrial site, it now Tallinn's main creative hub, site of many events (see website). (updated Oct 2018)

3 Energy Discovery Centre (for youngsters), Põhja pst 29, ☏ +372 620 9020, info@energiakeskus.ee. Daily 12:00–18:00, public holidays 12:00–17:00. (updated Jul 2020)

4 PROTO Invention Factory (PROTO Avastustehas), Peetri 10, ☏ +372 627 6661. Indoor amusement park where amusements take place with the help of VR glasses. (updated Jun 2021)

5 Kalev Spa, Aia 18, ☏ +372 649 3300. One of the largest water parks in Northern Estonia. (updated Jun 2021)

6 Atlantis H2O Aquapark, Randvere tee 11, Viimsi (Buses 1A, 114, 174), ☏ +372 666 7045, info@aquapark.ee. The water park has several fun water equipment: a wave pool, a flow pool and eight different slides, the longest of which is over 120 m. For toddlers, there is a separate area with two smaller slides, a climbing area and a 0.20-m-deep swimming pool.

7 Vembu-Tembumaa, Keskuse tee 2, Kurtna, Saku (Bus 219, 2 km walk from Kiisa railway station), ☏ +372 671 9155, info@vembu-tembumaa.ee. The oldest and largest amusement park for the whole family. €18.

Beaches

A flag system that regulates swimming. A green flag means it is safe swim, a yellow flag means you can swim, but it isn't recommended and a red flag means swimming is not advised, go in at your own risk.

8 Pirita Beach (Pirita rand) (take bus 1A, 8, 34A or 38. to stop "Pirita", or walk by the sea 5 km northeast of centre). A large sandy beach which in summer is full of locals and tourists.

9 Stroomi Beach (Stroomi rand, Pelgurand) (take bus 40 to stop "Supelranna"). The water is clean and warm, and it is the gay friendliest beach of Tallinn.

The Old Town is packed with restaurants claiming to offer authentic Estonian food, particularly on and around Raekoja plats. Prices at restaurants near the Raekoja Plats are generally more expensive, yet offer the same quality of food, as restaurants off this main square. Prices are steep by Estonian standards, but still much cheaper than neighbouring Helsinki, which explains why on weekends they're always packed with day tripping Finns.

Budget

In the Old Town

1 Maiasmokk, Pikk 16, ☏ +372 64 64 079, maiasmokk@kalev.eu. Mostly 09:00–21:00. The oldest still operating café in Tallinn, dating back to 1864. Coffee, tea, chocolate and various sweet and savoury pastries at quite cheap prices. Spacious with stylish decor. Next door is the Maiasmokk confectionery shop, which sells good quality Estonian chocolates. (updated May 2022)

2 Pub Kompressor, Rataskaevu 3. Very tasty and varied pancakes. There are also other dishes. Fantastic place with great food and drinks, especially kvass! (updated May 2022)

3 III Draakon, Raekoja plats. If you'd like to scoop nostalgia. Very interesting to eat in a special way. They have a small menu to offer but very good and very typical. The waitress plays at having the character of a sour waitress but with humor. A memorable experience. (updated May 2022)

4 Pizza Grande, Väike-Karja 6a. Very cozy place. Delicious pizza, affordable prices, pleasant service. Great environment. (updated May 2022)

Near the Old Town

5 Loca, Tatari 1, Tallinn (Located near Vabaduse väljak, right next to Söögiplats), ☏ +372 555 15 235. 11:00–07:00. Pizza, falafel, hummus, soup, beer. Fast food joint with wild staff and increasing customer service. €3-8.

6 Borsch j Varenyk, Endla 56, ☏ +37257571015, borschvarenyk@gmail.com. Mon–Tue 14:00–23:00 Wed–Thu 11:00–23:00 Fri–Sat 11:00–12:00 (?) Sun 11:00–23:00. Great place to enjoy home-made Ukranian food €10–20. (updated Jul 2026)

Cafés

There are plenty of nice cafés, especially in the centre. Among the interesting ones:

1 Café Mademoiselle (Kohvik Mademoiselle), Toompuiestee 27 / Paldiski mnt 4 (in the Kelmiküla district; at the Meriton Grand Conference & Spa Hotel), ☏ +372 62 88 155, pastry.meriton.tallinn@parkinn.com. Daily 08:00–22:00. A café with the high quality confectionery products. (updated Jun 2023)

2 Wabadus Kohvik (Café Wabadus), Vabaduse väljak 10, ☏ +372 6604019. Mon-Thu 9-23; Fri 9-1; Sat 11-1, Sun 11-22. located just next to the freedom square, this café has good drinks as well as dishes. The interior is a great blend of classical styles of prior decades with the modern times. (updated Oct 2018)

Nightlife

Tallinn's crazy nightlife is out of proportion to the city's small size. The days of armed mafiosos are over and these days any drunken fights tend to involve stag parties. Exercise some caution in choosing your venue, as some strip clubs and regular clubs make their money by fleecing tourists who come in for a drink. In local places, beers cost €2.50-4.

Bars and pubs

In old town (Vanalinn)

3 Beer House, Dunkri 5. Plenty of beers to choose from in this large authentically styled and decorated Bavarian Beer hall, including 5 of their own beers made on site. Try the Medovar Honey beer.

4 The Dubliner, Suur Karja 18, pubidubliner@gmail.com. 11:00-midnight (03:00 at the weekend). Popular Irish pub on one of the nightlife axes. Attracts younger people and is relatively new, so no pub crawlers puke in front of the door.

5 Drink Baar, Väike Karja 8, ☏ +372 644 9433. Sun-Thu 12:00-23:00, Fri Sat 12:00-03:00. The widest selection of beers of any pub in town including many quality imports from Brewdog and Mikkeller. Good English-style pub-grub, featuring award winning fish and chips. Monthly comedy nights from the "Comedy Estonia" and quiz nights.

6 Hell Hunt, Pikk 39. The name means "the gentle wolf" in Estonian. A comfortable and homey pub in the Old Town and offers a wide selection of beers (including two of their own brews) and some pretty decent food. Don't miss the spare ribs.

The Old Town is best navigated on foot, not that you have much choice. A network of buses, trams and trolleybuses covers the rest of the city. There is an abundance of relatively cheap taxis. Before you jump in a random taxi car make sure you check the price on the window of the car. In Tallinn there are more than 20 taxi companies and some can be a rip-off.

By public transport

TLT operates frequent bus, trolley and tram services daily 06:00-23:59.

Timetables and maps are available in English.

It is possible to use a contactless payment card (Mastercard, Maestro, Visa and Visa Electron) to buy a one-hour (60 min) ticket for €2. As you board a public transport vehicle, you will be required to validate your trip every time by swiping the payment card at the rectangular orange validators in the front of the vehicle. If you see a green light, your trip has been validated. The system tracks your daily usage and automatically bills your bank account for the cheapest ticket you are entitled to for the day, meaning the maximum you will pay in a single day for an unlimited amount of trips is the price of a one-day ticket (€5.50).

Rechargeable "green card" (Ühiskaart), which is a brand new, cash-free, and smart way of payment. Use your card to touch a bright orange box every time you enter the bus: a single 1-hour ticket (€2, transfer allowed) will be charged automatically and on each day individual tickets will total until the price of the day ticket (€5.50) is reached (as of August 2026). Alternatively, the card can be charged for unlimited travel for 3 days, 5 days, or one month. Get this card from one of the abundant R-kiosks for €2, a refundable deposit which is only refundable in limited locations. Refund is available at the R-Kiosk of the Tallinn Airport, Old City Harbour Terminal A and D, Balti jaam and the service desk of bus station (details). You can charge the card immediately or do it later on-line (major credit cards accepted).

Tallinn is easily among Europe's safest capitals, with violent crime being rare and petty crime being negligible compared to other cities.

However, various governments warn against the risk of being pickpocketed, particularly in the Old Town. Watch your valuables closely, especially on public transport and at Viru Street.

The stigmatized neighbourhoods of Kopli and Lasnamäe – both predominantly Russian-speaking areas known as hotbeds for the notorious "Gopnik" culture – are probably best to be avoided after dark, although they are a lot safer than the "bad neighbourhoods" in Western European or North American cities. In suburbs of the city it is always best to avoid heavily drunk people.

The biggest trap to tourists in Tallinn is getting ripped off by taxi drivers or in "gentlemen's clubs". Many of the latter are known for their exorbitant prices and hidden "fees". Credit card skimming and other similar scams are common practice in those establishments. Stay away, unless you particularly enjoy losing your month's pay in a few hours.

People who arrive to Tallinn by camper van or just by car should be careful and not leave valuables in their vehicles. Unfortunately it's not rare that cars with foreign plates are looted. Those crimes are committed mainly in the area of Tallinn's passenger port and nearby streets where many camper vans stop. There are safer official car parks, but they are often harder to find, their location might not be very good, and you have to pay quite a lot of money.

Winters in Tallinn, indeed all of Estonia, are milder than in Scandinavia and Russia, but slippery roads are common. Be careful of icy pavements in the winter which can be a hazard especially outside of the central areas.

During the Soviet period the city's name was rendered in English as Tallin, a transliteration from the city's name in Russian: Таллин. That spelling should be avoided today.