Tallinn: A Virtual Tour of the Old Town

Why Tallinn?

Most people these days are so obsessed with cities like Paris, London or New York, that traditional and beautiful cities are often forgotten. Tallinn is the capital of Estonia – a country in the European Union, located to the south of Finland and to the north of Latvia. I was in Tallinn only for 1.5 days and I honestly wish I could spend much more time there.

To be absolutely honest, when my roommate suggested Tallinn as one of the 8 cities on our Euro-trip list, I wasn’t too excited. Not only did I not know of this city- but I thought I would be better off visiting another city like Stockholm or London, for instance. But all my insecurities disappeared from the moment I set foot into this gorgeous city and not even a 30 min long walk from the port of Tallinn till our Airbnb apartment with my heavy suitcase could dampen my spirit!

Tallinn, is a city like no other. Its rustic beauty lies in its old town. When I say old town – I mean a really OLDTOWN. Even most Estonian men and women are dressed in traditional Estonian attire and carry themselves like people did in the Medieval ages. It’s an absolute treat and I have never seen anything like it before.

Tallinn also happens to be a much cheaper European city as compared to its European counterparts. After keeping a strict limit on my expenditures in cities like Copenhagen and Oslo, I decided to splurge in this lovely city (and it was the best decision ever).

Virtual tour through Tallinn’s Old Town:

• The path leading to the Old Town was under construction when I was there (Second to last week of March), but it is filled with vendors selling beautiful bouquets of flowers. There are so many shops – it just filled me with unprecedented joy. It makes the start so much more beautiful as you get an exciting image of the blooming of flowers during Spring-time.

• The entry to the Old Town: One can see the clear differences between the Old Town and the amazingly lit city centre a behind it – in the backdrop. The entry itself was extremely grand and we were greeted by 2 bands – one all-girl band that was playing the soundtrack of The Game of Thrones with their drums and pipers. It was absolutely surreal! The other one included boys playing popular songs such as Maroon Five’s ‘Sugar’ and Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’

• The streets: have some magic in them. They are cobbled of course, with no cars on them. There aren’t that many tourists because Tallinn doesn’t attract too many! I really wonder WHY because it’s so gorgeous. The first street inside the Old Town has souvenir shops on either side that are small and cute. The souvenirs are extremely affordable, just like most of the other things in this city.

• Tallinn’s Main Square: is splendidly surrounded by restaurants serving you exotic cuisines from around the globe. From Indian food to Mexican food, there’s something for everybody!

• Walls of Tallinn: These are medieval defence walls constructed around the city. One can get a view of the entire Old Town of Tallinn from up here. There are numerous flights of stairs to get up before getting to your destination, so save up all your energy for these Walls of Tallinn!

• Walking around and getting lost: The fantastic views and captivating streets leading to unknown destinations was the highlight of Tallinn. There isn’t that much to do in this Old Town, other than to absorb the aura of this place and think of settling down here for good!

• Dining: There are so many great places to dine for people with all sorts of palettes and wallet sizes (haha). My roommate and I are vegan, and Estonia is one country that is quite Vegan-friendly! :) Our first stop was at Hell Hunt – the oldest pub in Tallinn. It had a complete Rockstar vibe to it and was a new experience. The food and drinks were super cheap and super tasty! The drinks average at around 2 to 4 euros whereas the appetisers (food) are also around the same price!