Tallinn: Top Rated!! Why Loved?

[dogs4fun]

IMHO, a tour of Tallinn is not necessary. Tallinn is super easy to DIY - if you want some commentary, rent an audio guide at the TI. 

[trosebery]

Thanks for bumping this thread: I'm trying to talk my sister into joining me on a Northern Europe trip in the future, and I think she will love Tallinn (possibly even more than St. Petersburg), so Tallinn photos are always welcome.

 

And I will agree that a Tallinn guided tour is not necessary as it's very easy to DIY, although I did really enjoy the very reasonably priced private walking + bike tour with did with Traveller Tours (a local company) on our last visit, as I especially enjoyed contrasting our medieval city walk with our cycling tour of the more modern areas (such as Telliskivi Creative City, with its street art).

 

(Adding that I didn't especially enjoy the walking tour we did with one of the big St. P. tour companies on our previous visit, as there were too many people in our group in too-crowded areas to hear our tour guide easily. The big St. P. company tours in other ports vary widely in tour group size and quality.)

[mskaufman]

Tallinn on a rainy day

 

https://msknortherneurope.shutterfly.com/pictures/382

 

And St. P

 

https://msknortherneurope.shutterfly.com/pictures/453

 

 

[dogs4fun]

14 hours ago, mskaufman said:

Tallinn on a rainy day

Nice pics! I really like your photo of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. I think that rainy/cloudy days make for some very interesting and beautiful photos. Image #10 is very interesting - which building is pictured (I don't recall seeing it)?

 

[ljandgb]

We did a walking food tour and it was one of the highlights of our trip.  I think you could easily do Tallinn on your own, as its not hard to get to the old town and navigate the main areas, but we really appreciated the insight from a local.  She had family "disappeared" when the Soviets invaded the country, and was a mid-teen when they regained independence.  She had some fascinating stories.  That sort of experience you can't get with an audio guide or book.

[mskaufman]

8 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

Nice pics! I really like your photo of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. I think that rainy/cloudy days make for some very interesting and beautiful photos. Image #10 is very interesting - which building is pictured (I don't recall seeing it)?

 

No. 10 is the façade of an apartment building we passed walking down the street.

[Hlitner]

When I said I loved Paris there were some who said it was too touristy.  It was the same when we expressed a liking for Florence....it was too touristy.  And we have heard the same about Venice, Talllin, Taormina, New York, San Francisco, etc.  Folks all say these places are "too touristy.  But when we went to Dakar and Murmansk  nobody told us they were touristy and there was a good reason.  So folks, I am happy to visit Tallin, Venice, Paris, Prague, drive through Provence (too touristy), spend time staying in hotel/chateaus of the Loire (all too touristy), etc.

 

One thing I have learned after a long life of extensive travel is that "touristy" places are often worthy of the label :).  I have also learned to ignore folks who tell me not to go to places because they are touristy.  My goodness, even Antarctica is considered too touristy by some..   Our of respect for "London Towner" we will no longer visit London which it too touristy, too expensive, and full of too many folks who tell me everything is too touristy :).

 

Hank

[TLCOhio]

From Travel+Leisure magazine late last month, they had this headline: “50 Best Places to Travel in 2024" with this portion of their sub-headline:  "Where to go for cultural immersion and major travel bragging rights.”

 

Here are some of their reporting highlights as to why a high ranking for Tallinn, Estonia: “This country’s literacy and secondary education rates consistently rank near the top in Europe.  For first-timers to the Baltics, there’s no better place to get schooled than the country’s capital city, Tallinn: its walled Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved examples of Medieval architecture in the world. PoCo Art Museum, which opened in May with pop art by Andy Warhol, Banksy, David Hockney, and Jeff Koons, is now one of nearly 50 art institutions in the city. After soaking in the culture, head for the Noblessner district, an industrial shipyard area turned seafront hot spot that’s now bursting with stylish cafes, shops, and Estonia’s first restaurant with two Michelin stars, 180° by Matthias Diethe.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-places-to-go-2024-8385979

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio   

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 249,559 views.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

[ontheweb]

When we did Tallinn, we followed the walking tour outlined in Rick Steves' Scandanavia book. No need for any paid excursion. 

[clo]

On 7/26/2020 at 6:49 PM, Hlitner said:

even Antarctica is considered too touristy by some..

Really? As far as I can remember we were the only ship in the area where we could disembark. That was about three years ago, pre-covid, so maybe it's changed.

[clo]

On 12/2/2023 at 9:19 AM, ontheweb said:

When we did Tallinn, we followed the walking tour outlined in Rick Steves' Scandanavia book. No need for any paid excursion. 

Thanks. Doing a cruise in July.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, clo said:

Thanks. Doing a cruise in July.

You're welcome. You will love Tallinn. It's like being in a medieval city.

 

And where have you been? You disappeared for years (unless I am confusing you with someone else.)

[clo]

9 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

You're welcome. You will love Tallinn. It's like being in a medieval city.

 

And where have you been? You disappeared for years (unless I am confusing you with someone else.)

Didn't travel except for RVing for three years or so.  Yellowstone for the first time and I've lived in the West for decades. And other Western treats. Not sure how much cruising we'll do. We've been thinking about parts of Western Europe and doing trains. We'll see.

[ontheweb]

13 hours ago, clo said:

Didn't travel except for RVing for three years or so.  Yellowstone for the first time and I've lived in the West for decades. And other Western treats. Not sure how much cruising we'll do. We've been thinking about parts of Western Europe and doing trains. We'll see.

We did not cruise for quite a while, but I still kept posting.

 

Our last cruise had been in 2018, Boston to Montreal on HAL. In 2019, we did a land trip instead, an escorted land tour in Peru. We had a Princess cruise into the Norwegian fjords booked for 2020, but Covid intervened. Didn't cruise in 2021 for the same reason.

 

In the fall of 2021, we got an NCL brochure in the mail and fell in love with an itinerary, London (Southampton) to Reykjavik, and figured we would do it the next year for our 45th anniversary. But then we noticed the ship was not yet built, and it was not sailing until this year. So, we skipped 2022 (just a few small land trips) and cruised this past summer on the relatively new Prima celebrating our wedding anniversary on a sea day between Norway and Iceland.

[spbstan]

I visit Tallinn every 3-6 months and love Old Town but one trip was during cruise season. A strong bit of advice, go there directly, not on a cruise ship because of two main reasons:
1 Ships only allow a few hours ashore
 2 When several ships in in port, it get extremely crowded.
Fall winter or spring is very different and far more interesting. The city of Tallinn is pretty normal and not the attraction but the walled city Old Town is a delight when not overrun with tourists. All other times is is slow paced, friendly, and engaging. Walking can be a challenge with the wrong shoes, the cobble stone streets are frequent causes of falls so wear something that has some protection for the soles of the feet like leather shoes, light walking shoes made for smooth pavement will cause burses on the feet, and look at your feet to make sure you are landing on where you intended.  It is is a lively living community there, when not overrun by tourists, so pop into any shop, pub or cafe that is not crowded and you will make new friends, but in busy season no one has time to talk or relaxed enough to engage.   Of the Baltic region, it is only second to St Petersburg as fun and interesting destinations.  
Either be good at map reading or use a smart phone to identify where you are and where want to go because the narrow, winding lanes can really disorient you so you can't tell what direction you are heading.   All the cafes and restaurants or pub fare seems reasonable or about 1/2 of the cost in Finland or Sweden. I usually stay in single bed hostels rooms for $12-20 a night but the last time stayed in a hotel further away that was very nice for $40 but it was a pretty good walk to get to Old Town, over a pretty steep hill. Climbing over the hill with lush parks was really nice, west of Old Town Nice hotels in Old Town, are USD65-190.  During peak season they can be a lot more and it is more like DisneyLand than an historical destination for relaxed exploration it is for 3 seasons.
Overall off season prices are low, lower than anywhere in the Baltic except St Petersburg,  A bonus is Tallinn to St Petersburg by bus or train then bus is low cost and easy so spending a week in Tallinn and 1-2 weeks in St Petersburg.

[TLCOhio]

On 12/12/2023 at 12:36 PM, spbstan said:

I visit Tallinn every 3-6 months and love Old Town but one trip was during cruise season. A strong bit of advice, go there directly, not on a cruise ship because of two main reasons:
1 Ships only allow a few hours ashore
 2 When several ships in in port, it get extremely crowded.

 

Agree above that more time and being overnight in charming, interesting ports such as Tallinn is the ideal and best.  BUT, in one day during a ship excursion, you can still see and enjoy lots.  Trade-offs??

 

From Forbes magazine in the past week, they had this headline: “Best Destination” with these highlights by Caroline Lupini,: “Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, is renowned for its beautifully preserved Old Town, which also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visiting Tallinn is like taking a journey back in time with its cobblestone streets, gothic spires and ancient city walls.   In Tallinn’s Old Town, visitors can explore the Toompea Castle, a historic fortress that now houses the Estonian Parliament and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, an example of Russian Revival architecture. The Town Hall Square with its markets and outdoor cafes is a perfect spot to soak in the medieval atmosphere, especially during the Christmas market season.   The city is dotted with green spaces like Kadriorg Park, which was originally chosen by Peter the Great to be his summer palace. Just a short drive from Tallinn lies Lahemaa National Park, with its coastal landscapes, ancient forests and peat bogs. For an immersive experience, consider booking a bog shoe tour to delve into the heart of these wetlands."

 

Full story at:

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/travel-rewards/best-places-to-travel/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 249,792 views.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

[sjmbruce]

I'm planning a cruise that includes Tallin. I keep reading terms like "old town" "upper town" with cobblestones and towers, and "medieval Tallin". Are these all the same area? 

[dfilpus]

16 hours ago, sjmbruce said:

I'm planning a cruise that includes Tallin. I keep reading terms like "old town" "upper town" with cobblestones and towers, and "medieval Tallin". Are these all the same area? 

Tallinn Old Town is the area within the town walls. The western part of Old town is on a hill overlooking the surrounding town. Upper town is where Parliament meets in an old Russian Palace across from the Orthodox Cathedral. There are significant overlooks of Lower Town.