Tallinn, Estonia wasn’t really on our radar when we decided on a holiday trip to Finland---but it became an attractive option after we learned that in Estonia, Christmas is celebrated on December 24th and not on the 25th. Compared to Helsinki’s Christmas Day with everything shut down, a 2-hour ferry trip across the Baltic would bring us to Tallinn, where the city was festive, bustling, and open.
The Tallink ferry left Helsinki at 10:30 with the ferry port-of-call conveniently located only a few blocks from our Airbnb. Onboard, there was plenty of duty-free shopping (similar to our Helsinki-Stockholm cruise), food to eat, snacks, and beverages. The time went quickly (we played some cards) and we arrive in this picturesque city of Tallinn just after noon, with 5 hours to enjoy this delightful place.
Despite the grey, cloudy skies, and cold weather, the city was absolutely charming and beautiful. We started our tour in the Old Town, walking the cobblestone streets, skirting along the ancient stone city walls, with 26 watchtowers and arched gates. Tallinn's Old Town developed in the 13th century is the best-preserved medieval city in Northern Europe.
Tallinn's culture draws from both Nordic and Russian influences. Russia controlled Estonia from 1700-1920, and then by Nazi Germany from 1941-1944. After the Nazis left, Russia came on the scene again, until Estonia declared independence in 1990. Since then, Tallinn has returned to its mercantile roots and is one of the major hubs for European trade, as well as tourism.
The Town Hall Square was the site of the lively Christmas Market, with towering Christmas tree, a children’s carousel, glögg and sausages for sale, and numerous stands selling crafts and the like.
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Russian orthodox structure with distinctive onion-domes, that is perched on the hill of Toompea. Built in 1900, as a symbol of Russian domination, Estonians disdain this building and it was slated to be demolished in 1924, but those plans were thankfully, never realized.
We enjoyed meandering through the Old Town, which was cheerfully decorated with Christmas decorations and lights. We wandered into a couple of tourist shops to get our trinkets, and stopped for a pizza dinner and some beer, before heading back to the ferry to Helsinki. It was a great day of wandering and exploring this historic and charming city.
This was our last full day with our intrepid travel companions and dear Scottish friends, Fiona and Alex. These two are truly family to us. We’ve had countless adventures together, and although it’s sometimes years between our connections, we so easily get right back into our groove, with so many laughs, drinks, and truly good times shared.
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