Tallinn has one of the best-preserved medieval town centres in Europe, listed by UNESCO in 1997, and it is small enough to walk end to end in twenty minutes. But the Old Town is only part of the city, and the parts outside the walls, a Tsarist palace park, a Soviet-era district turned creative quarter, a seaplane hangar full of ships, are what make a trip here more than a day out.
1. Town Hall Square and the Old Town
Raekoja plats has been the centre of the city for eight centuries. The town hall on its south side was completed in 1404 and is the oldest surviving town hall in northern Europe, with a weathervane on the spire, Old Thomas, that Tallinn treats as a mascot.
On the corner of the square, the Town Hall Pharmacy has been documented in operation since 1422, making it one of the oldest continuously running pharmacies in Europe. It still sells medicine, and a small room at the back displays what it used to sell, including dried hedgehog and burnt bees.
The square is beautiful and, in July, extremely busy. Come early morning or after eight in the evening.
2. Toompea and the viewpoints
The upper town on Toompea hill was historically separate from the merchants' town below, governed apart, walled apart, and reached by two steep lanes still called the Long Leg and the Short Leg. Estonia's parliament sits in Toompea Castle, which is why a pink Baroque facade and a medieval tower share a courtyard.
Opposite it stands the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in 1900 while Estonia was part of the Russian Empire, as part of a deliberate policy of Russification. It is spectacular, and its presence on that hill has been politically contentious for the whole of its existence, worth knowing before you photograph it.
The Kohtuotsa and Patkuli platforms are a two-minute walk apart and give the two classic views over the red roofs and the sea. Both are free.
3. St Olaf's Church
Oleviste church has a tower that was rebuilt several times after being struck by lightning, and in its tallest incarnation, from 1549, it is often described as the tallest building in the world at the time. That claim is hard to verify precisely, but the church was certainly among the tallest structures in Europe.
You can climb the tower between spring and autumn: a narrow spiral staircase of well over two hundred steps to an open walkway with the best view in the city. Not for anyone uneasy with heights or confined spaces.
4. Kadriorg and KUMU
Peter the Great began Kadriorg Palace in 1718 and named it for his wife Catherine. The Baroque palace and its formal gardens are a twenty-minute walk or short tram ride east of the centre, and the park around them is where Tallinn goes on a Sunday.
At the far end sits KUMU, the national art museum, in a striking building cut into the limestone hillside. Its most interesting floor is the one covering Estonian art under Soviet occupation, including both official socialist realism and the unofficial work made alongside it. It is the clearest explanation of twentieth-century Estonia you will find anywhere in the city.
5. Telliskivi and Balti Jaam
Just outside the walls behind the railway station, Telliskivi Creative City occupies a former Soviet industrial complex now full of studios, restaurants, a photography museum and street art. Next to it, Balti Jaama Turg is a rebuilt market hall selling produce and street food downstairs and secondhand everything upstairs.
This is where the city's under-forties actually spend their weekends, and it costs a fraction of the Old Town.
Two more, if you have another day
Lennusadam, the Seaplane Harbour, is a maritime museum inside vast concrete seaplane hangars built in 1917, holding a submarine you can walk through. And the Song Festival Grounds are where hundreds of thousands of Estonians gathered to sing in 1988 during what became known as the Singing Revolution, a mass non-violent movement that contributed to independence in 1991. There is not much to see when it is empty, but it matters.
Practical things
Tallinn is very walkable and public transport is free for registered residents, not for visitors. Estonia uses the euro and cards work everywhere, including in market stalls. Summer is bright until nearly midnight; December is dark by half past three, but the Christmas market on Town Hall Square is genuinely good. Ferries to Helsinki take about two hours.
See it as a game
A medieval street plan is the ideal place for a city game: you explore in small teams with your phone, solve puzzles tied to real gates, towers and courtyards, and end up in the parts of the Old Town that the tour groups walk straight past. No guide and no fixed start time, so you go at your own pace.
It works for friends, families and company outings and larger groups. The how it works page explains the format step by step.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Tallinn?
Two days covers the Old Town, Kadriorg and Telliskivi comfortably. One day is enough for the Old Town alone.
Is Tallinn expensive?
Cheaper than the Nordic capitals across the water, more expensive than it was. Eating outside the Old Town costs noticeably less.
When is the best time to visit?
June to August for long days and outdoor life, December for the Christmas market. April and November are grey and quiet.
Can you climb St Olaf's tower?
Yes, seasonally, usually from spring to autumn. It is a long narrow climb and the platform is exposed.
Is the Old Town walkable?
Entirely, and it is closed to most traffic. The cobbles are uneven, so wear something sensible.
What is the Singing Revolution?
The mass singing gatherings and non-violent protests in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania between 1987 and 1991 that contributed to the restoration of independence.
Go and climb something
Tallinn is best understood from a tower, then from a bar in Telliskivi. See all the cities where we run games, read about the neighbours in what to do in Vilnius, or get in touch if you are planning something for a group.
