Tallinn is an incredibly beautiful city! And especially beautiful and magical time, of course, during the New Year holidays! So especially for olgamodjaro.com I made a special selection of my favorite places in the city, which I will share here!
I visit Tallinn very often, sometimes 5 times a year. This city is very special to me, every meter of it is insanely dear and beloved to me. But this trip was really unique: all thanks to the Christmas atmosphere that reigned in the city.
Today I’ll tell you how to fully enjoy the festive atmosphere, which places to go to, and where you can get the most beautiful views of this Tallinn.
To drink mulled wine (Gluhwein)
This is probably one of the most important points when visiting any New Year’s Eve city. But what is special about Tallinn gleek, you may ask? The thing is that there is a very old Liviko winery in Tallinn, which produces the famous Vana Tallinn liqueur. So, for Christmas holidays they produce a special line of wines for mulled wine. These wines are used to make mulled wine on the square. If you don’t drink alcohol, there is also non-alcoholic mulled wine here.
Once warmed up, you can go exploring the streets of the old town, where you can find incredibly beautifully decorated doors.
Or Christmas tree garlands like this.
Katharina Lane is one of the most incredible places in the city. This place is even more special if you can catch a deserted moment. It will be as if you will be transported to medieval Europe with the fantastic smell of leather, ceramics. The fact is that in this alley, as many centuries ago, craftsmanship is practiced. Here they carve stained glass (by the way, at very affordable prices), clay and leather products, etc.
Well, it’s especially beautiful in snowy weather.
Another important place that should not be neglected due to the large number of tourists is the observation platforms (or rather several of them). But the most beautiful ones are, of course, Patkuli and Kohtuotsa Vaateplats in the photo below. There is also the Oleviste Church (the tallest building in Tallinn), but the observation platform is closed in winter. In the summer season it costs only 2 euros to climb it.
If you have time, be sure to walk along the fortress walls. You will find many scenic spots.
Or cute little houses like this.
To the right of the yellow house is the narrowest street in Tallinn, or rather it is part of Rahukohtu Street in Visegrad, its second name is “verine”, which translates to bloody in Russian. There is a legend on this occasion:
There was a time when in Tallinn all ladies went only in bouffant dresses. Imagine, two capricious ladies, who would not yield to each other for anything, found themselves on a narrow street. And if they were accompanied by cavaliers, it was possible to solve the dispute “who will be the first” only with the help of a duel. That’s how the name “Bloody Street” came to be. Later, the city authorities made an official decision that suited everyone: “The older lady has the advantage of the first passage along the street”. The duels connected with the street stopped, but the name remained.
After strolling through the Vyshgorod, it’s back to the Market Square for some refreshment!
Or pet (bad idea) reindeer brought from Lapland. I’ll tell you right away, they are looked after very well there, it’s important!
One of the most famous buildings in Tallinn is the Three Sisters. Not seeing it is like not seeing and recognizing Tallinn. It is one of the main symbols of the old city, and a visit to it should be included in your itinerary.
A merchant had daughters – the eldest, the middle and the youngest. For the eldest daughter he built the best house with a high door, so that suitors would come in more often. For the middle daughter, the house was a little smaller, and the youngest daughter got a tiny building with no door.
Today the Three Sisters complex belongs to a private owner who has built a fashionable hotel in it – The Three Sisters Boutique Hotel 5*. I have been dreaming of staying there ever since my first visit to Tallinn. But now it seems the hotel is closed. However, you can choose another hotel here.
Modern city
Where else should we go? The Rotermanni district! This is one of my favorite places in the city. Rothermanni was an industrial district built back in the 19th century. There were starch factories, alcohol factories, a sawmill and pasta factory, a bakery, a flour mill, a cereal mill and steam sawmill buildings, as well as a salt warehouse. For many years it was an ordinary unassuming block in the center of town near the port.
Today this area has been modernized and is a very prestigious place to live and trade. Many buildings house stores of famous youth brands: Bershka, Stradivarius, Pull and Bear, Guess, Lacoste, as well as hotels, restaurants, offices and private apartments. It is a very beautiful and stylish place. I advise everyone who is interested in modern architecture to look there.
Where and what to eat in Tallinn?
There are plenty of new-fangled restaurants in Tallinn, but at Christmas time you want something medieval and hearty. So here are a couple of authentic places.
Peppersack is a very cozy place, and they say the beer here is delicious. Why should you come here? There are sword duels here in the evenings!
What a beautiful interior with a Christmas tree.
The medieval inn Third Dragon is located in the old courtroom of Tallinn Town Hall. Here you can try rich broth from moose meat (for a ridiculous 2 euros), puffy pies of four kinds, grilled sausages from the meat of forest dwellers, and the cheapest beer and wine on the Town Hall Square. By the way, there are no spoons and forks here, soup is served and eaten from a clay plate, and the room is medieval twilight: candles, wooden furniture and marvelous music, the place is delightful!
And one of the most famous places in Tallinn is Olde Hansa. Let’s put aside speculations that it’s all for tourists, etc. It is touristy because it is really unique.
There are Olde Hansa carts outside with delicious nuts (almonds) in caramel, with spices, herbs. And what a smell they have… crazy! You can try any of them and choose to buy the ones you like best.
The main reason why you should come here: where else will you taste “Blessed berries from the olive tree”, “Moose jerky with spices that noblemen eat in the saddle while hunting”, “Roast of the Great Knight”, “Boar meat according to Count von Üksküll’s recipe”, “Merchant von Hueck’s dish of stewed moose and boar meat”? Isn’t it tempting?
The best place in a three-story restaurant that I can recommend is the place on the last (third) floor in the small hall. It’s quiet, cozy, there are always few people there, and it also has a window.
It has a very beautiful view of the city.
And our modest menu: dark honey beer “Honey Beer”, decoction of forest mushrooms “Mushrooms soop”, fresh cheese baked with juniper “Juniper cheese”. A plate with buns and cheese pate is an addition to the soup. For everything we gave about 20 euros.
Well, that’s pretty much it. I highly recommend to visit this amazing city: to eat medieval dishes and walk along the ancient streets!
I hope you enjoyed Christmas Tallinn through my eyes.
