Our Estonian Escapades (Part 2)
Part 2 of our Estonian escapades features our time in Tallinn, Estonia's capital, with its very charming old town and much more. It was a fun week in Estonia and we hope you enjoy this 2-part series of our time there.
After leaving Tartu (you can catch Part 1 here), we travelled during the day on an incredibly swanky bus with screens for each seat, which made for a very comfy journey. We arrived in Tallinn mid-afternoon at the perfect time to check-in to the infamous Monk’s Bunk Hostel, collect our welcome shots of Vana Tallinn and ditch our things.
The rest of this day mainly consisted of us doing a few admin jobs, like printing visas, exchanging currencies so we had some USD (worth a lot in some nations) and collecting some up to date passport photos. Although we did have a go at the hostel’s beer pong tournament, because we were feeling confident as Rubes assured me of her ability (she's surprisingly decent).
Also, Monk's Bunk was the venue where only a year prior, me and my buddy Easty, won a 10-cup game in the first two throws. Ruby and I won through our first game, but it took forever between the other games and after waiting 2-hours for the next round, it never came and we decided to hit the hay.
For our first full day in Tallinn, we got up reasonably early and made sure we were ready to meet at the Tallinn information centre by 10am for the Free Walking Tour. For the next 2 hours it took us around the city’s old town and provided plenty of flashbacks, but was definitely as informative and gave us both a good understanding of Tallinn and about Estonia in general.
We ended in the main square at lunchtime and were definitely in need of some fuel. Again, my previous knowledge of Tallinn took us to a pancake place called Kompressor. In terms of value for money that also equals a quality feed, this place does huge and delicious sweet and savoury pancakes for a fiver. We got the pesto, tomato and feta and even splitting a full one between us was enough to satisfy.
From here we decided to leave the Old Town, where of a day it is incredibly busy from people arriving on ferries from Stockholm and Helsinki. We explored the lovely Kadriog park and garden, ventured into the suburbs to see some more Soviet-era parts (Estonia only gained independence after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991) and made our way to the Telliskivi Creative City.
Telliskivi is a former industrial area made new by some dedicated investment and creative redevelopment, which has resulted in a very trendy (verging on hipster) local hangout housing good food and drinks. We had an incredibly yummy veg dinner at F-Hoone settled upon after much deliberation between the many appealing options (that importantly, didn't result in any food envy).
Heading back inside the old town walls after dinner, we had the streets free of tourists and it was nice wandering around virtually by ourselves. We had grabbed some bevies from the supermarket earlier, which we took up to one of the viewpoints to watch a beautiful Estonian sunset to close out the day.
The following morning was our final full day in Tallinn (and Europe for that matter), so we wanted to make it a bit special. We heard from the hostel staff that in the nearby town of Rummu, there is an abandoned quarry and prison. It had been left to fill-up over the years and now provides locals with a beautifully rustic place to chill out and have a swim.
So we left early in the morning on the 146 Bus and after an hour of travel, we arrived in Rummu. There were a few other people with towels and a bunch of local kids that got off the bus with us and guessing they were heading to the same place, we decided to follow them. Luckily we did, because at the entrance of the quarry, some savvy entrepreneurs had setup a foldable table and were charging entry. But by blending in with the kids, we kept our heads down and kept walking and successfully avoided paying.
Once inside, it opened up to this amazingly blue water lagoon that had submerged some of the former buildings and leaving them free to swim through and climb up on. We enjoyed cooling off in the water, having another picnic by the shores and taking in the serenity of this hidden gem.
It was cool to explore something that was predominantly enjoyed by locals and a far cry from the atmosphere of Tallinn. Watching some kids, I even got the urge to climb up the building and take the jump from the top. It was just good fun. We continued the adventure by scaling the limestone dunes to get a birds-eye view of literally everywhere (Estonia is as flat as a pancake).
After also pocking our heads around the prison, we headed back to Tallinn as the afternoon dragged on. That night we decided to cook our own dinner and also have a few drinks at the hostel. We met a few Kiwi's in the kitchen and had a beer and a great chat with them about all things Oceania, travel and India (they were also going there soon). It was the perfect end to a great final day in Europe.
Upon waking, we were met by the realisation that our time in Estonia and Tallinn had finally come to an end as packed our thing ready to head to airport. But, we couldn't have left without a final Kompressor pancake that gave us the energy needed to get us on the plane. It's a long journey from here, but when you hear from us next, we will be in the jaws of the sub-continent and at the mercy of all that India has to offer.
Recommendations: Tallinn
Accommodation:
Monk's Bunk Hostel: Not for the unsociable or early sleeper, they encourage a good time and have regular drinking events and pub-crawls. It's a fun place and always filled with some characters. As far as value goes, it's a pretty decent hostel, with a kitchen, common area, games area and bar.
Food:
Kompressor: In the heart of the old town, Kompressor specialises in both savoury and sweet pancakes for around 5. They are big, delicious and filling, so definitely give them a try.
Telliskivi Creative City: Has plenty of options for all kinds of food and drink, we can recommend F-Hoone for a very yummy vegan meal, but honestly, you'd have a good feed at any one of the many options. It's located near the train station, just West outside of the old town.
III Draakon: This quirky little restaurant is located in the town hall (on the main square) and offers patrons an opportunity to venture back in time to what a medieval tavern would've been like. You can buy beer and wine by the jug and enjoy various meals of elk broth, pastries and sausages (being vego's we gave this a miss, but I went last year for a beer and it was a fun atmosphere).
Things to See and Do:
Old Town: Tallinn's Old Town is one of the most preserved I've seen in modern Europe and provides a fairytale like atmosphere when meandering through the streets. There are many sights within the walls and a day can be made just visiting them all. Be aware, in the summer there are a number of tourists that visit and it can get pretty crowded, set out early mornings or early evenings to avoid the rush.
Notable sights: Toompea Hill, Town Hall, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Oleviste Church.
Free Walking Tour: A staple across Europe, the free walking tour initiative offers a pay-as-you-feel based service in return for 2-hours of quality information about your surroundings, as well as, Tallinn's and Estonia's history. Meeting just outside the Tourist Info Centre in the middle of the old town, the tour is run multiple times a day (especially in summer) with more info found here.
Kadriog Park: To escape the old town, a short tram ride away is the Kadriog Park area, which is very relaxing and has a number of notable draw-cards. The gardens themselves are very well maintained and are charming to find a space for yourself. While the Kadriog Palace is of a particularly impressive natre. Finally, the Kumu Art museum is on the edge of the park and a must for culture lovers.
Short Trips from Tallinn:
Rummu Quarry: There are a number of buses that run daily to Rummu from the various Tallinn bus stands. We caught bus no. 146, which took roughly an hour and cost us €6 each for a return ticket.
Lahemaa National Park: East of Tallinn is the Lahemaa NP, which offers a change of scenery for the outdoor type. We were going to head to here instead of Rummu and explore the vast forests and wetlands, however, we went in favour of a swim. It's accessible by buses every day and can even be an option for an extended stay in the wilderness.
Thank you for your time, I hope you enjoyed reading about our Estonian Escapades. If you have any questions about anything you've read or want to know more about our experiences, please write to us at hishertraveling@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Kind regards, Madie.