Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, please confirm event/venue details in advance.
COUNTRY CODE:
Dial +372 for Estonia
FROM THE AIRPORT
Car Hire :
Take advantage of the special easyJet inflight rates. Visit the Europcar desk on arrival (on the ground floor), or call +372 605 8031. Open from 8am-6pm seven days a week.
Taxi :
The journey to the centre takes about 15-20 minutes and costs EEK80-EEK100.
Bus :
Bus 2 goes to the centre, with two or three services every hour Monday-Friday, and one or two on the weekend. The journey takes about 15 minutes. Tickets: EEK20.
(5A Laikmaa. Tel. 630 0800) Famous for one thing—its fantastic buffets. Go crazy with lunch/dinner dishes galore, including hot, cold and dessert options.
(15 Lootsi. Tel. 662 3777) Ship, ahoy! The restaurant-steamship Admiral (built in 1955) is based at the harbour where ferries go to Helsinki and Stockholm. Unsurprisingly, there's lots of fish on the menu.
(17 Raekoja Plats, Old Town. Tel. 615 500) Sample new Estonian cuisine in an intriguing setting. The décor boasts a fusion original medieval features in vast halls, punctuated by modern details.
(3 Tornimäe. Tel. 624 0000) One of the best restaurants in the city. Dine on wonderful contemporary cuisine combined with great views over the city and bay from the top floor of the Swissôtel Tallinn.
(18 Suur-Karja, Old Town. Tel. 683 0783) If you're looking for the perfect place to unwind after a tough day of sightseeing, come to this decadent wine-cellar restaurant.
(22 Müürivahe, Old Town. Tel. 631 3360) This small, cavernous club is one of the latest additions to Tallinn's lively nightlife scene.
On the ground
Shop
For authentic Estonian handcrafts, Kodukäsitöö has been around since 1927. Visit one of the shops at 15 and 22 Pikk (Old Town) or 4-6 Viru Square.
Insider Tip
If the winding cobblestoned streets of the Old Town prove too much of a challenge, Velotakso is here to help. These tricycles can carry a driver and two passengers as well as light luggage. Based at the Viru Gates (Tel. 508 8810).
Key Area
Old Tallinn is one of the best-maintained medieval European townscapes. Most of its winding cobblestone streets, dating from the 11th to 15th centuries, are preserved in entirety—hence the UNESCO World Heritage status. The main streets (and most crowded during tourist season) are Viru, Pikk, Vene, Harju, Müürivahe, Suur-Karja, as well as Town Hall Square.
This month
Wallenberg is an internationally acclaimed opera about Raoul Wallenberg—a Swede who is credited with saving thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust—by Erkki-Sven Tüür. Definitely worth catching (21, 22, 25 May. Estonian National Opera. Tel. 683 1260. www.opera.ee).
Day Tripping
Helsinki
–
Just 80 kilometres away, you can easily spend a day in the capital of Finland. A hub of cultural activity, filter through museums and galleries, gaze at the fascinating art-nouveau architecture and marvel at the breath-taking Helsinki Cathedral.
No way!
This year, 9 May is a special day. Mother's Day, Europe and Victory Day are all celebrated.
