Enamored with Estonia
We’re going to be honest here. Estonia was just a country that we decided to tack on at the end of our trip to Finland. Only a two-hour ferry ride from Helsinki, we thought it would be a great place to spend a couple of days. It would also be the 50th country that Chris has visited.
I’d be lying if I said that we did a ton of research on the country before we left. All we did was ensure that we knew where the ferry would drop us off and that we had a place to stay for the three nights that we were in Tallinn. As soon as we hopped in our taxi and took off to our hotel, I knew I was going to like the place.
The city is beyond beautiful. Not only that, but Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is the stuff of my dreams. I felt like I was in a Tolkien novel and Frodo and his gang of buddies was going to meet us around every corner. My favorite stop was at III Draakon, where we had a lunch of delicious elk soup, sausages, pickles (that we speared from a barrel), and two ales. Just look at how it was decorated! It should also be noted that it was completely lit by only natural light and candles.
The dichotomy between new and old is was makes Tallinn so unique. It clings to its history but in a delicate and almost adorable way. Unlike other theme towns, Old Town has a historic charm that balances informative and kitschy.
Take, for instance, Olde Hansa. This medieval-themed restaurant features candlelit rooms, time-relevant decor, peasant-robed servers, and an authentic menu with dishes that are both intriguing and filling. Olde Hansa was established to honor the Hanseatic League (a defensive confederation of merchant guilds) by giving its patrons a glimpse of life at the time. Some of my favorite meal options were the wild boar plate (Chris ordered it an it was AMAZING), grand merchant von Hueck’s mild game pot, and the grand leg of duck in saffron sauce.
If you ever find yourself in Tallinn’s Old Town, be sure to have at least one meal at either III Draakon or Olde Hansa. A little tip, be sure to grab a coin from one of the peasants outside of the latter. These coins will get you a free welcome drink at dinner.
Another reason why I fell in love with Tallinn? It’s strong. The city of Tallinn has never been razed or pillaged, hence the preservation of its architecture.
I could honestly go on about my new found love of Tallinn, but I know that Chris has another post all about his experience. I’ll just have to withhold my adoration a little bit longer.
So thank you, Tallinn for all the [incredible] times we had. I can’t wait to be back.
Have you been to Estonia? Did you love it as much as we did? Let us know in the comment section below.
Yes, yes, YES! Absolutely LOVED Tallinn. The architecture is beautiful, the people are uber friendly and you can’t help but feel cozy there. I had no doubt you to would be fast friends with that city – in fact, if you had a city version of you two, it’d be Tallinn.
I’d love to go to Estonia – great photos!
Gotta love an unexpected find like that! As weird as it might sound, from the photos Tallin reminds me a tiny bit of Kilkenny, Ireland.
I’m enamored with Estonia myself. Love it there.
I was in Estonia/the Baltics 2 years ago at the beginning of January. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to take a break from traveling in India and start the new year somewhere completely different. I had never thought much about Estonia as a Bucket List destination, and would never have decided to go to this northern country in the middle of winter, but it was such a pleasant surprise! I was fortunate to be there for the Christmas markets and a light snowfall–a completely magical experience in this medieval town!
Ha, here is the funny hat! Well, now I wanna go back there, and not just for a day between two drinking nights on a ferry as last time…
What a beautiful place. I’ve been to only two European countries and both occasions the old town was one of my favorite destinations. I guess its common to have a sort of old town like that in popular tourist destinations.
I’ve been hearing such great things about Estonia and every photo I see makes me want to hop on a plane. Time to start looking at flights I think!
OH EM GEE get us to that candlelit bar, PRONTO. we might skip the elk soup, but give us alllll the ale.
I really enjoyed watching you two in Tallinn. I haven’t been to Estonia and honestly it wasn’t even on my radar as a place I might like til I saw how much you loved it and all the gorgeous photos. It really sounds lovely.
Estonia hasn’t been on my radar. I love the idea of any business being lit by natural light and candles. That just sets a great tone for what sounds like a great visit.
I am sold on Estonia. I have always wanted to make it to the Baltics. Great that it is so close to Finland too.
I’m already dying to get to that part of the world and if you say Tallinn is like something out of Lord Of The Rings, it’s definitely my kind of place!
Love the use of an alliteration in the title… always a fan. I haven’t been to Estonia,but always wanted to visit that part of Europe, happy to hear how much you loved it…or were well enamored with it…stay enamored, Craig
I have worked with people from Estonia before. I’m curious as to how their country and culture looks like. They said they like the weather in my country because theirs doesn’t have much sunlight. But I think their place is awesome and would like to go there someday and experience the cold weather and meeting the people as well.
Looks like you stumbled upon an unexpected treasure!