Tallinn and what else?
 

We are going to be in Tallinn next spring for a few days. Has anybody been there and have an opinion on going anywhere else in Estonia? Or Latvia?

You appear to be a newbie here. A number of us have been to Tallinn and the Baltic countries. I suggest that you type Tallinn in the Search this Forum box above. You will find a good batch of info. Then please come back and post specific questions.

I was in Tallinn last week, lovely old town, it takes about 2 days to explore it properly. Tarta the university town is worth at least half a day visiting. If you don't mind going further south, The architecture in Riga is most intersting.

I had tried that search first but obviously did something wrong.
Are you a moderator?

I am not a moderator. I am trying to help you get some information. I just typed tallinn in the search box and found 100 threads since the first of the year. Try it.

Tartu is 2,5 hours from Tallinn (a university town with lots of young people and lovely parks). Pärnu is about the same distance. It is Estonia´s "summer capitak", lots of spas and a big beach. Riga in Latvia is 5 hours by bus, and Helsinki in Finland is 1,5 hours by catamaran.

And "capitak" is of course capital.

cdhrdh,

A lot depends on your interests and whether you want to really get to know a place or just whizz round ticking boxes. It also depends on what you mean by a 'few days'.

My wife and I just spent a week in Tallinn of which one day was outside the city when we went on a day excursion to Lahemaa National Park which gave us an impression of Estonia's rural side.

Michael

Thank you all - we haven't booked yet so are still flexible on number of days. We originally thought of 3 nights and would be arriving late on the first night. Coming from St. Petersburg it looks like the express bus arrives very late and the other buses take so many more hours.
The more I read the more days I want to add - rather than try to fit in Helsinki or Stockholm.

There is a big difference if you have thought of Stockholm and Helsinki combined with Tallinn. The ferry to Stockholm takes overnight, the catamaran to Helsinki is just 1,5 hours.

We just spent 5 days in Tallinn but could have used twice that much time. Wander the streets of Old Town, walk along part of the ramparts and climb into the towers, tour the restored City Hall and climb that tower for fabulous views. If the narrow passageway is too difficult, you can also see great views from the top of the SAS Radisson Hotel near Viru Mall (free access)and various overlooks in Toompea. We enjoyed many of the restaurants and cafes in Old Town, especially Kuldne Notsu Kortz and the courtyard at Merchant House Hotel. Many of the souvenir and "craft" stores in Old Town actually sell amber from Latvia & Lithuania, Russian dolls, and mass-produced items. There are, however, many authentic Estonian galleries and handicraft stores. We got a map from one of the shops, Boga Pott, and sought out these small artisan shops for hand-painted tiles and ceramics, silk scarves, leather goods, juniper and other wood items, and watercolor art.

Outside of Old Town, be sure to visit the open-air museum, Rocca al Mare. They have folk-dancing demonstrations on Saturday mornings and the grounds are beautiful. Near Pirita harbor are the ruins of an old convent, Brigita Cloister, that sometimes hosts concerts and stageplays. Nearby Vilmsi has a good restaurant, Paat (an upside-down boat) on the waterfront. We watched many windsurfers as we walked on the shore.

There are many museums, but we only visited the Occupation Museum and Kumu, the new art museum. Both are worth a visit. Kadriorg palace and grounds are beautiful. Tallinn has a lot of green space and public parks.

Outside of town, we enjoyed trips to Parnu, a beach town, and Lahemaa National Park, including the beautiful Palmse Manor House and park. We didn't have time to walk the trails through peat bogs in Lahemaa but it sounded interesting. I would also recommend trips to Tartu, the university town, and Saaremaa, a large island on the west coast. Both Haapsalu and Kuressaare are worth a visit.

Estonia is a beautiful country and many areas have been restored since it regained independence in 1991. Tallinn is busy with tourists since many cruise ships stop there, but outlying areas are quieter. Enjoy your visit!

Lina - thanks for the info on your personal experiences that guidebooks can't touch.

Re guidebooks, try to find some that are specific to Estonia. Though I'm a fan of Rick Steves, Tallinn only gets a chapter in his Scandinavia book. I liked Footprint Tallinn (from the UK) since it is pocket-sized, and Thomas Cook's Travellers Estonia. Also make sure that the editions you get are recently published since Estonia is changing so rapidly. I got very nice brochures by calling the Estonian embassy in Washington, DC.

You may also like to visit these websites: http://www.inyourpocket.com/country/estonia.html and http://www.tallinn.ee/eng.

If you are there in May you may be lucky enough to enjoy the blooming lilac trees that are everywhere! Start praying now for good weather...every destination looks better with sunshine!