This list of places to visit in Tallinn, will help you prepare a trip to one of the most beautiful and best preserved medieval cities in Europe. Capital of Estonia, with a beautiful and small old town, a World Heritage Site, Tallinn is the perfect city to visit and enjoy on a weekend.
Based on the experience of our trip to Tallinn and Helsinki in 4 days, we have made a list of what we believe are the 10 places to see in Tallinn essential. We start!
1. Town Hall Square
Raekoja plats or Town Hall Square is the heart of the historic center and one of the places to visit in Tallinn more beautiful. This square-shaped square is surrounded by beautiful colored facades belonging to medieval buildings of the prosperous merchants of the time. The jewel of the square is the fantastic Gothic Town Hall, built in 1404 and with a tower 64 meters high from which you will have privileged views of the square and the old town.
Another interesting building is located at number 11 of the square and is the Burchart Pharmacy or Raeapteek, one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, which preserves many objects from its beginnings and is a highly recommended visit.
If your visit is in winter, it is in this square where one of the best Christmas markets in Europe is mounted and in summer, depending on the day of the week, you can find another market with stalls of handicrafts and local products.
A good option to learn about the history of the city is to book a free tour of Tallinn with a guide in Spanish. Free! or this private tour.
The Town Hall Square
2. The Walls
The more than 2 kilometers of original walls that surround the old town, is another of the most impressive places to see in Tallinn. To complete the defense of the city, 35 large circular-plan watchtowers were built, joining the different pieces of wall, of which 25 are preserved with their characteristic red cone-shaped roof. In addition, the wall had six access doors, among which the spectacular Viru Gate still stands out, which you cannot miss.
One of the best experiences of the city is to walk along the wall from Nunna Torn or Torre de la Monja to Sauna Torn or Torre de la Sauna.
Walls of Tallinn
3. Toompea viewpoints
The best view of the historic center of Tallinn surrounded by the wall and its towers, is obtained from the different viewpoints of Toompea Hill.
To get to the top of the hill, where the castle district is located, we recommend you to climb the beautiful Pikk Jalg street, to enjoy the walk in a unique way.
In Toompea you will find the cathedrals of Alejandro Nevski and Santa María, although for us the most outstanding of this area of the city are the Kohtu viewpoints, and especially the Patkuli, one of the most essential places to visit in Tallinn.
While from the Kohtu viewpoint the visits of the medieval city contrast with a background of modern buildings, it is in Patkuli from where you can enjoy the entire historic center, with its red roofs and a part of the wall with its towers in the foreground.
We visit the city in winter, and we can assure you that seeing the snowy city from the Patkuli viewpoint is one of the best views we have ever seen.
Patkuli viewpoint, one of the places to visit in Tallinn
4. Passage of Katarina, one of the places to visit in Tallinn
The passage of Katarina or Santa Catalina, is one of the corners frozen in the time of the old town and another one of the most beautiful places to see in Tallinn.
This domed and cobbled street that connects Vene and Müürivahe streets, is a part of the wall of an old Dominican convent, where during the quiet walk through this small street, very little crowded with tourists, you can see different artisans working the glass, Pottery or jewelry.
Next to this passage is another of the most beautiful corners of Tallinn, the Plaza de los Maestros.
Passage of Santa Katarina
5. Alexander Nevski Cathedral
The magnificent Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevski, located in the Castle Square on top of Toompea Hill, is another of the places to visit in Tallinn.
The cathedral, a World Heritage Site, was built between 1894 and 1900 when Tallinn and the rest of Estonia was part of the Russian Empire and although for a long time it was thought to destroy it, stop removing any memory of Russian domination, luckily not only maintained, but it was restored and today looks splendid with its characteristic domes.
It is worth the entrance to see the beautiful stained glass windows and their decoration, although photos are not allowed inside.
Alexander Nevski Cathedral
Our recommended hotel in Tallinn
The Metropol Hotel, located 300 meters from the old town, has one of the best quality / price ratios in the city. Its location, also close to the port from where ferries depart to Helsinki and the airport bus stop, allows you to not waste time on commuting and also has a good buffet breakfast, spacious and clean rooms and very friendly staff.
6. Pikk Street
Strolling through the old town of Tallinn, a World Heritage Site, full of charming corners, is like being inside a fairy tale. Its medieval buildings, especially in the lower part of the city, are among the best preserved in Europe and Pikk Street has a large part of them.
At number 71 of this street is one of the most famous and oldest medieval houses in the city, known by the name The three sisters and located on the list of places to see in Tallinn. In addition to this unique house, on this street you will find several buildings that hosted the main guilds of the city.
At the end of Pikk Street is one of the most beautiful gates of the city wall, the Coastal Gate, and the Margarita la Gorda Tower, home of the Maritime Museum.
Pikk Street
7. Viru Street and Door
The best place to start getting to know and enter the old city is the magnificent Viru Gate, which impresses with its two huge medieval red roof towers. The fourteenth century, the Viru Gate, is one of the oldest preserved parts of the walls and one of the best places to visit in Tallinn.
When you cross the door you will find Viru Street, the most commercial in the city, full of souvenir shops and restaurants, which will take you to the Town Hall Square.
PuertaViru, one of the best places to see in Tallinn
8. Church of San Olaf
The Church of San Olaf, built in the twelfth century, stands out for its high tower of 123 meters, although it had reached 159 meters, which made it, due to the unusual in the Middle Ages, the tallest building in the world from 1549 to 1625.
The best thing about the church is undoubtedly the climb to the tower, where fatigue until reaching its highest point is transformed into joy when enjoying the 360 degree views of Tallinn.
San Olaf Church
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
9. Kadriorg Palace and Park
Taking lines 1 or 3 of the tram from Narva Maantee Avenue, you will arrive in about 10 minutes to the Palace and Park of Kadriorg, another of the essential places to visit in Tallinn.
This large public green area expands around the 18th-century baroque palace of Kadriorg, built as a summer residence for Tsar Peter the Great of Russia.
Inside the palace there are several museums and art galleries and the outside is a quiet place that is worth approaching to walk among trees, ponds and monuments.
A good option to get to Kadriorg if you do not have much time is to book the tourist bus, which also stops at the main points of interest in the city with comments recorded in Spanish.
Kadriorg Palace
10. Olde Hansa
To complete a visit to the capital of Estonia you can not miss a lunch or dinner at the most famous restaurant in Tallinn, the Olde Hansa.
Upon entering this old tavern, you will move to the medieval era thanks to the decoration, the candlelight and the clothes of the waiters.
Our experience, although it is still a very touristy place and the price of food is higher than usual in Tallinn, was worth it. In addition, it is a good opportunity to try the most convincing local food.
Olde Hansa
If you have more time in the city, you can invest it by booking an excursion to the Lahemaa National Park located one hour from Tallinn and one of the most beautiful natural areas in Estonia.
Another option is to take a ferry to cross the Baltic Sea and visit Helsinki in one day.
If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 places to visit in Tallinn, add yours in the comments.
