12 Unique Things To Do In Tallinn

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I didn’t really know what to expect with Tallinn. I knew it was an older city. It was in Estonia, until 1991 part of the old Soviet Union. I was visiting in December so I also knew it would be cold. But other than that I was just interested to see somewhere I hadn’t been before. As it turns out there were lots of unique things to do in Tallinn to keep me busy on my trip there.

I’m sure you can imagine some of the beautiful old buildings it may have, or nice churches and cathedrals. But what about some of the more unique things to do in Tallinn? Keep reading to discover some of the reasons you might want to add it to your European travel list. Especially since it is much cheaper than a lot of Western Europe, so it’s the perfect place for your Europe on a budget trip. Read this related post on getting to Tallinn from Riga, and the cheap and easy bus you need to take.

Wander the Christmas markets

I’m starting off with this one for two reasons. The first is because they were amazing. The second is because although they are a unique thing to do in Tallinn, they are obviously seasonal. So I don’t want to throw them in the middle of the list in case you’re visiting in July or something.

Tallinn Christmas market was voted the best in 2019. So I wanted to go and see what all the fuss was about. The Christmas market was in the central town square, next to the old town hall. There were dozens of stalls selling delicious food and drinks, warm clothing and Christmas decorations and gifts. It was much busier than some of the Christmas markets I went to so make sure to experience earlier in the day when it’s a little quieter as I found it got a little busy in the evenings.

Try some outdoor ice skating

Another clearly winter activity, but still one of the most unique things to do in Tallinn. An outdoor skating rink is set up not far from the town square.

You can rent skates, there are lockers if you need to leave things while skating, and there are food and drink services there too. Skating is about 7 EUR a ticket for an hour and skate rental is from 3 EUR. It opens from 10am, so again getting there earlier might beat some of the crowds.

Eat at one of the many vegan restaurants

Away from strictly winter activities now, this one I was really surprised about. I am vegetarian and I was honestly really worried about Eastern Europe and being able to find good options. I thought it was going to be a very meat & potatoes area of the world but Tallinn had more vegan restaurants than I’ve seen in a lot of places, especially for the size of the old town. And they seemed to have really great options, I was only sad not to stay longer and really enjoy more of the local cuisine. There were also really good vegan and vegetarian options on many of the menus in regular restaurants too.

The best thing though: a vegan chocolate shop. I was drawn in by the window display and bought a lot of delicious chocolate truffle bars. When I was paying I saw a sign about vegan chocolate and just thought they were saying they also carried some vegan options. But later I heard a tour guide telling people about this place and how it was a fully vegan chocolate shop. Try the “snickers” bar, you won’t be disappointed. Here’s where to find Karu talu šokolaad (Bear farm chocolate).

Try some local Estonian wine

This place was so great I wrote an entire post about it. But the short story is that in the upper part of old town Tallinn, Toompea, you will find the Museum of Estonian Drinks Culture.

It is focused on the history of one of Estonia’s most popular old wineries that also was responsible for importing much international liquor back in the day. Learn about the family that started it, what happened to them, and check out the old wine cellar yourself. Oh, and don’t forget to upgrade your ticket to include the samples of local wine. It’s worth the extra few Euros. Read more about the museum of Luscher & Matiesen winery here.

Buy unique gifts and crafts

There are so many fun things you can buy in Estonia. One of my favorite things to do in Tallinn was wander in and out of the lovely little craft shops I would find in the winding back streets of the old town.

They really like their wooden products and while some of the souvenirs start to get a bit repetitive, overall the crafts are nice and local. I found a lot of juniper wood products, which were just beautiful. Also some of the local food items I found were unique, like jams and mustards. One of the most delicious things I sampled was some Cloudberry jam. To try it is to love it.

Get a birds eye views of the town

There’s no arguing that Tallinn is a gorgeous little town. Walking through some of the older medieval streets and past the delightfully ornate buildings was a treat. But to get a real good view of the city, you have to get a little big higher up. That unfortunately means a big hill or a lot of steps. Your choice. But follow the old cobble stone streets to Toompea, the hill where the old castle and a couple of the cathedrals stand. From there you’ll find a couple of really good viewpoints to see over the town.

On a nice day you can see out to the Baltic sea. The sea of red roofs and houses below congregate into the small area that is the old town. The old city walls and defensive towers stick out as the keepers of the medieval city. The view is worth the effort to get there, and you’ll find a lot more to do up there too. The wine museum is one of them.

Listen to an organ recital

Old European city like Tallinn, it’s got to have some old cathedrals right? It sure does. You can walk around the beautiful old buildings like the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky cathedral at the top of the hill, or the Swedish St. Michael’s church near where the ice skating rink is. But why not try something a little different?

I went to St. Mary’s cathedral, just around the corner from the Alexander Nevsky and although it didn’t look much from the outside, the interior was stunning. More so for the decorative ornaments and shields adorning the walls. I arrived in time for a lunch hour organ recital. A concert with two of Estonia’s celebrated organists who played through 5 musical pieces. It was a lovely way to spend a half hour of a cold, cloudy day, and a bargain at only 10 EUR.

Visit the Museum of Occupation and Freedom

Much like Riga and its KGB history, Tallinn has a similar past. It makes sense, both Latvia and Estonia were part of the Soviet Union for many years. But what is unique is that Tallinn has turned what were essentially underground cells into a museum. It’s one of the most unique things to do in Tallinn, and filled with history. Stories of the people who were captured and locked up there, tortured and made to give up information to the KGB in occupied Estonia.

It’s a dark history, but a really interesting one to learn about. Tickets are 5 EUR and the whole thing will take you about 45 minutes to look around in depth. But it’s worth checking out. Sidenote: I used the bathrooms there and it appeared to be a converted cell with a prison like door. It was a little bit worrisome that I might get locked in, but I survived.

Grab a drink in an underground bar

Tallinn and Riga hold a number of similarities, but another is the sheer number of places that you will find underground. Go down the steps into restaurants, through little street lanes to find the second door to somewhere. And there were a couple of underground bars that I found. In an effort to get warm I went in search of a beer that I didn’t have to queue for (more on that later). I stumbled upon a sign for the Highlander Scottish Pub.

Now given I’m from the UK, and at this point was traveling alone, I was looking for a bit of home comfort. I descended the stone steps into the warm underground bar that had just the right amount of dive bar-esque-ness to it. Tartan, beaten up tables and haphazard seating, and a great beer menu make this place a great place to grab a cold one, play some darts and make friends. I met a couple of Brits to hang out with for an hour and really feel like I was back at home.

Remember to take a reusable water bottle with you on your travels, like this one from FastTech

Look up and spot some weather vanes

In Tallinn, the streets are pretty uneven so you’ll probably spend a bit of time watching where you’re walking. But whatever you do, don’t forget to occasionally look up. You might see something interesting. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nah, I’ll probably put money on it being a unique weather vane.

Seems Tallinn has a lot of them. The most famous is the one on top of the old town hall that is nicknamed Old Toomas named after a beloved former resident. But there are lots to be seen so keep an eye out. In fact, go back to the top of the hill at Toompea and check them all out from a better vantage point.

Eat some hearty grub at a Medieval restaurant

With a medieval history on par with Riga, Tallinn has a number of medieval inspired bars and restaurants, especially around the town hall area. There’s the famous Olde Hansa restaurant. Outside is a cart with people dressed up selling hot drinks, and a little shop in a separate area of the building. I didn’t dine in this restaurant as the vegetarian choices weren’t so great, and with so many other restaurants around I wanted to try elsewhere. But I did go into the shop and bought some medieval inspired wild berry schnapps. It was really good.

Under the town hall is another medieval inspired tavern, III Draakon. They serve snacks and light food items, but it’s the drinks and the atmosphere you queue up for. Yes there’s always a queue. Be patient, or plan to get there early. The beer is simply “light” or “dark”, and there are other fun drinks like cowberry juice or juniper schnapps. Drinketh up!

Absorb all the history at the Tallinn City Museum

If you really want to get to know the city, then one of the best things to do in Tallinn is visit its museum. It doesn’t look like a big museum from the outside but I just kept going up, floor after floor. I ended up being there a couple of hours taking in all the exhibits and learning the history of the city. First go down into the medieval cellar (I know, more stairs and more medieval stuff, but stay with me). The cellar holds a lot of ancient pottery and artifacts and even a well.

The other rooms take you through various points in Tallinn’s past – the plague, nautical history, the story of Old Toomas (the weather vane guy) himself. Over 800 years of history wrapped up in one museum. Entry is 6 EUR, but if you’re visiting between October and April note that the museum is closed Mondays and some days have shorter opening hours.

So many unique things to do in Tallinn

Of course Tallinn is more than just these 12 things. The historic city has a lot to offer no matter what time of year you visit. There are beautiful parks, interesting museums and great food. I enjoyed my stay in the city, and I’m sure you will too. There are many things to do in Tallinn that are on the cheaper side. Typically most museums and activities were around the 5 EURO mark. I didn’t find as many things that were free unlike Riga, and the food was a little pricier but still more or less reasonable.

Tourism in Tallinn is growing so I’m sure the city will just get busier and eventually catch up with Western European pricing. But I was able to find a good priced hotel at the Swissotel Tallinn, and there were cheaper, more budget options all over the city which is very walkable if you are around the old town. It wasn’t as cold as I expected in December, and the Christmas market really was a magical experience. I recommend a winter visit to Tallinn but I’d love to check it out in the summer too.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. What were some of your favorite things to do in Tallinn? What was the most unique activity you found?