Tallinn

Photo by larbelaitz
Time:: GMT+2
Currency:: kr

These vtravellers love Tallinn

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Tallinn boasts the kind of stunningchocolate box old town that Disney executives can only dream of. Its old core is almost impossibly pretty, all cobbles, castles and church spires with an eye-catching smorgasbord of medieval and baroque architecture.

Estonia’s capital city, tucked right up at the northeastern extremity of Europe on the shores of the Baltic Sea, has been hailed as the ‘New Prague’ and justifiably so, though it is more compact and easier to get around.

Until 1991, Tallinn was clamped under the confines of Soviet rule, but since it broke free in a bloodless revolution, it has made up for five decades of lost independence by switching seamlessly from communism to capitalism.

Marx is out and mobile phones are in with the city so switched on (with one of the highest mobile phone ownership rates in the world and Internet cafes and Wi-Fi hotspots springing up all over Tallinn) that the locals like to call their increasingly high-tech country E-stonia.

On the fringes of the old core a new district is emerging, with gleaming new hotels and offices, as Estonia thrives in the EU membership it attained in 2004. Anyone arriving in Tallinn with anachronistic images of what an old Soviet Bloc city should look like will be as surprised by this new skyline as they will be by the charming old core.

Russian orthodox churches and Dominican monasteries share the streets with old merchant houses and medieval meeting halls and Tallinn’s atmospheric old town, steeped in history, is best explored on foot.

Art and culture in Tallinn is taken as seriously by locals as the fun-filled and unpretentiously raucous nightlife.

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Feature

Public Transport

A comprehensive network of trams, buses and trolleybuses is operated by the local authorities. You can buy tickets at many newspaper kiosks or pay when boarding, though it’s cheaper to buy tickets beforehand. Make sure you punch your ticket once onboard to avoid a fine.

Taxis

Taxis can be hailed on the street or at ranks at the railway and bus stations as well as in the Old Town. Pre-booked taxis can be ordered from a number of local companies such as Linna (tel: 644 2442)and Tulika (tel: 612 0001; website: www.tulikatakso.ee). Ensure the meter is either switched on or agree a price in advance for all journeys.

Car Hire

There is little need to hire a car in Tallinn as the city is so compact, though international car hire companies do have offices at the airport and also in the city centre. Companies at the airport include Avis (tel: 605 8222; website: www.avis.ee), Budget (tel: 605 8600; website: www.budget.ee) and Sixt (tel: 605 8148; website: www.sixt.ee). In the city centre there are offices of Avis (tel: 667 1515; website: www.avis.ee) and Sixt (tel: 613 3660; website: www.sixt.ee). Driving in the city centre can be intimidating with heavy traffic and local drivers driving erratically. Note headlights must be used at all times.

Bicycle Hire

CityBike organises bike hire and tours (tel: 511 1819; website: www.citybike.ee).

Introduction

Tallinn has a year-long, bustling arts scene, with everything from small-scale alternative creations right through to grand opera performances and classical music recitals. Many performances are only in Estonian as the country celebrates the return of the local language after decades of Soviet-era suppression. Check out TallinninYourPocket, a bi-monthly guide to the city, for details of major events. The tourist office can also often help with information and bookings, but there is no last minute ticketing agency as such.

Main cultural venues in the city include the Estonian National Opera, Estonia 4 (tel: 683 1260; website: www.opera.ee), which is housed in the same building as the Estonian Concert Hall (tel: 614 7760; website: www.concert.ee). The massive concrete Linnahall, Mere 20 (tel: 641 1600; website: www.linnahall.ee), and the Estonian DramaTheatre, Parnu 5 (tel: 680 5555; website: www.draamateater.ee) are also worth checking out. An alternative venue is the Von Krahl Theatre, Rataskaevu 10 (tel: 626 9090; website: www.vonkrahl.ee), a favourite of the local student community.