Getting There
Our day trip to the Estonian capital of Tallinn was part of our Scandinavian holiday and our last day in Helsinki. We caught the ferry from Helsinki’s West Harbor Terminal 2. It took around three and a half hours for the trip. As it left very early in the morning, we arranged a taxi through the hotel, which was waiting promptly for us at the arranged time. The trip was smooth and despite usually getting sea sick, my wife was fine. The ferry has many bars and food outlets, so getting breakfast after being too early for the hotel’s breakfast was easy.
Our tour guide met us at the terminal in Tallinn. Due to the time of year, we were the only ones on the trip. The first part was a trip around the greater city of Tallinn, with quick views from the bus of the sites. The only place we stopped, and really the only one that interested us was the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds. It was here that Estonians gathered to protest and sing patriotic songs, leading to their independence.
Tallinn’s Old City
The guide then took us on a walking tour of the old city. This was the real reason we had visited. She took us to all the major places of interest and was extremely good at explaining their history and significance. This was far better than walking around ourselves, as we would probably have gotten lost in the twisting streets.
Tallinn’s old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed Site. The whole area is full of fascinating buildings, towers, city walls and churches. It would take many days to see everything, and by then you would become jaded with the experience. Having only one day, we saw the major sections and came away with a good appreciation of the city.
We started with the Aleksander Nevski Cathedral. This is one of the iconic buildings in Tallinn and is very impressive from the outside. Inside, it is even better. The icons and altar are magnificent. Unfortunately, photographs are not permitted inside. We then moved on to Toompea Hill. This provides spectacular views over the old town.
The tour took us through narrow winding streets, past old city walls and buildings. When we finished with the guide in the town square, we had several hours to look around ourselves. We found a nice restaurant for lunch, had a few beers and explored for a while.
We walked back to the terminal for the ferry. It was an easy 30-minute walk and the ferry trip back was uneventful.
Our next destination was Rovaniemi in the wintry north of Finland