Most people have never heard of this tiny country in the North-Eastern Europe. Estonia was formed in 1991, post soviet era. Still 40% people living in Estonia are Russians (more precisely, they speak Russian). Estonia is a member of the Schengen Agreement. From India, there are no direct flights to Estonia. The easiest way is by Finnair via Helsinki. Helsinki is 2 hours away from Tallinn by ferry. You can also reach via Moscow using Aeroflot. Estonia has three large cities – Tallinn (the capital), Parnu and Tartu
Estonia is simply one of the most beautiful country I have visited. Before my visit, I had only heard about Estonia in HIMYM (when Barney Stinson posed as a Estonian street performer).
My Experience – Tallinn
Day 1
When I checked my watch, it was 10:00 AM. I was standing in the queue to buy ferry ticket to Tallinn from Helsinki Port. Finally, when I reached the counter, the lady declared that the low cost tickets are sold out and I can only get cheaper ticket tomorrow (how did she know I wanted low cost tickets? She must have seen Slumdog Millionaire). So I had to buy the regular ticket for €50. I chose a smaller but faster ferry. Food was included in the ticket price and I was looking forward to the ferry ride over Balkan sea. The journey was uneventful except when they served raw smelly salmon-salad which I am sure even Gollum could not have swallowed. However, like Mr. Bean, I successfully found a place to dispose off the salad.
So finally I reached Tallinn at 12:30 PM. I checked-in Marine Keskus hotel, which was 300 feet away from the port.
After check-in, I went for a Burger at Hess Burger (it is similar to McD). The guy at the counter was either new or he got nervous serving an Indian (clearly they dont have many Indians there) coz when I paid 50 Euro….he gave me back 57 Euro. Needless to mention, gave it back 🙂
Soon I reached the town center. Surprisingly Tallinn has one of the biggest town centers in Europe. The place looked similar to Disney Land Paris. It gives you a medieval town feeling. There were open air restaurants and souvenir shops all over the place.
In the old town, I came across ISKON group singing Hare Krishna. I guess you can never be too far from India.
After wandering in the old town for some more time, I came back to my hotel. There was a supermarket just behind the hotel from where I bought a Colgate Herbal Toothpaste, Lipton Ice Tea, some biscuits and packaged drinking water. Went to bed early at about 9 PM.
Day 2
I met a couchsurfer, Olga, in the morning who showed me the Tallinn old town. First I went to see Saint Olaf’s Church. From top of the church you get a beautiful view of the city. Don’t forget to pay at the counter before climbing the church! Olga told me about it after we left the place. Saved 1 Euro! If I visit again, I will pay it back 😛
After the church we took a trolley bus and went to the see Estonia’s President’s house. It was a nice Pink building 🙂 There is a big garden around the palace
Next destination was the Pirita beach. It is a very small beach and doesn’t look very popular with swimmers or sunbathers. However, according to guidebooks the beach is very popular among locals. So maybe I visited the place on a wrong day.
After the long walk, it was time for lunch. We went to a restaurant called Lido, where I found some Estonian food which almost resembled Indian food. The food was delicious! After a long time I had proper meal.
Next agenda was buying bus ticket for Riga(Latvia). So after the lunch I went to the bus station to buy tickets. I booked return ticket to Riga for about Euro 30. Next day – Riga
Day 3
Riga. Left Tallinn at 7 AM in the morning and returned at 11 PM in the night.
Day 4
Today was my last day in Tallinn. I had a flight at about 6 pm to Oslo. I decided to see some non-touristy places in Tallinn. I packed my backpack and checked out from my hotel at about 10:30 AM. Olga took me to Glen’s Castle. It is a small building built in castle style. There waere also ruins from some old church near the castle.
After that it was time to visit Tallinn Old Town for the last time.
Summary and Traveller Tips
Tallinn is a interesting city to visit. There are no famous landmarks like in Paris or Venice, but the city has it own charm. You can spend hours wandering in the town center. Shop at one of the many shopping malls such as Veru Keskus. The city feels very safe and people are friendly. Compared to some of the other destinations in Europe, Tallinn is still is not very touristy and hence not so expensive. However, on weekends, Scandinavians come to Tallinn to buy cheap alcohol. So on weekends the restaurants and hotels can get a bit expensive. The best time to visit the city is June and July. I would suggest you to stay near the old town because all the interesting places are at a walking distance from the there. You should spend 3 days in the city to experience it fully.
My Rating : 4/5
Video Guide to Tallinn
A Backpacker's Diary 
Good job, Sujoy ! It was interesting to read your Tallinn experience. Happy to read something about me too 🙂
Olga