Attractions
The Old Town
Take a walk through Tallinn’s historic centre, a favourite of visitors and the hub of tourist attractions. The winding cobblestone streets are divided into two parts behind the city walls. The former aristocratic residential area is Toompea Hill and the second is Lower Town. Highlights in Toompea include the grand Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Cathedral and St. Catherine’s passage, a lane where artists and craftsman have laboured for centuries. Despite frequent invasions, the 11th-century Old Town is very well preserved. Much of the thanks goes to the strong stone buildings. Town Hall, located in the aptly named Town Hall Square, operates in the spot its held since 1422. St. Olav’s Church was the tallest church in medieval Europe and dates back to the early 13th century.
Address: Tourist Information Centre, Niguliste 2/Kullassepa 4, in the centre of the Old Town.
Telephone: 645 7777.
Admission: Free admission for museum and sights with a Tallinn Tourist Card. Free public transport and free tours included.
Tallinn Zoo
The Tallinn Zoo is the city’s most popular family attraction. Visitors can see 6,000 animals including those not native to Estonia’s cold climates. Little ones will particularly enjoy the petting zoo.
Address: Paldiski Maantee 145.
Telephone: 694 3300/94.
Email:zoo@tallinnlv.ee.
Website:www.tallinnzoo.ee.
Getting there: Take trolley 6 or bus 22 from the city centre.
Hours of operation: Indoor exhibits closed Mondays. Open daily, from November to February, 9am–3pm; from March to April and September to October, 9am–5pm; from May to August, 9am–7pm.
Admission: Adults – €5.80, students – €2.90, children – €0.65. Free entry with Tallinn Card.
Botanical Garden
Take a stroll through the Botanical Garden’s 100 hectares and enjoy a lovely collection of more than 8,000 plant species from all over the world. Without hopping on a plane, you can be taken from an African tundra to a tropical rainforest or European meadow. There are different specialised exhibits each month – take a thematic tour all year. The summer night aroma tour and the rose day tour are some of the more popular choices.
Address: Kloostrimetsa Tee 52.
Telephone: 606 2679.
Email:aed@botaanikaaed.ee.
Website:www.tba.ee.
Getting there: Take bus 34A, 38 or 49 to the Kloostrimetsa stop.
Hours of operation: Glasshouses and Palm House: Daily, 11am–6pm. Outdoor Collections: From May to September, 11am–7pm.
Admission: Adults – €3.50. Free entry with Tallinn Card.
Kadriorg Palace and Park
Once the summer residence of Russian Tsar Peter I, the baroque Kadriorg Palace is right at home with noble villas and summer estates in the seaside resort suburb of Kadriorg. Now the palace houses the Estonian Art Museum’s foreign collection. You can see thousands of European and Russian works including paintings, prints, sculpture and furniture that date back four centuries, If your timing’s right, enjoy concerts and theatrical performances. The Kadriorg Park, which surrounds the palace, has meadows and forest groves to explore, as well as formal gardens and Swan Lake.
Telephone: 601 4548.
Email:kadriorupark@kadriorupark.ee
Website:www.kadriorupark.ee
Getting there: Bus to J Poska stop.
Hours of operation: From May to September, Tuesday to Sunday 10am–6pm; from October to April, Wednesday to Sunday 10am – 5pm. Flower Garden: Daily, 9am–8pm. Closes 9pm in September and October.
Admission: Free entry with Tallinn Card.
Estonian Open Air Museum
The Estonian Open Air Museum is a collection of preserved, historic Estonian buildings. The buildings were brought from all over the country to a lovely stretch of forest on Kopli Bay in order to portray rural Estonian life through the centuries. Wander through the farm buildings, windmills and watermills for a nice escape from the city. You can also shop for handmade crafts, ride on horseback, nibble on local fare at the village inn, or enjoy one of the regular displays of folk music and dancing. If you’re in town during a national holiday, this is a great spot to visit for the festive celebrations.
Address: Vabaõhumuuseumi tee 12.
Telephone: 654 9100.
Email:evm@evm.ee
Website:www.evm.ee
Getting there: Take bus 21 from Baltic railway station.
Hours of operation: Daily, from 28 April to 28 September, 10am–8pm; from 29 September to 22 April, 10am – 5pm.
Admission: Adults in summer – €6. Discounted tickets available. Free entry with Tallinn Card. Free on last Tuesday of every month.
