If you’re looking for a Nordic country getaway, you might want to stopover by Tallinn, Estonia for a magical experience. A short two-hour ferry ride from Helsinki on Megastar ship, takes you there. Once you arrive at Tallinn, a five-minute taxi ride for as little as $20 will get you to the sprawling Sokos Hotel Viru, a cheery 516-room property, situated at the edge of the Old Town. With pop art on walls, stylish lounges, shopping plazas, and even a KGB museum, the hotel itself is a great place to unwind.
The Charming Old Town
Exploring the Old Town on foot is a delightful experience. The local tourist office conducts walking tours of Old Town for free, and taking one helps put towns into historical context. For Architecture, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a fine example of Russian revival architecture, shoppers can find interesting knickknacks at the Town Hall Square marketplace, while the 13th Century Gothic-style St. Olaf’s Church, offers the best views of the city from its climbing tower. Museum-lovers, do head to the Vabamu Museum of Occupation, where KGB prison cells and other memoirs of the country’s difficult struggle against Soviet and Nazi Occupation are well-documented.
Gastronomy galore!
Hungry after all the exploring? There are plenty of standout restaurants to choose from. Restaurants like Must Puudel (“black poodle” in English) serve fantastic spreads of tapas and wine for a modest amount. Then there’s Rataskaevu 16 for brazen a Nordic-style meal of Braised elk and wild boar served in a cave-like Viking setting! If you’re an early riser, you may want to make your first batch of coffee yourself, as cafes don’t open until 10 a.m. in Tallinn! We do recommend stopping over at Rost Bakery in the Rotermann District, for rich coffees, sourdough bread, and pastries, made in front of patrons.
A short and sweet stopover at Tallinn can indeed add a whole lot of zest to your Nordic Trip.