Tallinn (Estonia) – A Fairy Tale Weekend….

Winding cobblestone streets. Gothic spires, arch-gated town walls and colourful gabled houses….

A picture perfect fairy tale setting. Add to that – some of the best food we ve ever had and some of the nicest people we ve ever met; and you have the most glorious weekend, one could hope for.

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In how many cities, would you reach from the airport to the heart of the old town in 5 Euros and 10 minutes? ? That’s how small Tallinn is…

Estonia’s capital (one of Europe’s newest capitals), the city has now also evolved into a small but bustling business and commercial centre – with modern towers and trendy neighbourhoods (and a super restaurant and bar scene).

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Yet the’ old town’, dating back to medieval times; continues to be one of the best preserved historic centres in the world. One of the few that was untouched by the wars.

In this context Tallinn is a paradox of sorts…Sophisticated, cultural and clinging to its folkloric roots. Yet somehow – young and modern. Fun Fact – Skype was developed here..

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Small, quaint, picturesque and charming.

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Absurdly photogenic – almost like the city was planned and built just for photoscapes!

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Now just imagine, this ‘gorgeous and how’ setting with freezing temperatures (3 ℃ is positively freezing for me – and it was only October then – their autumn ?). And throw in a touch of fog; and a plan to only and only relax (translation – absolutely no agenda). ? If this is’nt ‘THHHEEEE most romantic paradise’ – then I don’t know what is…..

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A walk around the’ lower town’ (All-inn) , covers Town Square and the Town Hall; and St Nicholas’ Church (and some adorable cafes and boutiques).

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And an uphill stroll to the ‘upper town’ (Toompea) takes you to to Toompea Castle, St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Cathedral of St Mary the Virgin (or the Dome Church). In terms of ‘sight seeing’ that s pretty much it….

But Tallinn s not just for sights – its the ‘vibe’ of the place that completely warrants the 2 full days…

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Do just the 2 days though– more than that would be dragging it out….And IMO – do definitely stay in Tallinn.. The cruise day trippers miss out on the evenings– which were actually the most special (and somehow magical) part of our weekend.

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The food and wines in Tallinn were INCCCRRREDIBBBLE. Honestly.

In fact, how good it all was, really took us by surprise. Every single meal we had. We ve had 2 ½ dinners on each night! ? .AAAnnnnnd – not just incredible, innnsssanelllly good value for money (that goes not just for the food, but also with regard to accommodation, drinks, transport, etc.) – as compared to western Europe.

You should especiallllyyy eat at these ? …..You muussstttt! ?

Maiasmokk – Going strong since 1864. It looked so adorable, we thought we’d pop in just for a coffee and pastry. Everything was so good that we ended up doing pastries – lunch and then pastries again. Try to bag a table by the window..

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Rataskaevu 16 – Yup same name as the street its on. Supppperrrbbbbb food. Superrrrbbbb service. Adorable place. We ate here on the first night as it was so highly rated on TA. On our 2nd night, we ve started out at Tabula Rasa and eventually ended up here again for a 2nd dinner ?? .

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Eastern European cuisine – with loads of vegetarian choices (even their bread is so divine that I wanted to carry some home).

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They have a 2nd location closer to the town square that we peeped into – but this one in Rataskaevu Street is the prettier one.

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Fun Fact – Baking bread is supposedly a 7000 year old Estonian tradition. Even today, bread – specifically, black rye bread – is one of the country s most important food products.

Tabula Rasa – bang across the street from ? . Inside the St Petersburg Hotel.

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Charming and elegant. Small menu but both the food and service were excellent.

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Tallinn has a lovely bar scene. Great music, really friendly bartenders and wait staff; and a fun local crowd. Hell Hunt and Clay Hills – both in the old town; are must-dos. Start or end the evening at either one of them – on weekends they re open till fairly late.

Keep aside a few hours for the Balti Jaam (Baltic Station) Market. On seeing the fruits and vegetable section at the beginning, don’t be disappointed and take a U turn. Go all the way in…there are quite a few traditional eateries (Georgian, Russian, Armenian)…

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And then further in, is the ‘new’ market. The entire lower level is made up of food stalls. The upper floors are a massive modern day ‘flea market’ (woollens, jackets, handicrafts….). And the woollens were genuinely good buys.

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We got a really really nice apartment – just right for the 2 of us, through Airbnb (Pikk 36. Apartment 27). The taxi comes up to 10 mtrs from it ( ? after that its a pedestrian zone). And the best of restaurants, cafes and bars are barely a few minutes away. Fab location. Really nicely done up. All you could need including heated floors; and with an elevator. Perfect.

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