A winter weekend in Tallinn
I had wanted to see Tallinn in winter for years, and a cheap ferry ticket finally made the decision for me. The old town is small enough to cross in twenty minutes, but somehow I spent two full days there without getting bored.
The old town
Most of the medieval wall is still standing, and you can climb a couple of the towers for a few euros. In January there were almost no tourists, which meant I had the view over the red roofs mostly to myself. Bring gloves — the wind up there is no joke.
Tip: the viewing platforms on Toompea hill are free and open all day.
Food and coffee
I ended up in the same small café three mornings in a row. Rye bread, smoked fish and a cardamom bun became my standard breakfast. Dinner was usually soup — every place seems to have its own version of a thick pea or mushroom soup, perfect after a day in the cold.
Kalamaja and the seafront
On the last day I walked from the old town through Kalamaja, with its wooden houses, to the seaplane harbour. The museum there is worth a couple of hours, and the walk back along the frozen shoreline at sunset was the highlight of the trip.