Tallinn On the Baltic Sea

The Old Town of Tallinn is one of the best-preserved Hanseatic town centers in the world. You can enjoy the cobblestone streets, and architecture, and relax at the lively cafes.

Begin at the Town Hall Square with colorful buildings and find the circular stone marked with a compass.

The Town Hall was built in 1404 and is the oldest town hall in Northern Europe with impressive Gothic arches and interesting artwork.

Across from the Town Hall is Raeapteek, which is one of Europe's oldest continually running pharmacies. There is a mini museum where you can see antique medical tools and early healthcare techniques. In the basement, you can sample herbal tea blends made from local ingredients.

The Viru Gate was once part of the city's wall defense system. It was erected in the 14th century with round towers and conned roofs.

Lennusadam Seaplane Harbor has a museum that lets visitors step into Submarine EMI, Lembit, a vessel from the 1930s that is one of the few remaining submarines from that time.

You can climb aboard the Suur Toil Icebreaker and explore this steamer's captain's cabin, crew rooms, and officers' mess hall. Hundreds of other artifacts displayed throughout the museum tell the story of maritime history in Estonia.

The structure of the museum is of interest and was originally built to house seaplanes in Peter the Great's Naval Fortress. The hangar features "the world's first column less thin-shell concrete domes of such volume" and remained in use until WW II.

One of the most iconic places in Tallinn is the Russalka Memorial. The monument was built in 1902 by Amandus Adamson to honor the people who died in 1893 when the Russian warship Rusalka or Mermaid sank on its voyage to Finland.

The Tallinn TV Tower stands at a height of 314m. On the 21st floor is the observation deck, which has become a popular tourist attraction. You can get amazing views over Tallinn and the Gulf of Finland.

The tower offers the Tallinn TV Tower Walk on the Edge where you're strapped in a harness and you can walk along the ledge of the tower's outdoor terrace and dangle your feet over the 175m drop.

The high-speed elevator will take you to the observation deck in 49 seconds. If you like you can try out for a broadcast journalism career and record your own news clip in the TV studio on the first floor. You can learn about the history of the Tallinn TV Tower at the history exhibit.

On Toompea Hill you'll find the Toompea Castle with the initial stone structure that was built by the German Knights of the Sword in the 13th century. Today it is home to the Estonian Parliament raising the national flag atop the 14th century tall Hermann Tower every morning. Visitors can get free guided tours in English, Russian, or Estonian. Take a walk 500m northeast from the castle to the Patkuli viewing platform for fantastic views of Tallinn.

Alexander Nevski Cathedral is a 120-year-old cathedral standing directly across from Toompea Castle. It was built in the Russian Orthodox style with five bulbous onion domes topped with gilded iron crosses. The cathedral has 11 bells, including the largest one in Tallinn, which weighs 15 tons. You can hear them ringing through the city at any time during the day. It stands at Kadriong Park.

Kadriong Park is the place to enjoy nature in Tallinn, There are blooming flower beds, a swan pond, a Japanese garden, and an English landscape park with an oak grove.

The park is also home to the Kadriong Palace which was an imperial summer palace in the early 18th century and now is home to the Estonian Art Museum with foreign artwork from the 16th to the 20th centuries. North of the palace is the Office of the President of the Republic, The building is a salmon-pink Neo-Baroque structure where the Estonian president works.

Kumu Art Museum is the headquarters of the Estonian Art Museum and has a vast collection of contemporary art. It offers educational programs and events. On the third floor, you can see Estonian art classics from the 18th century to the end of WW II. On the fourth floor, Estonian Art during the Soviet Era is exhibited.

The Estonian Open-Air Museum shows the lifestyles of Estonians hundreds of years ago. It is located in the seaside area of Rocco al Mare. You can see 14 farms recreating the way rural Estonian villagers and fishing communities lived from the 18th century to the 20th century. You can walk through the 74 buildings and see a traditional schoolhouse, seaside fishing sheds, historic homes, a fire station, and windmills. Visitors have the opportunity to take part in folk dances, midsummer bonfires, and horse rides.

Visit the Kalev Chocolate Shop and Workshop and try some sweet traditional marzipan. The shop is located in the historic Rotermann Quarter.

The sweets shop has gift boxes of marzipan, handmade chocolate, and delightful marzipan animal figurines. The shop allows visitors to put on an apron and try making their own treats in the workshop. The two-hour hands-on classes are guided by a master confectioner.

The Tallinn Zoo is a wonderful place to see animals from all over the world and is the biggest zoo in Estonia with over 13,000 animals.

The zoo has the world's largest collection of mountain goats and sheep and a large eagle and owl collection, There are two tropic houses with crocodiles and other reptiles as well as fish, exotic birds, marmosets, chimpanzees, and mongooses.

At the Elephant House, you can see snakes, African elephants, two black rhinos, pygmy hippos, armadillos, and rodents.

The Alpinarium offers mountain sheep, ibex, and snow leopards. The Middle-Asia Complex has Przewalski's horses, Bactrian camels, bison, yak, and hyaenas. Nearby are pheasants and a water bird lake that is home to ducks, pelicans, swans, and other water birds. At Hawk Mountain, you can see eagles, vultures, and owls.

Tallinn Zoo has successfully bred many animals, including the Amur leopard, long-tailed goral, Steller's sea eagle, black rhinoceros, and snow leopards.