A Day in Tallinn: City Guide for Families
The high-tech and historic Estonian capital city is as whimsical as it is ahead of its time, making for an inspiring destination for little ones and parents alike.
Tallinn is writing the template for how we can all live more connected, egalitarian, and eco-friendly lives.
And that’s a good thing for everyone, including our kids. This high-tech, yet historic, Estonian city is as whimsical as it is ahead of its time, making for an inspiring destination for little ones and parents alike.
The smallest of the three Baltic states, Estonia is the first nation to declare internet access a basic human right, the first to accept digital signatures for most transactions, and the first to institute online voting. It’s been awarded the European Green Capital for 2023, with the “Tallinn 2035” plan to tackle carbon neutrality, climate adaptation, innovation, and all things sustainability head-on.
Yet for all of these innovations, Tallinn feels like a time capsule from legend’s yore. Its architecture, culture, and flavors reflect its centuries-spanning change of hands from Danish to Swedish to Russian rule. But amidst all of the turnover, what stands today is a Tallinn motivated to carve out an identity of its own design.
While the markings of its Scandinavian, Slavic, and European roots are still present in the pastel-colored turrets, onion-domed cathedrals, and narrow cobblestone streets, Tallinn isn’t shy about sharing its tech-forward innovations, like high speed internet everywhere you go, and the palpable sense of hustle to make and create a future Tallinn will be known for around the world.
This is an incredible moment in time to visit Tallinn with family in tow, a capital city setting the mold for cities of the future especially across eastern Europe.
How To Get Around
Tallinn is a very easy city to explore, be it on foot, by bike, or via public train, tram, trolley, or bus. It’s free public transport (in 2013 became the first European capital to offer it to its residents) has realized a sort of utopian dream, not only for reducing emissions but for giving the city’s lower income residents more mobility.
Public Transport
Though it doesn’t quite include visitors, Tallinn does offer the Talinn Card which grants cardholders unlimited access to public transport for periods of 24, 48, or 72 hours. It also gets you free admission to several museums and sights in the city, and discounts around town. You can buy it online in advance or at the Tallinn Tourist Information Center upon arrival.
Biking
You could also shake up your explorations by renting a City Bike, Tallinn’s mobile bike rental system. If your kids aren’t yet old enough to pedal themselves, there are kid-friendly attachments available, like wagons and car seats as well as child-sized bikes too. Many of the cycling paths through the city actually connect with Tallinn’s top tourist attractions, making for a fun and efficient way to check everything off the list. There’s also the City Train, a bright blue and white locomotive that meanders along Old Town’s streets over the course of a 20-minute loop. It’s perfect for when the little legs get weary.
Strollers and Carriers
If you are traveling with a stroller or baby carrier, do be prepared for some bumpy cobblestone streets and the occasional winding staircase, especially if you’re planning to make your way up Toompea Hill in Old Town.
Take the Ferry from Helsinki
Besides getting around Tallinn, getting to Tallinn from Finland is quite simple and a no-brainer day trip if you happen to be staying in Helsinki. There’s a ferry that runs between the ports of the two cities daily, complete with playrooms, great food, and entertainment on board. The journey is about two hours long.
Tip: Take the liquid natural gas (LNG) ferry called the Tallink Megastar for the lowest emission journey.
Exploring Tallinn with Kids
Old Town and Toompea Hill
A good starting point is a wander through the UNESCO-recognized Old Town to peep its fairytale facades, Hanseatic merchant houses, and medieval courtyards. The kids will eat up all of the colorful nooks, meandering lanes, and surprise overlooks.
The can’t miss spots in Old Town are Viru Gate, the twin watchtowers, and Town Hall Square in the heart and soul of Tallinn’s Old Town. Like much of the infrastructure of Old Town, the square was originally constructed in the 15th Century and its Town Hall is the last intact town hall in all of Northern Europe.
Toompea Hill is a cobblestone-covered and winding stepped adventure to a view well worth the stroller-lugging it may require to get to. Toompea Hill is the site of the original fortress built by the city’s then rulers. While Estonia may have changed hands a number of times over the centuries, Parliament has never budged from its cozy hilltop locale. Sharing the prized location with Parliament are two onion-domed and eye-catching spired cathedrals, making for two more reasons to ascend the twisting lanes to Toompea’s top. If it helps, there are plenty of ice cream shops, catch-your-breath souvenir stalls, and brightly painted buildings to admire on the journey up.
Tallinn’s city walls and interlinked 13th Century towers extend a fun invitation for the kids, especially if they have ever wanted the perfect setting to pretend to be superheroes or medieval watchguards for a day. There’s also the highly interactive NUKU Puppet Museum, where you’ll find the entire history of puppetry in Estonia, plus the country’s oldest marionette. That’s right– puppets are a thing in Estonia.
For the Design Curious
If you’re into design and green spaces that are also fun for the kids, there’s the Telliskivi Creative City, a defunct factory and former industrial complex given new life as a hub for arts shops, cafes, and street art featuring Estonia-only artists or the Rotermann Quarter, a revitalized corner of town full of more shops, restaurants, and culture, including outdoor performances and festivals in the main square.
Further afield, there is the Kumu Art Museum and adjacent green space built by Russian tsar Peter the Great in honor of his wife. Both the art museum and park are located in Kadriorg, just two kilometers east of Old Town. The museum is a stunning, Finnish-designed seven-story building of limestone, glass, and copper that integrates perfectly with the 18th century landscape that surrounds it, while the green space offers the perfect breathe of fresh air with its formal gardens, ornamental lakes, and long avenue of trees, plus Youth Park for the kids.
Tip: We love playgrounds when traveling, mainly to meet other families and give little legs a bit of free run-around. Youth Park here is a great one.
Where and What to Eat in Tallinn
For a taste of local Estonian flavors, an absolute must-visit food destination in Tallinn is Balti Jaam Turg (or Baltic Station Market). Located inside of a series of restored limestone warehouses, this market of 300 vendors and food stalls qualifies as the biggest market in all of Tallinn. There, you’ll find a smorgasbord of delicious brunch options. If you need a starting point, sniff out a bowl of Selyanka or some local pancakes.
Inside of Old Town, there’s a highly rated farm-to-table restaurant called Lee Restoran, also the name of the famous black bread from Estonia. The menu changes seasonally, but there will assuredly be a basket of fresh baked black bread on the table no matter when you visit – and it’s delicious!
For the parents, don’t skip out on sampling some local craft beer. There’s no better spot to do so than Pudel Bar, Estonia’s first gourmet craft beer bar. Their beer and tap list includes some pretty unique and quirky brews from around the country and Baltic states.
More Tallinn Sustainable Travel Tips
Explore Tallinn on foot— bring a baby carrier or stroller with.
Book lodging with the Green Key label.
Fill up water bottles at the various public drinking water taps around the city.
Hire a local guide to show you around and share real-time perspective of the city.
How and Where to Stay Ethically and Sustainably in Tallinn
Tallinn has a good spread of lodging styles, from hotels to Airbnbs. Etic Hotels pulled together a helpful list of 8 sustainable hotels in Tallinn worth checking out before making a final selection.
In terms of which neighborhood in Tallinn to stay, we recommend the trendy neighborhood of Kalamaja if you want a nice selection of bars and restaurants within walking distance of your lodging or Old Town if you prefer to have all of the city’s top attractions on your doorstep. Be forewarned however that Old Town can get crowded when the cruise ships pull in and noisy late at night on the weekends.
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