Estonia > Searching for Kodak points in Tallinn

Tallinn is really best explored by simply wandering through it. You can walk from one side of the old town to the other in about fifteen minutes. To make the most of our visit, we buy a Tallinn Card — a pass that allows 48-hour access to museums, attractions, and public transport. Unfortunately, when we try to board the Hop-on Hop-off bus in front of our hotel, we find out it belongs to a different company. Our bus has just left. So we decide to walk into the city center. We approach the old town from the side of Fat Margaret, a massive defensive tower near the harbor. The tower once served as a prison but now houses the Maritime Museum. Next to it stands a monument commemorating the 1994 ferry disaster of the Estonia on the Baltic Sea. Through the Great Coastal Gate, we enter the old town and immediately turn right, following the medieval city wall. With our Tallinn Card, we visit the Epping Tower, one of the watchtowers in the fortifications. From the top, there’s a beautiful view of the city and the wall with its row of towers.

Estonia - The old fortress wall around Tallinns old center

To add a bit of a challenge to our wandering, I’ve selected four photos from our travel guide that I want to recreate exactly. One of them shows these same towers—but photographed from below. We continue along the wall and pass through a small city gate. From here, we see the four towers exactly as pictured in the guidebook, though the grassy field in the photo has been replaced by a flower garden. We take a coffee break on a terrace. From our table, we spot something amusing: groups of cruise ship passengers walking through the city, each led by a guide holding a numbered sign. Every participant wears a sticker with their group number. It looks as if someone could organize a city-wide bingo game. We continue wandering through the narrow streets and arrive at the Nun’s Tower (Nunnatorn), where the longest preserved section of the city wall stands. I walk along the parapet walkway from one tower to the next, climbing the narrow staircases into the watchtowers. In some of them, pigeons have taken over, and I carefully avoid their droppings. After visiting all the towers, I descend again through the Nun’s Tower, where my travel companions are already waiting. We arrive at Town Hall Square. Via a narrow spiral staircase with very uneven steps, we climb to the top of the Town Hall tower. It’s quite a climb. From the top—just below the bells—there’s a wonderful view over the city and the square below. The space at the top holds only about ten people, so we take turns. I take a few photos and quickly make room for others. In Katariina Käik we find the second photo location. This little alley radiates a genuine medieval atmosphere, with its arches spanning the street. It’s slightly hidden between houses. In the alley is an Italian restaurant, where we make a reservation for dinner. For lunch, we choose a terrace just one alley over.

Estonia - Town Hall Square in Tallinn as seen from the Town Hall Tower

In the afternoon, our first stop is the Dominican Monastery. The elderly caretaker, with just a few teeth left, enthusiastically points out several features, calling out a few words of explanation. I doubt I would have missed them without his help. When he realizes someone speaks Russian, he becomes even more talkative. In the building of the Great Guild, we visit the Historical Museum of Estonia, exploring both the old guild hall and the country’s history. Across the street, in the lesser-known Nikolai Church, we continue our tour before reaching St. Olaf’s Church. The climb up its tower is also included in the Tallinn Card. While some of our group have had enough stairs for the day, I eagerly climb to the top. At about 60 meters up, there’s an open gallery that circles the tower—above that, the spire rises another 60 meters higher. From this narrow walkway, I look out over the old town and the cruise ships in the harbor. I can even spot our hotel near the terminal. Next to St. Olaf’s are the “Three Sisters,” three old merchant houses from the 15th century leaning against one another. According to a guidebook, the “Three Brothers” should also be nearby, but they’re harder to find. There are many old warehouses in the street, but no distinct trio stands out. We ask a waitress, who explains that Tallinn doesn’t really have “Three Brothers” like Riga does. “But if you like,” she says with a smile, “you can always pick three old houses and call them that.” We take her advice lightly and enjoy a beer on her terrace instead. Passing the guild houses with their beautifully decorated and colorful doors, we reach the Church of the Holy Spirit. On its exterior hangs a wooden clock from 1684. Inside, we discover that at six o’clock there will be a performance by four vocal soloists. We decide to stay. The a cappella voices sound wonderful in the church’s acoustics. We return just in time for dinner at the pizzeria we reserved earlier. Back at our hotel near the harbor, it’s still pleasant to sit outside. We stay on the hotel terrace until after midnight, enjoying the calm evening air.