Tallinn Estonia -- A Jewel on a Baltics Cruise

Tallinn, Estonia has become a popular stop on Baltic cruise itineraries. It was a stop on our 14-day cruise of the Baltics that I viewed as just one of our lesser stops, enroute from Gdansk, Poland to St. Petersburg, Russia. I was wrong, and pleasantly surprised.

I found Tallinn to be a charming city in and of itself; a port that in fact I rate as among of the top 5 of the many places we visited on our extraordinary 14-day journey. Tallinn is the capital city of Estonia. It sits on the southern shores of the Gulf of Finland with a long and storied past. Occupied at various times by Nazi Germany and the former Soviet Union, and many years before than by the Danes, Estonia became a fully-functioning independent democratic state in August 1991. Today, Estonia is a modern European city, sometimes referred to as the Silicon Valley of the Baltic Sea.

Most tourists who visit Tallinn spend the day exploring Old Town, named a UNESCO World Culture Heritage Site in 1997. Old Town is an easy walk from the cruise ship terminal, and for that reason, I recommend skipping an organized shore excursion and setting out on your own. Walking at your own pace, you’ll be able to truly explore this rich medieval city, complete with cobblestone streets, dotted with churches, and plenty of shops.

Old Town consists of Lower Town and Toompea. Major sites along Lower Town include the town walls and towers, St. Olaf’s Church, which dates to the 12th Century and today serves as an active Baptist Church, and Town Hall Square. In Toompea, be sure to visit the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (built during the period of Russian Empire, the church was built on a site that formerly housed a statue of Martin Luther) and the Lutheran Cathedral (Toomkirik), and take advantage of the panoramic views of the city below.

The most memorable thing of Tallinn, though, is simply strolling through the many streets and side alleys, recognizing that you are walking amongst buildings that, like so much of Europe, have stood for centuries upon centuries. A day in Tallinn is a memorable one; one that you will want to make the most of on your Baltics cruise vacation.