This is the 5th destination and 4th country visited on my families two week Europe Summer Trip in 2024. We arrived in Tallin, Estonia around 11 am, after disembarking a two hour boat ride on an M/s Finlandia cruise ship from Helsinki, Finland. Well, part of my family was there at least! Because of a mix up in ordering a normal sized Uber instead of an Uber XL, my dad ended up coming too late and missed the boat. Not to worry howerever, as the next cruise left an hour later.

Upon arrival, we dropped off our bags at a bag check at our boat terminal, as we wouldn’t be staying the night in Tallin. Then we started on our way towards the main gate into the old town. This city, like many other european cities, used to be a walled city and still has part of the surrounding wall, including a restored city entrance.

As we continued our stroll through the old town, we entered the Great Guild Hall Museum and enjoyed a fascinating tour. This historic building served as a central venue for various events in Tallinn throughout the centuries, hosting gatherings of merchants, artisans, and civic meetings.

In addition to showcasing the architecture and significance of the Guild Hall itself, the museum provided deeper insights into Tallinn’s history. Estonia has endured a complex past, having been under foreign rule by various powers, including Germany, Sweden, and Russia. It wasn’t until 1991 that Estonia regained independence from the Soviet Union, a pivotal moment that marked the beginning of a new era for the nation.

Venturing further into the beautiful City Centre we got some breakfast burritos to go at 5senses, yum! We enjoyed the view of the buildings and continued walking down some streets and alleys. One street we stumbled upon had really cool architechture and arches going above it. It also had a ton of neat home-made stores in its alley.

Eventually, we reached a dead end right by the city wall. Noticing an entrance, we decided to go in and purchased a €4 ticket to access the top of the Helleman Tower. Along the way up, we admired old photographs that depicted what the town looked like before and after the many years of conflict.

The lookout at the top didn’t have the best view as it wasn’t tall enough to see over the buildings. Still, we could see the spires of the churches rising above the buildings. In general, being able to walk this considerable distance along the wall is pretty cool if you ask me.

On our way to the next museum, we were a bit sidetracked by the racers in the city. Apparently, there was a half marathon, among other distances, which brought a lot of people to the area. Eventually, we arrived at the Kiek in de Kök Fortification Museum and purchased tickets for the Bastion Passages. This series of tunnels, built in the 17th and 18th centuries, was designed to conceal the movement of soldiers, ammunition, and other equipment from the enemy. They were also used to monitor the enemy’s underground activities, such as planting mines. Along the way, we learned about the most significant military events, and it was fascinating to see! I definitely recommend this attraction for anyone visiting.

To end our time in Tallin, we had a quick ice cream to go from gelato ladies. We were all wishing that we had left more time and that we could have gone further into the country. Next time I’ll definitely have to visit for longer!

In the evening, we boarded our final overnight cruise, the Baltic Queen, back to Stockholm. To our surprise, as we boarded, we noticed that everyone was dressed in black, with piercings and long hair—apparently, we had booked a room on a heavy metal cruise! Earlier, we had seen many people in town wearing outfits that hinted at some sort of concert, but we hadn’t realized that the concert would be the focus of our entire cruise. It turned out to be a fun experience, and we certainly weren’t the only ones who hadn’t known what we had booked!

Back in Stockholm we had a half day to enjoy before flying elsewhere: our next destination of France.