Tallinn in a Nutshell: Free Walking Tour with Estadventures
Travelling to the Baltic countries for the first time, we were eager to soak up as much information about the region as possible. We wanted to find out more about how Estonians had dealt with life under a Soviet regime, the changes that independence brought, and their relationships with the Russians that still reside in the country. For the second time this trip I turned to Guruwalk to find a free walking tour, and came across “Tallinn in a Nutshell” which sounded perfect.
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Are you STILL banging on about free walking tours?
Absolutely. One of the best ways to explore a new city is by foot, and a free walking tour is the perfect way to discover the highlights. I’m a total advocate of learning from knowledgeable locals, and this model of “pay-what-you-think-the-tour-is-worth” means that a guide always seems that little more passionate and enthusiastic than those that have received payment up front.
As always with “free” walking tours, make sure you tip generously at the end! A good guide will gently encourage you to donate what you feel the tour may be worth, without putting on any pressure. “Free” tour guides are often freelance and tips could be their sole income – which means they often work harder to give you the best experience possible!
Tallinn in a Nutshell
I booked our 11am “Tallinn in a Nutshell” free walking tour for our first morning in the city, after arriving from Riga by bus on the previous day. We’d seen Tallin from above from the tower of St Olaf’s Church; now it was time to get to know it a little better at ground-level.
We meet our tour guide Kadri at the Tallinn Tourism and Information Center. Estadventures have been leading both group and individual tours for over 10 years. They even showed Richard Ayoade around the city for a 2019 episode of the Channel 4 show “Travel Man”
We used Guruwalk to book this tour but you can book directly with Estadventures here!
Kadri is the perfect tour guide. She’s a born and bred Estonian but speaks perfect English with a sing-song lilt and little dancing movements. Like the Pied Piper she seems to gain people during the tour, with a headcount halfway resulting in about 8 more people than when we started. Kadri is vibrant and funny, and definitely not afraid of over-sharing about her personal life 😳
After gathering together those that had pre-booked the tour – and some that hadn’t – Kadri introduces herself, and her city of Tallinn. The Old Town consists of two distinct sections, and our Tallinn in a Nutshell tours focuses largely on the Upper Town, Toompea. Our gateway to Toompea is Freedom Square. Here, Kadri tells us more about Estonia’s occupation, by Russia and by Germany. But she sprinkles tales of the country’s dark past with light-hearted tales, including the local’s opinion of the controversial War of Independence Victory column located in Freedom Square.
Toompea, toilets, and tunnels
From here we head up the gently sloping Harjumägi (Harju Gate Hill) via Mayer’s staircase. We hear the story of Toompea’s controversial 2.3 million-krooni toilet. This black marble “super-loo” is out of order during our visit so we can’t even spend a penny (20c) to contribute to its upkeep. It has become something of a symbol of government corruption to locals, and a fun tale for the tourists.
Our next stop is the Danish King’s Garden, Kiek in de Kok Museum & Bastion Tunnels. We intended to return to visit Kiek in de Kok, but never found during our packed days in Tallinn. It’s a restored 15th century artillery tower with access to the 17th century underground tunnel system below the city. The rude-sounding German name actually means “Peek into the kitchen” in English. Soldiers joked that from the tower they could see down the chimneys into the homes below and the name stuck.
It’s just a few steps to Toompea Castle and the Parliament of Estonia. Apparently its quite common to spot local dignitaries hanging around. In fact, some of Kadri’s tours have had the president or prime minister photo-bombing her group photo. We’re not in the presence of such political greatness today though.
The richly decorated Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral dominates the Tallinn skyline from its spot on Toompea Hill. It’s still seen by some as a symbol of Russian dominance during Soviet rule. Legend has it that the cathedral is built on the tomb of the mythological Estonian king Kalev. Construction workers struck an iron door on which was inscribed ““Dammed be everyone who dares disturb my peace”. Kalev’s “curse” is deemed responsible for the frequent structural damage inside and out. And not shoddy workmanship or cheap materials.
The Instagram Spot
From here it’s time to head to Toompea’s viewing platforms to get some cheesy shots in front of the crumbling butter yellow wall with it’s ever changing mural. Kadri loses her audience’s attention slightly as we all start to sidle towards the viewpoint, cameras in hand. She allows us a little “free time” here, to get the photo that proves we were in Tallinn. From Kohtuotsa we move onto the equally lovely Patkuli viewing platform for epic city views.
Quirks of the Estonian Language
Kadri gives us a few tips about the Estonian language, and a few useful phrases to help us on our way. After all, who doesn’t need to know Ice Edge (Jäääär) and Moon Explorer (kuu-uurija) – multi-vowelled words that Kadri find very amusing. Whilst the Estonian language is complex, at least it doesn’t have different genders or a future tense. Estonians literally have no sex and no future. Estonian also has an impressive 24-letter palindrome: kuulilennuteetunneliluuk (meaning “the hatch a bullet flies out of when exiting a tunnel”). And the scary sounding Hell Hunt pub – which turned out to be our local – actually means gentle wolf in Estonian.
Estonian also has a 17 letter word made up entirely of vowels. Äiaõeoaaiaoaõieau loosely translates as “bean-flower honour in father-in-law’s sisters’ beangarden”
Finally, we stroll down the cobbled streets from Toompea to Raekoja plats (Town Hall Square). And thus ends our time with Kadri. She hangs around for a while, accepting our tips with gratitude, and making recommendations for places to eat and drink. As per Kadri’s recommendation, we are going to head beyond the Old Town, to Balti Jaama Turg Market and Telliskivi Creative City.
You can read more about how we spend the rest of our time in Tallinn here
