Beyond Tallinn’s Old Town: Telliskivi Creative City
I research history and museums and architecture when we travel. But you all know that what I’m really researching is food, drink and quirky neighbourhoods, And quirky neighbourhoods which have food halls, street art and taprooms will always make their way onto a Brummie Home and Abroad itinerary. Which is why, after our free Tallinn in a Nutshell walking tour we find ourselves heading to the neighbourhood beyond Tallinn’s railway station. To the smells and tastes of Balti Jaama Turg market, and the arty hub of Telliskivi Creative City.
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A spot of shopping at Balti Jaama Turg
Balti Jaama Turg is one of the best spots in Tallinn for fresh produce and local goods. And thankfully for tourists like us, there are plenty of places to grab a casual lunch. The market is located between the main railway station and the residential neighbourhood of Kalamaja. Tallinn is a compact city so if you’re staying in or near the Old Town (Vanalinn in Estonian) then Balti Jaama Turg is easily reachable by foot. It was just 10 minutes from our apartment on Pikk.
📍 Google Maps Location of Balti Jaama Turg
The Balti Jaama Turg – or “Baltic Station Market” – was originally opened in a former warehouse in 1993. Far from being a tick on a Tallinn tourist bucket list though, it was a seedy area. It wasn’t until 2017 that the building was restored and renovated and turned into the foodie hotspot we see today. Now, Balti Jaama Turg has almost 300 vendors, spread over three levels. The first two floors house an underground supermarket and gym, with a more traditional food market and street food vendors on the ground floor. Upstairs, we find a treasure trove of stalls, selling local handicrafts, clothing and bric-a-brac.
Food traders are inside and out, with plenty of seating. Naturally, lunchtimes are busiest but we didn’t find it busy at all at 2:30pm on a Thursday afternoon. We spent some time browsing before deciding on a selection of delicious flaky samsa, an Uzbek savoury snack from Samsa Family Bakers.
Exploring Tallinn’s Telliskivi Creative City
Tummies filled with flaky pastry and coffee, we are just steps away from Tallinn’s creative hub, Telliskivi. Estonia is globally recognised as a nation that is digitally innovative, and Tallinn has the highest number of startups per capita in Europe.
Recognise the name “Skype”? How about “Bolt”? These are just two world-renowned businesses which started in Estonia.
So it’s no surprise that amongst the glittering skyscrapers of Tallinn’s modern city, there are areas where old warehouses and industrial buildings have been converted, to house art, industry, culture and retail. There are spaces for design and for co-working, for festivals and markets, organic cafes and yoga studios.
Telliskivi Creative City – Loomelinnak in Estonian – is one of these areas, running alongside a railway line which used to run trains directly into Russia. Disused railway buildings have been repurposed and transformed, inside and out, and new buildings have sprung up on the former industrial wasteland. The formerly Soviet-owned complex was privatised after Estonia gained independence in 1991, and the Telliskivi Creative City was established in 2009. It spans 25,000 square metres and contains over 200 independent and not-for-profit businesses.
📍Google Maps location of Telliskivi Creative City
Street Art Spotting in Telliskivi Creative City
Once you’ve exited Balti Jaama Turg, you don’t have to search very hard to find the city’s street art scene. Telliskivi is like a giant outdoor urban art gallery.
We’re greeted almost immediately by “Kalevipoeg’s First Flight” (Cinzah) covering an entire end wall. As we head into the heart of Telliskivi, we find the “hipster-and-skeleton-taking-a-selfie” stencil graffiti, aka “Dance of Death with Endel, aka Endel with a Stick” by the mysterious Edward von Lõngus. The eye-catching “Woman” (Hopare) depicts the image of an actual woman that the artist met by chance on the street. And I find “Squirrel” by my favourite Portuguese street artist Bordalo II. (Doesn’t everyone have a favourite Portuguese street artist?)
Here are a few more of the shots we took of the street art around Telliskivi!
Taprooms of Telliskivi
Craft beer and street art go hand in hand in creative areas. And I had two venues in mind. We were a little too early for opening time on this Thursday afternoon, so rather than desperately queuing up outside we continued our walk around the al fresco art. And then arrived at Purtse Tap Room about two minutes after it opened. Not looking desperate at all. I went for the stout, although there were some interesting looking sours available too. If you’re more into gin, Juniperium Distillery & Bar is right next door.
Later on in the day we visit Vaat, a taproom, brewery and community hub. They are committed to being the world’s most sustainable brewery, and I particularly like their manifesto:
Be anti-mainstream even in an anti-mainstream environment. Spend your “fucks given” wisely. Don’t be afraid of taking the hard way. Doing things right creates true satisfaction. Quality is not negotiable. Never stop improving
The arches around the railway station host a number of brewers. Others in the area include Pudel in Telliskivi Depoo and Humalakoda which is located in Balti Jaama Turg. And one of Estonia’s best-known breweries with a fab taproom is a 20 minutes walk; Põhjala. We visited Põhjala on our last day in Tallinn, really wishing we could linger longer. In fact, we would have loved to return to Telliskivi at night, to soak up the evening vibes and work our way through those beer menus.
We’ve worked up an appetite, memories of our lunchtime samsa faded. We head back into the maze that is Telliskivi, taking the long way round via a quick visit to the ace gift shop at Fotografiska, Tallinn’s popular photography museum. A lot of items here make it on to my Christmas wishlist.
A late lunch at F-Hoone
F-Hoone is a popular choice for food in Telliskivi, located in a huge converted industrial building. We manage to grab a table without a reservation but I definitely recommend booking if you want to eat here. There’s a good value all-day cafe menu but Mr Fletche and I share a platter of meat, cheese and pickles. It includes an onion so strong I almost down my homemade lemonade in one.
Telliskivi Address Book
Telliskivi Creative City and Balti Jaama Turg ticked all of our boxes in terms of food halls, street art and taprooms. It’s a different side from the cobbles, spires and city walls of the Old Town, yet just a stone’s throw away. We could have spent much longer, strolling amongst the murals, spotting something new around every corner. And yes, sampling a few more of those local beers. But for us, an early night beckoned. After all, we would be visiting our third country and capital city in the space of three days the following day.
Stay tuned for our adventures in Helsinki!
You can read more about how we spend the rest of our time in Tallinn here
