My husband, who works in the French film industry, got a job in Estonia, so I went to see him for about 10 days in mid-March.
Estonia is one of the Baltic States, with Helsinki, Finland, right in front of it across the sea. Estonia has a population of about 1.3 million and its capital is Tallinn. One third of the population lives in and around the old town.
My husband worked for a film production company in a place called Karamaya district, just outside the old town of Tallinn, so we rented an apartment here. It was a quiet area with pastel-colored houses, a supermarket and the sea close by.
Leaving the apartment and walking along the seafront promenade, you will find the ferry and cruise ship depots. On the way there is a public sauna run by citizens as volunteers, which can be used casually for 1.5 hours for 8 euros. As I looked around, I saw people who had gotten hot in the sauna cooling off in the cool sea in front of them.
Walking in the opposite direction from the landing station, you will arrive at the Patarei Prison, one of the symbols of the Nazi and Soviet occupations. The Patarei Prison is currently being renovated as a museum, so only the exterior can be seen.
Further on from the Patarei Prison, we arrived at the Noblesnel District. It is a waterfront area that was redeveloped from a former military factory area, but I was concerned that there was still construction going on here and there. It would be better to go there after sunset to enjoy the atmosphere. Or if you like sauna, you may enjoy visiting Iglupark, a sauna village right in front of the sea. There are saunas that can be rented out and there are cabins for overnight stays.
Store for interior decoration brand SHISHI. The brand originates from Norway and Estonia. Maybe you can find a little souvenir?
KOGU was a very good restaurant near the apartment. Of all the restaurants we visited during our stay, this is the best. Contemporary creative Estonian cuisine with a focus on local ingredients, good service, and we were happy with everything.
On the west side of the old town is the Teriiskivi district, a redevelopment of an old industrial area. I entered Fotografiska, an art museum specializing in photography, which was founded in Sweden and has expanded all over the world.
The exhibition was good in its variety of content, including mysterious multimedia artworks, portraits of famous musicians and artists from around the world, and photographs of the lives of people in Latvia in the past.
Moon is a restaurant serving Eastern European cuisine. The restaurant is spacious and the waiter in charge is very friendly. I was a little disappointed that the main course was not hot, but the food tasted good, including the desserts.
The Baltic Station Market, located next to the Teriskivi district, is a two-story market where visitors can buy groceries, browse sundries, and have a snack. Healthy Sweets by Polina, located near the market, offers white sugar, gluten, and dairy-free sweets.
The Rotterman area is another redeveloped area of a former industrial area, with modern and stylish restaurants and stores. An Estonian who works with my husband gave me a gift, one of which was Kalve Coffee, a specialty coffee brand from Latvia that is expanding into Europe. I couldn’t drink it in our apartment because it wasn’t in powder form, so I tried it at the Kalve Coffee café in the Rotterman district. I ordered an espresso, and it was the most bitter but delicious espresso I have had in a long time, and it woke me up! Tallinn has a particularly strong café culture in Estonia, with many independent cafes.
As gifts, they also gave me other products from Sokisahtel, a sock brand from Estonia, and chaga, an extract of a mushroom parasitic on the birch tree. Chaga is traditionally drunk in cold climate cultures and is a well-known health food in Estonia. It is believed to have antioxidant properties.
La Boulangerie in the Rotterman district means bakery in French. We have been to other bakeries in Tallinn, but this was my French husband’s favorite. Not only the baguettes and campagnes that we often eat in Paris, but also the black bread, Estonia’s national dish, and the sweets are delicious!
The best place to visit Tallinn is the Old Town. It is a historical district where the streets of medieval Europe have remained largely intact, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Since it can be visited in half a day, many tourists from nearby countries come to Tallinn to see the city. The atmosphere is that of the Middle Ages! So the atmosphere at night was even better.
The most enjoyable part of my visit to the Old Town was Town Hall Pharmacy, a pharmacy that has been in existence for over 600 years, with a small exhibition space in the back displaying the ingredients for old-time medicines, such as snakes, frogs, and various herbs. I bought some pepper and herb tea in hemp bags as souvenirs.
I did not expect much from the Old Estonia restaurant facing Town Hall Square, given its location in the middle of a tourist area, but I was relieved to find that the service was friendly. I had an Estonian dish of marinated herring and blood sausage made from pig’s blood with sauerkraut and jam, which is a common ingredient in France, and it looked like a home-style dish.
Cafe Maiasmokk is the oldest cafe in Tallinn, founded in 1864. The interior has not changed much in over 100 years, giving it a stately atmosphere, but it is an unpretentious self-service café.
We went to Olde Hansa with my husband’s Estonian colleagues. The concept of the restaurant is to create a medieval European experience: a wealthy merchant’s mansion from the 15th century. The staff were all dressed in medieval costumes and the only lighting was candles, so it was very dark. The menu does not use ingredients from the 15th century and later, such as potatoes and corn, but mainly gibier, such as bear, deer, and wild boar. The food is not my favorite, either rough or wild, but I had a good time because the restaurant is worth it to enjoy the medieval-like atmosphere.
In the second half of the report, we will tell you what it was like when we left the center of Tallinn for a short time.
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