Estonia and Finland

WOW, WOW, WOW.

This trip was booked on a bit of a whim and without any firm plans, other than to arrive, explore and return. And why not? At under £21 per flight, it would have been rude not to… it turned out to be one of my top three European city breaks, absolutely loved it!

It was a solo adventure too, sadly Emma deciding to stay at home!

So I packed my (much-needed) winter warmers and headed off to Tallinn to explore a city often referred to as “the new Prague”. I can see why.

I also managed to squeeze in a visit to Helsinki.

Two capital cities in countries I had never visited before. Close neighbours to Russia. And both absolutely freezing at this time of year, it was -16°C on the day I arrived.

So here is my story…

After an early flight from Luton, I arrived at Tallin airport, a short three hour trip. The sky was grey and it was looking very cold. As usual, I only had cabin bags, so was processed quickly – well I would have been had it not been for having to join the ‘Farage’ passport line – for finger printing and other checks. Eventually I made it to the bus stop and jumped on a number 15 bus which, for 87p took me to the city boundary in 15 minutes – in fact this was one of the quickest airport to city bus rides I’ve encountered on my travels. So easy too, and so many options. There are several other buses and trams leaving from the airport to various locations in the city. I chose the bus stop called “Estonia” as it was the closest to my accommodation.

I checked in and went off to explore!

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TALLINN

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Wow. The pundits weren’t wrong.

This city feels like it belongs in a fairytale: magical, historic and fiercely independent. Snow is everywhere; it seems ever-present, hanging in the air or swirling like a fine mist regardless of what the forecast says. And it’s cold. Properly cold, have I mentioned that already

I spent the first evening simply wandering the OLD TOWN, following my nose and soaking up the atmosphere. Being winter, there were very few tourists and the cruise ships that normally hone in on this tiny, picturesque city were nowhere to be seen. My guess? It’s less appealing when the sun isn’t shining and the temperature is what it is today. Their loss, my gain!

I had empty streets, empty restaurants and empty bars, a rare luxury.

I also discovered why the Christmas tree was still standing. Apparently, Tallinn laid claim to the oldest public Christmas tree in the world, with one first erected in Town Hall Square in 1441. The tree remains long after the Christmas Market disappears, joined by others brought in from across the city, creating a virtual forest in the square. Then, on 24th February, Estonia’s Independence Day, the decorations are replaced with Estonian flags and bunting.

Independence from the Soviets, incidentally, was regained on the same date as the invasion of Ukraine 24/2. Coincidence? Some think not. It could explain why the entire city is adorned with Blue and Yellow. And, like the world over (well except for places like North Korea, Belarus and Trump-land), the Russian embassy is plastered with messages to Putin! Oh and despite around 25% of the population speaking Russian as their main language, MOST identify as Russian speaking Estonians… and align very much with Estonia on global affairs.

Another nugget: Estonia ranks in the top three least religious countries in the world. A significant proportion of the population doesn’t align with any organised religion. Interestingly though, over half describe themselves as having an undefined spiritual connection with nature. Perhaps centuries of attempts by successive regimes to force feed external doctrines have left their mark. Turns out people don’t always respond well to religion delivered at the business end of a sword.

I’m getting to like these Estonians.

The next morning I joined a two-hour walking tour led by a chap called Dominic originally from the UK, he is now living here with his Estonian wife and family. To say he was enthusiastic about Estonia and its history would be an understatement, I needed a sit-down afterwards. But it was superb. I learned a huge amount about a country whose history is about as turbulent as they come.

Later, I ventured beyond the Old Town to the cultural quarter on the far side of the old railway station, itself now a vast covered market. Under Soviet rule this was the industrial heart of the city; today many of the warehouses have been reinvented. I found a restaurant called F-Hoone, rustic, warm and friendly. The dumplings were divine, and very reasonably priced.

By pure luck, my visit coincided with TALVEFESTIVAL, a two-week celebration of classical music. And by classical, I mean the cultured variety, not the kind of festival I usually drag Emma around in the UK.

I checked who was playing that Wednesday and popped into the Town Hall where TŠELLODUO were performing. “Greatest hits” might be stretching it, unless you count a bunch of dead composers with an infinite list of cover bands!

I recognised two pieces but waited for everyone else before clapping, just as well, given I was seated alongside a delegation from the Czech embassy and their entourage.

This place does feel rather special having endured thousands of years under the control of external sources, from the Germans, Poles, Russians, Swedes, Nazi’s and lastly, Soviets… it’s a wonder how so much of its historical centre remains intact. The history of the Estonians is also rather unusual too, with almost half of the male population holding a DNA gene that can be traced all the way from northern Asia, very different from their neighbours.

Oh and here is the Estonian Prime Minister’s Government Office – Stenbock House – High on the hill facing Russia – interesting choice of colours!

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TRIP TO HELSINKI

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Being so close to Finland, it would have been criminal not to hop over to Helsinki, even if only for the day. The Viking Line terminal was a short 20-minute walk from my accommodation. Three-hour crossing. Around £16 each way. No brainer.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the sound as we approached the Finnish coast, a deep scraping of ice against the steel hull. A first for me. I prayed there was no one called John Smith on board.

The ice grew thicker as we edged closer to shore, stretching out in a vast white expanse that my camera simply couldn’t do justice to. So, for posterity, I headed to the stern and stepped out onto the deck to capture just how solid it really was.

Helsinki feels very different from Tallinn, not better or worse, just different. It’s the capital of a long-established and highly developed country, so there’s more going on.

I managed another first here. Halfway through a walk along the southern coastline, I noticed several small islands east of the more famous Suomenlinna. In summer they’d only be reachable by boat. But with solid pack ice between them, they became accessible on foot.

Walking on Water – or pack ice!

After watching dog walkers, Nordic skiers and locals casually crossing, I decided it was safe enough. A little daunting at first, stepping out onto what is, after all, frozen sea, but strangely exhilarating once underway.

The rest of the day was spent wandering and ticking off a few of the “must-sees”: Senate Square and Helsinki Cathedral (below), which is far more impressive from the outside than within, a reminder of Lutheran simplicity.

Other churches were more ornate inside, particularly Uspenski Cathedral and St John’s Church (my favourite).

As the day drew to a close, I went in search of nosebag and local ales. I stumbled across a lovely cellar bar called Pub Ludvig and settled in for some “research”. Ended up chatting with the staff, possibly the friendliest people in the world.

I was genuinely a little sad to leave. It felt as though I’d barely scratched the surface.

Perhaps next time, I’ll stay longer.

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Hints and Tips

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Flight – WizzAir, £21 each way (plus baggage which was £27 per flight). Usual place (here)for how to get cheap flights

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Busses and Trams – Just go to google maps and and search for journeys the same way you do in the UK, there are at least half a dozen buses and trams routed between the airport and city every hour, and don’t worry about payment, just use your contactless bank card, or Apple Pay. Estonia is the WORLD’S leading digital country, so I wasn’t surprised to see technology use in full swing. You can buy a Tallinn bus pass, or simply clock in and use the bus for a flat fee for an hour. Great value.

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Best Views of Tallinn – Well there are some amazing view points around the city which can be found simply by following your nose, The best one is not far from the Russian Orthodox Church, it’s where I took the profile picture of this post. It’s called PATKULI viewing platform and is right next to STENBOCK HOUSE (the PM residence). However, for a great 360 view of the whole city from one of the highest points head for the restored St Nicolas Church, it’s no longer a church but a museum. It has an incredibly good viewing platform at the top which can be accessed by stairs or a rather new and swanky lift. It costs €15 euro but is money well spent for the views alone – let alone the exhibits!

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Ferry – Viking Line, return tickets bought for €36 euro between Tallin and Helsinki (purchased from the ferry company rather than agent). NOTE: if you purchase a food voucher at time of booking a FULL breakfast buffet will cost €15 (£13) with bottomless coffee and juice, along with fish (wide selection), meat (ditto) , fruit, porridge, breads and everything you’d get in a hotel ! Incredible quality and price. Pay on the day it’ll cost €19.

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Accommodation – well this place was perfect for a few nights solo. It was called OLD TOWN BOHO GUESTHOUSE (Uus tänav 26, Tallin, City Centre, 10111, Tallin, Estonia). It was £123 for four nights, or £30 per night. For that I got a single bed, very clean shared bathroom and lovely kitchen/diner area with HUGE Television.

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Airport Lounges – I was able to use my Dragon-Pass (click here for hack on how to do this) to access the business lounges at both Luton and Tallinn for free in Luton, on the way out, and at 5am I managed a great feed which set me up for the day…

At Tallin Airport I popped into the LHV lounge which, as usual is better than the UK counterparts, with a self service bar including fizz, wines, beers and spirits, along with a great selection of local food.

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So all in all a wonderful trip, can’t wait to get back home to see Emma – it is Valentine’s Day today after all! Not sure these taxi blackboards are supposed to be used for this purpose, but I read the instruction and took them literally!