The name of this city is translated in different ways, but the most suitable for it is "winter city". And although Tallinn is magnificent at any time of the year, in winter it is beautiful with an unearthly, magical beauty. Celebrating Christmas in Tallinn is a great success.
When you get off the train, the winter-prickly air of the Baltic will hit you in the face, and higher up, on the hill, you will see Vyshgorod, encircled by a powerful fortress wall with many towers. And the tallest of them is Long Hermann with the Estonian flag at the top, fluttering cheerfully in the wind.
What to see?
The old city, conditionally divided into the upper (Vyshgorod) and the lower, is small and rather compact. You can get around it slowly in a few hours. On the way, you will meet many cozy cafes where you can take a break, have a cup of coffee with a glass of Vana Tallinn liqueur, and continue on your way.
It is better to start from the Vyshgorod observation deck, take in the fabulous panorama of the city with tiled roofs, towers, church spiers, and the endless expanse of the Gulf of Finland. And after enjoying this beauty to your fullest, go down to the Lower City. And if Vyshgorod, with its impregnable fortress walls, can be called the heart of Tallinn, proud and rebellious, then its soul, free and enterprising, resides in the Lower City, hiding in alleys, cozy courtyards, in beautiful houses from the times of the Hanseatic League.
It is useless to wander around the Lower Town according to any plan, sights are found at every step, and narrow streets will certainly lead you away from the originally intended goal, but they will certainly lead you to the Town Hall, the spire of which is decorated with Old Thomas, the loyal defender and good symbol of Tallinn. And on the Town Hall Square there is a Christmas market. The noise of fun and bustle reigns in the frosty air saturated with the aromas of mulled wine, wax candles and juniper.
What to buy
Shopping is best done at the fair. All products are of local production, mostly handmade. Knitted woolen things from the island of Saarema, amber jewelry, children's toys made of wood and fabric, a great many cute unnecessary things, which you can do without, but somehow more fun with them.
Christmas party
When the night haze descends on the city, myriads of lights will sparkle on the facades of houses, in the shop windows, and the narrow streets of old Tallinn will drown in a rainbow glow. If you suddenly get cold, be sure to look into the Carolina bar, go down to its basement, saturated with the spicy smells of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and warm your body and soul with hot mulled wine.
And try to celebrate Christmas at the famous Peppersack restaurant not far from the Town Hall. Located in one of the oldest houses in Tallinn with good cuisine and a unique medieval interior, it will add to you the feeling of a wanderer lost in the labyrinths of time.
