The melting pot

A city by the sea, way up north and with a picturesque old town. Tallinn is a picture-book destination for a weekend or more. At the same time, it is a vibrant little metropolis that offers a vivid history lesson to its visitors.

Does Europe actually have something like a capital? Some may see the political centers of European organizations as such, Brussels, Strasbourg, perhaps also Luxembourg. Hardly anyone would question the cultural and historical significance of Berlin and Paris. London, on the other hand, seems to be turning its back on Europe, and we'd better not even start thinking about Bern or Zurich at this point.

At the very edge of at least political Europe, on the Baltic coast of Estonia, lies a picturesque city that raises such questions. Because up there in Tallinn, influences intermingle and as a guest you can't help but come to terms with history and the lessons it keeps teaching you.

 

First things first. We land in the middle of the night and assume that we are the absolute last to arrive and will have to improvise our way into the city center somehow. Which is a misjudgement, because the arrivals area is more than lively and the cab rank resembles an anthill in the mild August night. The vibes would also be worthy of a Mediterranean country.

 

Historic trading city and trendy location

After a few hours' sleep, daylight allows us to look out of the hotel towards the old town and, indeed, across the Baltic Sea. We walk leisurely towards the center and feel reminded of Warsaw and Riga, both of which are like siblings of Tallinn. We discover Art Nouveau architecture, prefabricated slab-constructed buildings, church towers, cobblestones so rough that American travelers have trouble walking (and yes, we wish this was a cliché - but quite a few people who looked fit at first glance didn't seem to be able to master the uneven ground and expressed this by swearing broadly).

Picturesque: Tallinn's Town Hall Square

 

We stroll back and forth through the tidy streets of the old town, lined with magnificent residential and trading houses from the time of the Hanseatic cities, when Tallinn (formerly known as "Reval" in German) already played an important role in trade on the Baltic Sea. Right in the middle: The massive town hall with its Gothic arches, over 700 years old, which is also considered the oldest surviving town hall in Northern Europe. We ignore the medieval and Hanseatic folklore for cruise ship passengers as good we can, because one can feel Tallinn's history without all those shows. And quietly, memories of Hamburg, Lübeck and Stockholm are knocking on our door.

 

Fishing village, industrial area, trendy district

Speaking of Stockholm. If you know the Swedish metropolis well, you may have already visited the photography museum there, also known as Fotografiska. Starting in Sweden, Fotografiska has opened other locations in various cities, including New York and Berlin. And Tallinn. The Estonian branch of this photo temple is located in a former industrial area (it used to be a fishing village, by the way), which has been given a new lease of life with start-ups, bars, museums and green spaces. As in many other large cities, by the way, but what makes the area called Kalamaja unique is its informality. The existing table tennis tables are actually used (there are many of them in Tallinn, by the way), next door there are slacklines that are also used by tourists, spontaneously supported by the employees (perhaps also: founders) of the neighboring start-ups and food trucks. What becomes very apparent here and really impresses us is the lightness that Tallinn radiates. Parallels with Berlin at the turn of the millennium are unmistakable.

An underrated destination for beach vacations?

It's a mild summer's day in the far north and we're looking to cool off. After the inspiring Fotografiska visit, it's best to go outside. Because Tallinn might be underrated as a beach destination. Our stop at Pirita Beach feels good, we enjoy the Baltic Sea wind and, given the size of the beach gulls, are glad we don't have anything to eat in our hands. The beach infrastructure is well developed, the water is clear, although a little too fresh for us to go swimming. It would be possible though, and the locals, who are probably more familiar with the Baltic Sea, make good use of the shallow access to the water. The presence of the sea gives us another thought: the relaxed nature of Tallinn, an economy full of start-ups, access to sandy beaches everywhere - is the Estonian capital perhaps also something like a cooler, Nordic version of Tel Aviv?

Beach meets skyline: summer in Tallinn

How yesterday shapes the present

 

We cruise back along the beach towards the city center on an electric scooter and make an extensive stopover at an unmissable structure on the way. What at first glance could be the entrance to a Spanish design hotel in terms of location and architecture, turns out to be one of Tallinn's largest memorials at second glance. Two huge, parallel black walls rise up into the blue sky and stretch from a small garden full of apple trees towards the beach. This is where the still young Republic of Estonia commemorates its people who fell victim to the communist regimes that ruled Estonia in the 20th century. The black walls are full of names. A few relatives have left a bouquet of flowers. An elderly lady seems to have come with her grandchildren and we overhear her talking in German about her husband's disappearance.

 

Further eavesdropping is not appropriate, but in the wind of the scooter we suddenly have a realization: Tallinn's light-heartedness and energy is only at first glance in sharp contrast to its historical seriousness. The fact that Tallinn is vibrant and flourishing today is rather a direct expression of its historical awareness. After all, what much of Europe takes for granted – democracy, access to education and an open society, for example – was not always available here. But isn't the value of these achievements particularly evident in a place that doesn't hide its scars, but rather adorns them?

Place of remembrance

Tallinn is very alive. After one day, we gathered so many different impressions that at some point we stopped feeling reminded of other places. After all, it is precisely the diversity of colors in this city that makes it a unique melting pot. Perhaps this is why Tallinn is an even stronger symbol of a peaceful, liberal Europe than Brussels, Strasbourg or Berlin. It is certainly a wonderful, uncomplicated destination.

(Curious for more Estonia? To be continued!)

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Good to know

Swiss flies directly from Zurich to Tallinn several times a week, but the flight connections are at extremely off-peak times, especially given the one-hour time difference. Tallinn Airport is not far from the city center, 10 minutes by car, a little longer by bus or streetcar.

By train, the journey from Zurich takes 30 hours in the best case, and if you prefer to bring your own car, you can expect 26 hours or 2300 km according to Google (this is slightly more than the distance from Zurich to Lisbon).

Our accommodation of choice was the Hilton Tallinn Park, a clean and solid option located on the edge of the city center. From the higher floors of the rooms there is a wonderful view over the old town to the sea.

Getting around Tallinn is very easy. Many things are easily accessible on foot, but electric scooters are also very common. Incidentally, the provider Bolt is a company from Tallinn and therefore something like the top dog, also as an Uber alternative for longer journeys.