Date of trip: August 26 through September 1, 2019
Lauren and I chose Estonia for our second trip to Europe with intent to explore the stunning architecture and maybe add-in Finland to the itinerary. Unlike some of our past adventures, this trip went surprisingly smoothly, and we were blown away by how stunning both Estonia and Finland turned out to be.
Day 1: We arrived late from Paris which was our first stop on the trip. The airport was really cute and getting a car was really easy.
The man at the rental car agency was so excited to help us find the best of Estonia so he typed us a list of all his favorites
We stayed in Old Tallinn, and fortunately the hotel let us know in advance that cars couldn’t be parked within the historic center. Remembering our experience in Bulgaria, we found a garage ahead of time and made sure to pay extra attention to the entrance and exit. Lauren even took a bunch of pictures to help us navigate—but despite our efforts, we still ended up walking up the car ramp, dodging oncoming cars along the way.
We booked our stay at the Three Crowns Residences which was located in the old town. We used Trip Masters for this trip which made it very affordable and convenient. Here’s the hotel website:
Day 2: We started with a hotel breakfast and walked the old town.
Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral⬇️
St. Olaf’s Church⬇️
“Allegedly the Estonian Academy of Sciences”⬇️
Old town walls ⬇️
Then we drove to Lahemaa National Park which was 35 minutes west of Tallinn.
Views along the way of the Maarjamae Memorial
We arrived to Lahemaa National Park and did a few trails through the woods and around the lakes
We headed an hour and 20 minutes east to see Ontika Waterfalls and shoreline.
We took a short trail down to the Gulf of Finland coast
We were surprised to see people swimming in the cold water but someone I met from Latvia told me that those who live in the Baltics are built for it.
We left and headed toward Jagala juga waterfall and hour and a half back toward Tallinn.
This is the biggest natural waterfall in Estonia
The waterfall was pretty and I really enjoyed the trail scenery
We got back to Tallinn as the sun was setting and changed for dinner
We found Restaurant Pegasus and it was absolutely delicious.
We got the Ramson’s Orsoto and Slow Cooked Eggplant
We grabbed evening cocktails at Sazerac which was trendy but still cozy
Day 3: We took a ferry to Finland to stay in a cool cabin we found on Airbnb
We used the Eckero Line Ferry and I’ve linked the site for booking below. The cost for our ferry tickets with our car was $165 and we had to arrive two hours prior to departure.
Lauren expertly drove us on the ferry then we enjoyed the cruise-type entertainment for the next three hours.
The ship had restaurants, concert performances, bars and sleeper cabins.
We arrived in Helsinki and went directly to our accommodation which was 25 minutes west in Kirkkonummi.
We stayed in this tiny cabin on Morsfjard Bay. I’ve linked it below. It was pretty small for the two of us but it came with paddleboards, a sauna and a puppy.
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/x6lNXOWg
We walked the around the bay on a trail our host recommended
We enjoyed a sunset at our cabin then Lauren chopped wood for our sauna. I’ll admit I had never been in a sauna that didn’t “turn on with a knob”
Day 4: Enjoyed my coffee in the hammock
Then we drove 30 minutes north to Nuuksio National Park and hiked the trails
We made our way to the stunning coastline and learned a little bit about Finland’s battles with Russia in the 50s.
For dinner after hiking, we went to the one little cafe near our cabin and were entertained by the owner who showed his scrapbook from when he lived in Florida.
Then I ended the night with an evening paddleboard
Day 5: We headed to explore Helsinki before catching our ferry
The entertainment on the ferry was an Elvis impersonator
Once we arrived in Tallinn and parked, we went to explore Linnahall (the former V. I. Lenin Palace of Sports and Culture constructed for the Soviet Union Olympic Games in 1980.
It’s no longer functional and is closed off but the area was cool to poke around.
We then walked to Telliskivi Loomelinnak before it got dark to check out the hipster district. There was street art, trendy shops, and restaurants in what was formerly factories and warehouses.
On our walk home we climbed the castle walls for night views of the city
Day 6: We started our morning strolling around Tallinn
Then we visited the KGB prison cells housed in a beautiful art deco building in old town. Tickets were less than $10 and I found the museum really interesting
https://vabamu.ee/exhibitions/kgb-maja-lugu/
We loved Telliskivi so much we decided to go back to shop and have brunch
We ate at Peatus located in an old bus with actual bus seats as dining chairs
Then did our thrifting and sight-seeing
Bought my step-daughter this book that we read together using Google translate ⬆️. She loved that it was written in another language.
Other cool street art in the district
While having our second meal at Peatus, we met some Americans who had been stationed in Tallinn
They took us to some of their favorite local spots including the highlight of our trip, a bar in an old Soviet bunker underground!
They were playing 1950s-60s American music and the whole experience was just surreal. We even made an extra friend who joined us for the rest of the evening
Day 7: This was our last day and we wanted to check off more sights from the airport list.
Our first stop was 45 minutes west of Tallinn, Rummu- a former prison quarry turned water sport playground. We didn’t do enough research and I thought it was just a hike so we didn’t bring bathingsuits or anything appropriate for this beach (but at least Lauren brought a winter “sauna piloot” hat). I would have loved to have rented a paddle board and explored more in the water. But the hike itself was very pretty through the quarry
Our next destination was 25 minutes north near Paldiski- the Pakri Lighthouse. This was a pretty remote area without other tourists. We ate at a cute cafe here and took in the views
Next we drove toward another stop on our list— Keila Joa and Turisalu Nature Park. We parked at Turisalu and then walked about 8 miles along the sea then to Keila Joa and back to our car.
https://visitestonia.com/en/keila-waterfall
https://visitestonia.com/en/turisalu-limestone-cliff-and-platform
I’ve linked two similar trails I found on AllTrails that includes this beautiful coastline and Keila Joa
Türisalu – Laulasmaa Hiking Route on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/estonia/harju/turisalu-laulasmaa-hiking-route?sh=sxlnu6&u=i
Türisalu-Meremõisa on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/estonia/harju/turisalu-meremoisa?sh=sxlnu6&u=i
We drove back to Tallinn and enjoyed dinner and souvenir shopping in Viru Square.
We ended our last night back in old town Tallinn with cocktails at Babylon Bar
We flew back home early the next morning uneventfully.
Estonia and Finland turned out to be such a great combination for a smooth and beautiful trip. If you’re considering either destination and have questions or need tips, feel free to reach out—I’m happy to help! Thanks for following along, and I hope this inspires your own adventures.
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