Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cost and Hours:
Late April-Sept: €6, park open daily 10:00-20:00, historic buildings
until 18:00; Oct-late April: €3, park open daily 10:00-17:00 but historic buildings closed.
Tel. 654-9100,
www.evm.ee
.
Getting There:
Take bus #21 from the train station to Rocca al Mare stop—because
buses back to Tallinn run infrequently, check the departure schedule as soon as you arrive,
or ask staff how to find the Zoo stop, with more frequent service, a 15-minute walk away.
Lahemaa National Park (Lahemaa Rahvuspark)
—This vast, flat, forested coastal pre-
serve on the Gulf of Finland is only a one-hour drive east of Tallinn. While it is a popular
tour destination and the nature is pristine, the park's charms are modest. I had a great guide,
and it was a fascinating day out. But with an average guide, it could be a snore. Highlights
include the thick forest (including cemeteries, because Estonians bury their dead in the
woods), bog walks, rich berry and mushroom picking, rebuilt manor homes, and peaceful
fishing villages surrounded by the evocative ruins of Soviet occupation. City Bikes and
Tallinn Traveller Tours organize day trips out (€49/person; see “Tours in Tallinn”). For
hiking and cycling trail descriptions, check online (
www.keskkonnaamet.ee/lahe-eng
)
or
stop at the park's visitor center when you arrive (mid-April-mid-Oct daily 9:00-18:00, later
hours in summer; mid-Oct-mid-April Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00; tel. 329-5555).
With so many cruise-ship tourists inundating Tallinn, the Old Town is full of trinkets, but it
is possible to find good-quality stuff. Wooden goods, like butter knives and juniper-wood
trivets, are a good value. Marvel at the variety on sale in Tallinn's liquor stores, popular
with visiting Scandinavians. Tucked into the Old Town are many craft and artisan shops
where prices are lower than in Nordic countries.
