Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BaltiJaamMarket,
Tallinn's bustling traditional market, is behind the train station and
has little of touristic interest besides wonderful photo ops. That's why I like it. It's a great
time-warp scene, fragrant with dill, berries, onions, and mushrooms. You'll hear lots of
Russian. The indoor sections sell meat, clothing, and gadgets (look for the Jaama Turg gate
beyond track 9, Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat-Sun 8:00-17:00, better early).
For something tamer, the
Viru Turg outdoor market,
a block outside the Old Town's
Viru Gate, has a lively, tourist-oriented collection of stalls selling mostly clothing and
textiles (daily May-Sept 9:00-17:00, Oct-April 10:00-16:00, north of Viru street at Mere
Puiestee 1).
Music:
Tallinn has a dense schedule of classical music performances, especially during
the annual Old Town Days, generally at the beginning of June (
www.vanalinnapaevad.ee
).
Choral singing became a symbol of the struggle for Estonian independence after the first
Estonian Song Festival in 1869 (still held every five years—next one in 2014).
Even outside of festival times, you'll find many performances in Tallinn's churches and
concert halls, advertised on posters around town or at the TI, and in the free
Tallinn This
Week
brochure (
www.ttw.ee
). Tickets are usually available at the door or through the Pi-
letilevi booth in the Viru Keskus mall (daily 9:00-21:00,
www.piletilevi.ee
)
. Watch for per-
formances by Hortus Musicus, one of Estonia's finest classical ensembles, or concerts fea-
