Helsinki - Finland - page 144

DON'T MISS
TRIPPING TO TALLINN

The short ferry trip to Tallinn, capital of Estonia, offers so much more than the booze
cruise that many Finns use it for. The city's charming Vanalinn (Old Town) is one of
Europe's most evocative medieval districts, best enjoyed with an afternoon of ambling,
particularly around Raekoja plats (Town Hall Sq; GOOGLE MAP ), dominated by its Gothic
town hall complete with minaret-like tower that you can climb to see the lie of the land.
Wander a little further to Saiakang (White Bread Passage) with the 14th-century Püha
Vaimu Kirik (Holy Spirit Church) at one end.
If you've worked up an appetite by now, head to Ö ( GOOGLE MAP ; 661 6150;
www.restoran-o.ee ;Mere pst 6e;4-/6-/8-course menu €46/59/76; 6-11pm Mon-Sat), an ethereal
dining room that highlights Estonian produce. For heartier fare in a medieval atmosphere,
Olde Hansa ( GOOGLE MAP ; 627 9020; www.oldehansa.ee ;Vana turg 1;mains €10-40; 10am-
midnight) is fun. There are plenty of good places to wet your whistle, such as comfy pur-
veyor of local brews Hell Hunt ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.hellhunt.ee ;Pikk 39; noon-2am; ).

Don't worry about the name; it actually means 'gentle wolf'.
Check out Tallinn Tourist Information Centre ( GOOGLE MAP ; 645 7777;
www.tourism.tallinn.ee ;Kullassepa 4; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat & Sun May-Aug, 9am-6pm
Mon-Fri, to 3pm Sat & Sun Sep-Apr) for a range of accommodation options.
Handily, euros are the currency here, and Estonia is a Schengen country so there are no
entry requirements to visit from Finland.
For more info on Tallinn and Estonia, head to shop.lonelyplanet.com for a downloadable
PDF of the chapter from Lonely Planet'sEstonia, Latvia & Lithuaniaguide.