Tallinn Cruise Port

A European Capital of Culture in 2011, Tallinn is increasingly a destination of choice for short weekend getaways or day trips from Helsinki, just a 90-minute ferry ride across the Baltic Sea. The Port of Tallinn is a busy one, welcoming over 300 cruise calls per season, as well as regular ferries from Helsinki, Stockholm and St. Petersburg.  With an Old Town dating back over 600 years, Tallinn’s medieval charm is undeniable.

How to get to Tallinn:

Lucky for you, you’re almost there. Whether you are visiting as part of your Baltic cruise or by ferry, you likely will arrive at one of the passenger terminals in the Old City Harbor, just 1 kilometer from Tallinn’s Great Coast Gate – the medieval entrance to the Old Town area. If you aren’t up for walking, Bus No. 2 departs regularly from Passenger Terminals A and D from 7am until midnight. Taxis are also readily available, as are velo-taxis in the summer months.

One Day in Tallinn:

Tallinn’s Old Town is compact enough that you can cover the major sites in one day. Coming from the port, start your exploration by walking up historic Pikk Street, lined with 15th-century German homes and old trader and artisan guild buildings. You won’t get far before you reach the 13th-century St. Olaf’s Church. If you’re not afraid of heights, climb the 258 steps up the observation tower for a panoramic view of the entire area.

Following Pikk Street, you will eventually arrive at the base of Toompea Hill. Head up the hill to check out the Lutheran Dome Church, the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and several of the old city walls and towers. On the far side of Toompea, the Museum of Occupation is worth a stop to learn more about Estonia’s history of Soviet and Nazi occupation from 1940 until its independence in 1991.

Other sites of interest in the Old Town include the Tallinn City Museum, the Estonian History Museum, the Bastion Tunnels, the Kiek in de Kok cannon tower, the Church of the Holy Spirit and St Nicholas Church. Outside of the Old Town, art-lovers may want to visit the art museum housed in Kadriorg Palace and the nearby Kumu Art Museum. Further outside of town (but accessible by a bus from the port) is the Estonian Open-Air Museum.

Or, you can simply spend the rest of your day wandering the winding streets of the Old Town and then relaxing in one of the many outdoor restaurants and cafes.

Port Information:

Free wi-fi is available throughout the port area and a currency exchange desk is in Terminal A. Luggage storage is also available. Now that Estonia is part of the European Union, the currency is the Euro.