Tallinn Estonia With Kids

This is a guest post from Kaare Revill who has traveled extensively with her three kids: ages 6, 4, and 2. She was kind enough to share her best recommendations for a family visit to Estonia - a family-friendly European destination that most Americans don't know much about. She blogs at Abrilliantplace

By Wikipedia

Location of Estonia

Estonia is a small and beautifully forested country in Europe. Some people have never heard of it, and even if they have, most are pretty fuzzy on its geographical location. Its shores are washed by the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea; it is bordered on the east by Russia and on the south by another small Baltic country called Latvia. It's had a long history of foreign rule and a short, but successful history of independence. As a traveling American-Canadian family, many people have been bewildered as to why one would choose to go to Estonia. Let me say straight out that after having visited nearly every country in Europe, I think Estonia is one of the most child-friendly. With a multitude of outdoor and indoor playgrounds and activities, museums, historical monuments, unique shops and restaurants and natural beauty, we found plenty to keep us (a family of five, with three kids under 6) happy.

There are several cities in Estonia. While Tartu and Parnu have their own unique charm, Tallinn, especially Old Town Tallinn, holds a special place in my heart. There was nothing more magical for me than entering the thick stone 13th century walls, overseen by a multitude of towers and steeples, to meander down distinctive cobblestone streets with three small children in tow. We spent time in Tallinn in both the deep of winter and the long hours of sun in early summer. While Christmas-time certainly has great atmosphere and fun activities. If your goal is to spend time outdoors and see everything, then spring, summer or early fall is the time to go.

That said, I have so many favorite things that I'll break Old Town into kid-friendly routes to make it more realistic for little legs, and a parent's patience. While it's possible to take a large-wheeled stroller into Old Town (some restaurants and other buildings have stroller ramps), the sidewalk curbs and bumpy cobblestone streets make this something I wouldn't recommend.

Tallinn Estonia Sites in Old Town - West
Toompark - with lots of paths and a long narrow lake, this is a beautiful place to run wild, see occassional art displays and feed the birds.

Patkuli and Kohuotsa View Platforms - very touristy spots, but with lovely views of the city; perfect for those family pics.

Nuku Teater - the children's theater, which produces beautiful and professional puppet shows for children (there are plays and productions for adults as well). With a bathroom, cafe and free coat check, this is a place you could go see and show and end up spending an entire half day by itself. Next door is a shop that sells classic Estonian Kalev chocolates. Prices for kids are 90 EEKs and 25 EEKs for adults, and shows are less than an hour. Tickets can be purchased in advance from www.piletilevi.ee

Lodusmuuseum - If you're up for a bit of an educational adventure, this small, but packed museum Museum of Natural History covers everything from rocks and fossils to a diverse collection of stuffed animals and insects.

Le Bonaparte - Small restaurant/cafe with yummy quiche and croissant selection during the day. Note: leave strollers outside, hold kids’ hands to go up three or four very big steep steps. Opens at noon.

Suurtuki Playground - sandy and cement areas that have play sets for a varying range of ages and even exercise equipment (that the kids also like to play on) geared towards parents.

1/2 Day Outing in Old Town including Recommended Route and Directions
Start at the west side of Old Town Tallinn by the Balti Jaam (train station). It is possible to walk to this point from the cruise ports, but I wouldn't recommend it with small kids because there will be a lot of walking inside the walls. It is better to take a cab or use the great bus/trolley system. or take a bus (you can find the current bus schedule at soiduplaan.tallinn.ee ). If you have a car, park in the lot just north of the station, near the Kiosk. Be sure to put your paid parking ticket in your windshield (they can be purchased at any kiosk for about 9 EEKs per hour. Parking inside Old Town will cost you 72 EEKs per hour). Don’t cross the street here, instead walk south, past the kiosk and row of shops. You can either turn left after the row of shops and follow the crowd to the underground footpath, or walk past the bus stop to the light with a crosswalk. Cross over Rannamae; you’ll see the street Nunne and a green, tree-scattered area to the right of it. This is Toompark. This has lots of paths, a narrow lake, lots of grass and birds and freedom to run wild. This is a good place to find giant snow sculptures in the winter and occasional exhibits in the summer.

Once the kids have let out the excess energy chasing the birds, follow Nunne street toward the city wall. Near the base of the wall there is a wide set of stairs leading up to a path that turns into dirt and more stairs. This area gives a nice overview of Toompark, and is a very fun place to explore the walls and play soldier. Continue all the way up the narrow stairs (there are a lot and get steep so if you have a stroller just follow Nunne instead) to the very top. As you walk through a stone doorway, look to the left and you’ll see the bright red roofs and oddly shaped buildings of Old Town Tallinn. This is the Patkuli View Platform. I like getting pictures here as it tends to be a little less crowded than Kohuotsa, and it’s all Old Town buildings. Be sure to check the railings for sturdiness before letting the kids loose here. There is a nice souvenir shop here, but pricey. After getting some pics and browsing the shop (if the kids will let you), go out the narrow archway that looks like an alley. This street is Rahukohtu. Turn left after the archway and follow the narrow street till it tees. Turn right (this s Toom-Ruuti, but you probably won’t see a sign) and then take your first left, which will take you directly in front of a Baltic Amber shop (that will probably have its large 50% off sale sign outside). There are many beautiful pieces, but the sale is limited to a very small set of shelves. If you cross the street past the amber shop (called Kohtu) and veer a little left you’ll see another viewing platform. This is Kohuotsa. It tends to be a little more popular, but the view is of both Old Town and the city center. There are lots of good souvenir shops all over this area, so keep an eye out (especially on the smaller streets) as some can be hard to see.

After enjoying the skyline, go back to the street (Kohtu) and turn left. This will take you to Kiriku Plats, where you’ll see the white church with the green roof. There are good signs here. Turn left and go one block to Pikk jalg. This means long-legged street in Estonian. The Estonian street names tend to be literal and descriptive. On the right, you’ll see the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is the Russian Orthodox church. Both churches may be worth a look if you’re interested, but there really isn’t much for kids in either building, besides a brief experience. Check out Toom Kirik at www.eelk.ee .

When you see the Cathedral, turn left to go down Pikk jalg. It gets a little steep, but there are no stairs (so good for brave stroller drivers) and there are even hand-rails for the unsteady. When you pass under the archway at the bottom of the street, you’ll be leaving Upper Old Town. Here, you’ll meet up with Nunne (again) and Pikk. Pikk is the Estonian word for “long” and this street qualifies as it runs the entire length of lower Old Town.

After lots of stairs and exploring, little legs (and big ones) might be ready for a break. There are a lot of great shops in this area, but the kids would probably love a stop at the famous Estonian Kalev chocolate shop (Tel 667 9599, Lai 1, Tallinn 10133) on the corner of Nunne and Lai (a block to the left when you cross under the archway) and right next door on Lai (street named for being “wide”) is Nuku Teater. This is the best children’s puppet theater I have ever seen. It has many plays and productions for varying ages, but I love the children’s theater. All children’s productions are in Estonian, but if you go to see the shows rated for the youngest audience (ages 2+), it won’t hinder anyone’s enjoyment and will be a great introduction to the Estonian language and culture. The two I’ve seen are Tsuhh, Tsuhh, Tsuhh (or Choo-choo-choo, an animal train ride) and Ise, ise ka! (or Me, Me Too!, which is a story about a little pig exploring the world). Both of these shows are very visual and well done. The puppets are beautiful, well-made characters, the sets are fascinating, and the performance is professional and unforgettable. A word of caution: the theater does get dark, and if your kids have never seen puppets before they may be scared. A little pre-visit intro and preparation to puppets, costumes and non-verbal cues may help them understand the story and get excited and unafraid. These children’s shows are almost always at 11 or 12 noon and don’t show everyday. I recommend this because these two shows are very popular and regularly sell out. Afterward the performers typically come out and let the audience meet them and their puppets.

After the show, you could eat at the very child-friendly, but with limited selection, café past the ticket booth, or go four blocks further down Lai street (away from Nunne) to #29 Lai on the left. There will be a small sign for the Loosdusmuuseum (Museum of Natural History, which is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10-5, except on holidays. It’s 60 EEKs for a family or free with the Tallinn Card. It is not very big, but includes three floors of geology, marine and wild life and insect.

Now if you’re hungry (or hungry again), cross the street and angle a little to your right to go up Vaimu (which looks like an alleyway, but is actually one of the few ways to get to Pikk). When Vaimu tees, turn left and you’ll almost immediately see large steep steps leading into the very tasty Le Bonaparte restaurant and café (#45 Pikk), open the heavy door and try any of there delicious dishes. For a quick meal, I like the quiche or croissants.

Now, head back down Vaimu the way you came, turn right on Lai and make your first left onto Suurtuki. On this street you’ll walk right out of the city walls (complete with guard towers) and continue down Suurtuki. Further down, on the left towards the intersection (at the corner of Rannamae tee and Suurtuki) there are several play structures, some sand and even equipment for the adults to play on (or workout on, whatever).

Once everyone is ready for naps, just cross at the lights and turn left to walk a block to get back to the Balti Jaam car park, or continue further down the playground paths to get back to the bus stop near the Rannamae tee and Nunne intersection.

This is just one section of Old Town and there is a lot more to see and do, but take it easy. Pick and choose your interests and just enjoy the atmosphere and beauty of Tallinn Old Town. It’s something you, and your kids, will never forget.

Taxi Information
For taxis we used Tallink Takso OU most often. For non-Estonian speakers it's probably easiest to email a request to tellimus@tallinktakso.ee , or text 1921, but it also works to call +372 640 8921, just be very clear; for example, saying “thirteen, or one, three” is better than getting it mistaken for 31. It's about 48 EEKs to start and 10.90 EEKs per kilometer)

4 comments | Posted on February 7, 2010 | Save to del.icio.us

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