A 1404 town hall, a tsar's palace, a seaplane hangar

The Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997 and is mostly car-free, so park outside it and walk. Everything below is a sight I'd pair with a single parking stop.

1. Start at the 1404 Town Hall

Tallinn Town Hall was finished in 1404. The tower has 115 steps to a balcony 34 m up. Old Thomas has watched from the spire since 1530, though today's vane is a 1996 copy.

2. Hear Toompea's 16-tonne bell

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral went up on Toompea in 1894–1900. Its largest bell weighs about 16 tonnes, more than the other ten combined.

3. Walk to Peter the Great's palace

Work on Kadriorg Palace began on 25 July 1718, for the tsar's wife Catherine. It now holds the Kadriorg Art Museum, foreign art from the 16th to the 20th century.

4. Pass under Fat Margaret

Fat Margaret was built between 1511 and 1530, when the medieval city gates were rebuilt. It's now part of the Estonian Maritime Museum.

5. See the submarine at Seaplane Harbour

The museum's Seaplane Harbour branch opened in May 2012. The draw is Lembit, a Second World War Kalev-class submarine.

6. End the day in Telliskivi

Telliskivi Creative City fills a former Baltic Railway Company factory and was founded in 2007. It's where I'd go after the Old Town gets crowded.

On a ferry day I'd do the Town Hall and Toompea and leave the rest for an overnight.

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Sprats on rye, Mulgi porridge, Peipus pike-perch

1. Eat sprats on black bread

Kiluvõileib is Baltic sprats on dark rye, sometimes with boiled egg. Visit Estonia calls it the sandwich of weddings, funerals and holidays.

2. Order mulgipuder at the Open Air Museum

Mulgipuder is potato and groats porridge with bacon and sour cream, added to UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2024. Visit Estonia points to the tavern at the Estonian Open Air Museum.

3. Try verivorst in winter

Verivorst is blood sausage of pork, barley and blood, eaten mainly in the cold months with sour cream.

4. Have pike-perch on Town Hall Square

Kaerajaan serves traditional dishes with a twist, according to Bradt; the pike-perch comes from Lake Peipus. For breakfast, the same guide sends you to Rukis for kama, a roasted-grain mix.

5. Take Vana Tallinn home

Vana Tallinn is a liqueur of rum, citrus oils, vanilla and spices. It's the one bottle I'd fit in the boot.

Eat on the square once; for porridge I'd make the trip out to the Open Air Museum.

Christmas market from 20 November, jazz in April

1. Come for the Christmas market

The Tallinn Christmas Market runs 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, say Visit Tallinn and Tallink. The Town Hall Square tree is lit on the first Sunday of Advent.

2. Catch the end of Black Nights

The Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) runs 6–22 November 2026, according to Tallink's events page.

3. Book April for music

Tallinn Music Week is 8–11 April 2027 and Jazzkaar runs 24 April to 1 May 2027, both from Tallink's listing.

4. Wait for Old Town Days dates

I found no 2027 dates for Old Town Days; they're unpublished so far.

For a December trip I'd book the hotel first and sort the car park second.

Reval, the Hanse and the UNESCO walls

1. Look for Reval on old maps

Most of the world called the city Reval from the 13th century into the 20th. The Estonian name took over after independence in 1918.

2. Thank the Hanse for the skyline

Reval joined the Hanseatic League in 1285 as its northernmost member, and its port mattered most between the 14th and 16th centuries.

3. Remember 1997

UNESCO listed the historic centre in 1997. Today its kerb costs four times the City Centre rate, and I read that as a hint to walk.