Tallinn Estonia
Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland. Its old town is among the best preserved in northern Europe, a UNESCO site of cobbled lanes, merchant houses and city walls that has survived largely intact since the Hanseatic period. The modern city around it is the opposite: Estonia runs almost all of its public administration online, and the startup scene that produced Skype and Wise gives the place a working tech culture well out of proportion to its size. The result is unusually good for a conference, since the historic centre, the business district and the seafront are all within about twenty minutes of each other on foot.
- Tallinn Old Town - Walk the city walls and up to Toompea hill for the view over the red roofs from the Kohtuotsa platform, which is the postcard shot.
- Telliskivi Creative City - A former industrial complex turned into studios, bars, street food and the Fotografiska photography museum; the best evening area in the city.
- Rotermann Quarter - Old limestone warehouses rebuilt with sharp modern architecture, between the old town and the port, and a good place to eat.
- Kadriorg Park and KUMU - Peter the Great’s baroque palace and grounds, with the excellent KUMU art museum at the far end.
- Seaplane Harbour (Lennusadam) - A maritime museum inside a vast 1916 seaplane hangar, with a submarine you can walk through.
- Day trip to Helsinki - Two hours by fast ferry, close enough to do as a long day.
Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (TLL) is only 4 km from the centre, one of the closest major airports to a European capital. Tram line 4 runs from the terminal to the centre in about 15 minutes for the price of a normal ticket, and a taxi is around 10 to 15 euros. Ferries from Helsinki take about two hours and dock at the passenger port, a 15 minute walk from the old town.
Tallinn is small and flat and the centre is genuinely walkable, which is how most visitors get around. Trams, trolleybuses and buses cover the rest on a single ticket bought through the Pilet.ee app or a Smartcard from a kiosk; a single ride is around 2 euros. Taxis and Bolt, which was founded here, are cheap by western European standards. You will not need a car.
June to August is the peak, with long Baltic days, temperatures around 20C and the old town at its liveliest. Late August, when INTERACT runs, still has warmth and light but fewer cruise passengers. September and early October are quieter and pleasant. Winter is cold, dark and genuinely snowy, though the Christmas market on Town Hall Square is one of the best in Europe.
Map
1 upcoming conference in Tallinn
Almost everything worth staying in sits in or immediately around the old town, and that is where you want to be: the medieval centre is the reason to come and it is compact enough to walk everywhere from. The Rotermann and Viru areas just east of the walls put you a couple of minutes from the old town with newer, larger hotels and easy tram access. The Liivalaia and Ravala streets south of the centre are the business district, slightly cheaper and still a ten minute walk in. Tallinn is inexpensive by northern European standards, but it fills up in July and August and when the cruise ships are in, so book once your dates are fixed.
Our picks in Tallinn
A curated selection of hotels chosen for location, value, and fit for conference travellers.
16eur - Fat Margaret's
Pikk 50, 10133 Tallinn, Estonia
Hostel inside the old town walls beside the Fat Margaret tower, with private rooms as well as dorms and a shared kitchen...
Hotel Telegraaf, Autograph Collection
Vene 9, 10123 Tallinn, Estonia
Five-star hotel in an 1878 former telegraph building barely a minute from Town Hall Square, with an indoor pool and the Telegraaf...
Metropol Spa Hotel
Roseni 9, 10111 Tallinn, Estonia
Four-star in the Rotermann quarter between the old town and the port, with a large spa and pool included for guests -...
Nordic Hotel Forum
Viru väljak 3, 10111 Tallinn, Estonia
Modern four-star 150 m from the old town with a free top-floor leisure centre including sauna and hot tub - a reliable...
Radisson Blu Hotel Olümpia
Liivalaia 33, 10118 Tallinn, Estonia
Four-star in the business district with a 26th-floor pool and top-floor gym looking over the city, about fifteen minutes on foot from...
Radisson Collection Hotel, Tallinn
Rävala puiestee 3, 10143 Tallinn, Estonia
Tall business hotel in the modern centre with a 24th-floor rooftop terrace over the city, about ten minutes’ walk from the old...
Community Notes