Exploring Estonia!

Hopping Over To The Baltic Region

Before last year, I am not entirely certain that I would be able to point out Estonia on a map.

However, I distinctly remember seeing this amazing photo on social media.

This is a landscape shot taken in Estonia that perfectly lines up with the colors of the Estonian flag!

Apart from Estonia having a really cool flag to begin with, the creativity of this landscape photo captured my attention.

While we were planning the last month of our adventure, I made sure to insert Estonia into the mix.

So, is this really the only reason we decided to add Estonia to the travel schedule? Not exactly. It is also a relatively inexpensive destination compared to most European countries, and we are always excited to add a new country to the collection!

After saying farewell to Copenhagen, we hopped on a flight to the Estonian capital of Tallinn.

We had heard very little about this place, but we knew the old town is considered one of the best-preserved historical areas in the continent!

We were absolutely blown away by the cobblestone streets and narrow alleys lit by gas lamps. It truly felt like we were transported back in time!

While there are countless museums, restaurants, and cafes to choose from, we found that the best way to take in Tallinn is by wandering around with no preset agenda.

The layout of the streets is quite chaotic, but it definitely adds a “choose your own adventure” aspect to the experience.

Our first night in Tallinn, we walked into town to find something to eat. We didn’t have anything specific in mind, but our decision was made very easy when we happened upon an establishment called “Olde Hansa”.

This place was an immersive medieval experience. Everything from the interior design to the attire of the staff was very committed to the bit.

Normally, I would not gravitate towards a themed restaurant of any kind. But the suspension of disbelief was made incredibly easy by the streets of the old town surrounding this cozy eatery.

I was very excited to find elk and bear sausage on the menu. Eating bear is actually quite common in this region, so I definitely wanted to give it a shot.

There wasn’t a particular flavor in the taste profile that I can describe, but I can say with absolute certainty that the sausage was fantastic!

It was served with an assortment of jams and a creamy horseradish sauce. I also tried an elk sausage, which was the best one in my opinion!

The next day, we made sure to see all of the architectural marvels around the city. The main event is definitely the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is an Eastern Orthodox structure.

If that name sounds familiar, that is probably because Alexander Nevsky is also the name of the Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria, which we visited back in March.

This architectural style is so different than anything we have ever seen! I can’t even compare it to anything. The onion-shaped domes are the signature feature of this particular style.

Perhaps the most famous Eastern Orthodox structure in the world is St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. Although we will not be able to visit Moscow any time in the foreseeable future, we hope to be able to see St. Basil’s at some point in our lives after seeing these beautiful Orthodox cathedrals this year.

There were so many buildings around Tallinn that made our jaws drop. I am very excited to release the video! Despite some brisk temperatures, we couldn’t help walking around all day!

However, like any European city, Tallinn is much more than just the medieval old town. There are very modern aspects to the city as well.

In fact, it has become a hub for tech startups in the past few decades. Tallinn embraces this label with open arms.

There is even a designated area of the city known as the Telliskivi “Creative City” which is tailored towards the startup community. Apart from rows of sleek and modern office buildings, there is also a high concentration of trendy cafés, restaurants, and food trucks.

Tallinn was a place that not only exceeded our expectations, but also piqued our curiosity for other cities and regions that may not be on the typical travel wishlist.

We have continued to stray further away from our comfort zone, and we have always loved what we have found on the other side!

It has been so much fun to discover places off the beaten path during our travels this year. While Tallinn is starting to become a mildly popular travel destination for younger people in Europe, I don’t know any other Americans that have been there.

We have definitely enhanced our perspective, but it is still hard to comprehend how massive this planet is, and how much diversity exists.

We live in a pretty amazing time! We have traveled to a handful of countries, Estonia included, that were extremely difficult to enter just a few decades ago.

I would definitely be interested in returning to Tallinn in the Summer at some point in the future. The Tallinn Bay is a popular setting for jet-skis and water activities.

I can’t imagine a cooler backdrop for a boat ride than the castle turrets of the old town!

There is also a ferry available to Helsinki, which is just across the Gulf of Finland. The historic city of St. Petersburg is nearby as well, but again, who knows when we will realistically be able to go to Russia.

Either way, we are definitely not ruling out a return to this region.

Estonia is a beautifully unique country, and it was a perfect start to our time in the Baltics! Our next stop was Riga, the capital of Latvia. More on that next week!