Tips from an Estonian tour operator
This video isn’t just about Estonia, it focuses on Eastern Europe as a whole, but I think it’s worth putting up here.
I think it was a bit harsh that he mentioned Estonia alongside Latvia as being almost assured of meltdown at the start, but it’s very interesting how he says that internal devaluation in the Baltic Countries is working.
Estonians are obviously musical people. The tradition of folk music remains strong to this day, however there is also great range of modern and classical music for you to enjoy in Tallinn. The next week is a pretty good time for music lovers in town.
This weekend the Jazzkaar Music Festival launches into its 20th year of bringing great jazz music to Tallinn. This years festival is headlined by Angie Stone, and while Tallinn is the focus there will also be a range of concerts across Estonia, including Tartu, Pärnu, Viljandi, Otepää. The festival runs from April 18th-26th. Check out the website for more details.
If you’re more a lover of Operas and Orchestras, then Estonian music Days might be more to your taste. This festival runs from April 18th-24th, with a range of concerts across different venues all over Tallinn. See the full schedule at the website.
Jazzkaar
Lovers of all things old should check out the Antiques Fair happening in the Tallinn Seaside suburb of Pirita this weekend. Take a look at the fair’s website for more details. I think it could actually be called an antique also! With the sun beginning to shine the antiques would be a great addition to a stroll through Kadriorg Park and the Song Festival Grounds.
Sushi has become really popular in Tallinn over the last few years, and it there’s some great places for the tourist who wants to experience a restaurant where locals go, rather than an “Estonian” place for tourists. If you’d like to experience a cultural weekend in Tallinn why not try some Japanese food and then head over to the Sõprus Cinema for the Japanese Film Festival. Not all of the films have English subtitles, but plenty do. You may think it’s strange to see a Japanese film in Tallinn, but it’s a great way to sample the cultural offerings Tallinn throws up. Estonia’s cool spring weather is perfect for checking out a film, so why not do just that with all of the “cool” people of Tallinn! Check out the program here.
Here at EstAdventures we’re currently rejigging our website for the upcoming 2009 summer season. That means lots of hours hunkered down in front of the computer. Lunch is always a welcome distraction, especially if it’s cheap. Luckily we stumbled across a Google map with a whole stack of Lunch Specials listed. Päevapraad is an Estonian term which means something like meal of the day or special. many restaurants will have one or a few dishes that they sell for around 50 Crowns. Now we can find a lot of such deals without leaving the desk. Thank goodness Estonians are addicted to the Internet!
The info is in Estonian, but you’ll get the gist of it. All of the places listed are outside of the Old Town, and if you make an effort to track any of these places down, you’ll also be able to enjoy a genuine Estonian experience as you leave the tourists behind. So in these troubled economic times, you might just make use of the Päevapraad map.
Part of the fun of travelling is trying to local cuisine, or perhaps more importantly, the drinks. Given Estonia’s drinking culture, there is no shortage of options for developing a hangover. If you’d like us to guide you towards some of the better choices in person, why not try our View with a Brew walking tour of Tallinn. Otherwise, here is a brief summary of the ways you may like to enjoy a tipple, Estonian style.
BEER
Most people will usually want to try an Estonian beer, and while there are lots on offer, two main breweries dominate the market. Saku, Estonia’s biggest brewer, was established as the brewery of Saku Manor. You will easily find Saku Originaal (make sure to double the vowel sound when ordering!) on tap in pubs and bars. Saku Kuld (Gold) is pitched as a premium beer, and well worth a try. However both of these are fairly standard lager style beers. For real beer connoisseurs, we here at EstAdventures recommend Saku Tume (Dark) or if you can locate is Saku Abbey. You may wish to visit the Saku Brewery on an EstAdventures tour.
Traditionally Saku has dominated in Northern estonia, whereas A. Le Coq has been the choice of southern Estonians. Although it sounds French it is actually from the town of Tartu, and if you come to Tallinn to see a game of football you will probably do so at A. Le Coq Arena. The most common brand is A. Le Coq Premium, but we prefer one called Alexander. In winter we are particularly partial to A. Le Coq Porter.
If you’re looking for something a bit more unique, head to Hell Hunt (Gentle Wolf) in Pikk street, where they have there own wonderful light and dark beers, or the the Beer House in Dunkri Street, where they have a whole range of beers from light to dark.
LIQUEURS
Not for the faint hearted, Estonian Liqueurs are well worth a try. You can’t say you’ve been to Tallinn until you’ve drunk Vana Tallinn (Old Tallinn). It is available in 40%, 45% and 50% varieties, but if that scares you perhaps you may like to try the cream variety.
Kiiu Torn (Kiiu Tower) tastes something like Baileys, and is produced in the small town of Kiiu about 25 minutes East of Tallinn. You can visit Kiiu Tower and sample the liqueur on EstAdventure’s Lahemaa National Park Tour
Pirita is another local liqueur, which has a bottle adorned by the ruins of the Pirita convent. A true experience can be to drink Pirita at the Pirita Convent ruins, Vana Tallinn in Old Tallinn, and Kiiu Torn in Kiiu Tower!
VODKA
While they may not drink us much as Russians, Estonians certainly love Vodka. Vodka is used to cure just about every ailment. For example at the onset of a cold, an old Estonian folk remedy is to soak your socks in Vodka and then put them on your feet. Even today Estonians swear by “Vodka Socks”.
The best known brand is Viru Valge, and we at EstAdventures are quite fond of the flavoured varieties, even if Vodka does make us act a bit silly at times. Saremaa Vodka is also well regarded. For a real treat seek out The Tall Blonde, labelled as the Queen of Vodkas. Traditionally it has only been available outside of Estonia, though there are now a select number of places where it is available locally.
JUST PLAIN STRANGE
If you are very brave go to Valli Baar in the Old Town and ask for a Milli Malikas. I will say no more about it, you just need to experience this bar, and it’s speciality drink for yourself. Don’y say we didn’t warn you!
Getting a taxi that wont rob you blind is probably one of the biggest concerns for tourists, and Tallinn is one place where you will want to be careful. Tallinn’s taxi market is fairly deregulated, and there is no set price. Before catching a cab, take a look at the yellow sticker on the back passenger window, which will state a base fare, per km fare (day and night) and waiting time fare. The problem for a tourists that it is hard to know if these prices are good or bad, so it’s probably best to book a taxi by phone with a reliable company. You can ask your hotel, who will probably have an arrangement with a company, so they may not order the cheapest or best taxi. So here are some companies that EstAdventures have used ourselves in Tallinn.
