Tallinn, Estonia

Last summer I visited the quaint Estonian capital city of Tallinn. Unfortunately, despite it being June the weather was rather cold, wet and miserable- in-fact it was just like Scotland! However, the weather didn't do much to distort my view of this lovely city.

The oldest parts of Tallinn were once contained within limestone walls, some of which remain. The walls and several lookout towers which were built into the structure were designed to help protect the town in Medieval times. Tallinn's old town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the amount of historical buildings that are contained within the city walls.

At the centre of the oldest part of the city sits the town hall, an imposing Medieval style building with a large spire which stands at around 64 metres high.

The Town Hall

The town hall tower is open for visitors in summer and for a small price you can climb the narrow stone stairs to the top of the tower which offers views over the city.

Views of the square from the top of the town hall tower

The town hall sits at the centre of a large cobbled square, Raekoja Plats, which can be seen in the above photograph. Cafes and restaurants line the sides of the square and the outdoor seating provides the perfect spot for a drink and some people watching. I had the best hot chocolate of my life in one of the cafes in this square. It wasn't a typical hot chocolate- it was literally melted chocolate in a glass with a tonne of whipped cream on top. So unhealthy but so delicious!

Just a few moments from town hall square is Holy Spirit Church. This is a whitewashed church which dates all the way back to the 14th Century and has an unusual clock on the exterior.

Holy Spirit Church clock

This wooden painted clock dates back to the 17th Century and still functions. The interior of the church is mostly wooden and in the distinctive Gothic style. The Holy Spirit Church is the oldest religious building in Tallinn which still remains in its original form and for this reason it is well worth a visit.

The small, winding, cobbled streets of the old town have so many adorable little independent shops. It's a great place to shop for jewellery and there are a few independent jewellery designers with some really unique pieces. Whilst I was there I found an amazing shop which sold a large mix of items such as rugs, art prints, handbags and small jewellery pieces. By far the most interesting part of the shop was an interior waterfall. A small wooden door opened to reveal original stone work with water trickling down and gathering in a small pool at the bottom.

The indoor waterfall!

There are also a lot of fantastic markets in the city of Tallinn which sell a vast array of items. I got a lovely cashmere scarf that I love from a stall in one of Tallinn's markets. I always find markets are the perfect place to get some really unique and individual items that nobody else at home will have.

A Medieval style restaurant in the old town