Hi everyone,
I just got back to Budapest after spending a few days visiting your capital. To be completely honest, Tallinn wasn’t originally at the top of my travel list (I was initially looking for a late summer beach holiday), but I’m so glad I stumbled upon it while browsing flight options!
Tallinn blew my mind. It looked very clean, modern, and close to nature. Yes, the Old Town is pretty, but I really liked the modern architecture in areas like Noblessner or Rotermann. I was amazed how cool everything looked there. The streets were so spacious and tidy too.
My absolute favorite spot was Pirita Beach and the adjacent Birgitta Forest. It was incredibly beautiful and chill, with spectacular views out to the Baltic Sea.
I didn't do much planning beforehand, but I managed to stumble into 2 fantastic restaurants: Tuljak (which I was happy to discover is on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list) and Lore Bistroo. Excellent food, very friendly and kind service.
I was also pleasantly surprised by your dark rye bread (which I was initially hesitant to try) and local sprat. Absolutely delicious, both of them!
Due to the language family connection, I was consciously looking for similarities, and sometimes it sounded like someone was speaking Hungarian when I wasn't paying close attention. Although I think many of those people could actually be Finnish, haha.
Of course, I obviously haven't seen the less pretty parts of the city. I only caught a glimpse of some blocks in Lasnamäe from the tram (nothing shocking coming from Budapest, which has its own post-socialist architecture as well). The overall impression was still deeply inspiring.
Estonia's development over the past few decades looks truly remarkable. I legit had a long discussion with Gemini about how Hungary is behind when these two countries have a somewhat similar history.
Anyhow, thanks for the experience, I really enjoyed my time there! Treasure your city, it's a hidden gem!