I had booked A Day in Tallinn Cruise on Eckerö Line for just €10.00 about 10 days in advance, which was a steal. I was scheduled to depart by the 9:00 AM ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn, so I headed to the West Harbour Helsinki and checked in. Boarding was interesting; there was a large number of people closely packed together—something you don’t generally see in Finland—moving quickly. We left Helsinki on time and made our way south across the Gulf of Finland. I went to the upper deck to enjoy the wind and the views as the MS Finlandia navigated the blue waters.


The Tallinn skyline appeared as we pulled into the port. I walked briskly toward the Old Town and arrived just in time to join the Tallinn Free Tour 🔗.


It was a nice walk across the Old Town and Toompea Hill for about two hours. After the tour, I wanted to have some local food and didn't want to go to the tourist-oriented restaurants. I went to Pööbel based on the recommendation from our tour guide; it is a cozy restaurant set in a historic wooden building just outside the Old Town walls. I enjoyed a hearty, traditional Estonian lunch there.

Throughout town, there was the ‘Estonia 100’ logo on light posts, celebrating a century since Estonia’s first declaration of independence. I walked back through Hirvepark, a beautiful park with a somber history as a site for political protests, and climbed the Mayeri trepp (Mayer’s Stairs) with its elegant white stone railings and decorative vases.

I stopped at the Eduard Vilde monument, which honors one of Estonia’s most famous writers and diplomats. Nearby, I made sure to see the Lucky Chimney Sweeper sculpture (Õnnelik korstnapühkija); it is local tradition to rub the bronze buttons of his jacket for good luck, and they were shining brightly from all the touches.


I strolled through the heart of the city and saw the Tallinn Town Hall, the oldest town hall in the entire Baltic and Scandinavian region. I passed by the Maiasmokk Cafe, the oldest continuously operating café in Estonia. Its window featured an interesting little Ferris Wheel with moving cups and saucers, a mechanical display that has fascinated passersby for decades.


Back at the Port of Tallinn, it was fun to see the intricate logistics of cars and large trucks loading onto the ferry before our departure at 6:30 PM. I spent most of the time on the upper deck until the sun began to set over the Gulf of Finland, then headed down where they had live entertainment onboard to keep the passengers busy during the two-hour crossing.



By the time we reached West Harbour Helsinki, it was already dark. I went straight to the hotel and had dinner at the restaurant there. It was a day well spent visiting Estonia in the Baltics.

⛴️ Eckerö Line
👣 Tallinn Free Tour by Traveller Tours 🔗
🍽️ Pööbel