This pastel-coloured city with it’s cobbled streets is like escaping to a fairytale.
With summer finally here, now is the perfect time of year to think about getting a holiday booked in. However, if lazing by the pool all day isn’t for you and you’d rather have something a bit more fairytale-like, then we have the perfect spot for you.
While this particular location is guaranteed to be quite a few degrees colder than Ireland, we think the cheap beer and reasonable flights could make it a tempting prospect.
Estonia’s capital city does not usually get a mention in the conversation around enticing city breaks, but Tallinn is making itself known as an Eastern European frontrunner thanks to it’s old-world feel and unique affordability.
Tallinn’s historic old town was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1997. It’s medieval buildings and cobblestoned laneways weave around a 13th century wall that has been preserved impeccably.
The town is a particularly magical site during the winter months, when consistently heavy snowfall covers the ancient roofs and make the whole place look like a scene from Disney’s Frozen.
The people of this Baltic country have an obsession with temperature tennis, and one of the most popular things to do as a visitor to the country is to submerge yourself in the Baltic Sea and experience the incredible health benefits of a cold plunge.
If you need motivation to do so, just know that you can warm up afterwards in one of Tallinn’s sauna parks and then go and get your blood pumping by grabbing a beer for €4 and dancing the night away at one of the open-air raves that take place in the remote forests just outside of the city.
If you’re looking for a more active break, the Sportland hiking and skiing resort is located just a 40 minute drive from the city in the town of Korvemaa.
You’d have plenty of funds for the massage treatments and Nordic food considering you’d only have spent €20 on your flight.
Tallinn also has a strong arts and cultural scene, with St Nicholas Church in the centre of the city offering exhibitions that delve into the medieval history of the area.
If modern art is more of your thing, then head to the PoCo pop-art museum instead, which houses works form Banksy and Warhol. If that isn’t enough culture for you, the city of Tartu was launched as European Capital of Culture for this year.
It’s a two hour drive south of Tallinn and the city has gone all out with street art and sculptures to celebrate their new status.
Much like their love for hot and cold, Estonia is a country of contrasts and has the capability to appeal to a wide range of tourists and holidaymakers.
Whether it be modern cuisine, art and ski slopes or history, old architecture and ice baths that tickles your fancy, the city of Tallinn has something to offer everyone.
Alternatively, if cheap flights and cheep beer is enough of a sell for you, there’s nowhere else offering more bang for your buck in Europe right now.
