Hidden Baltic Sisters
One of the few hidden city and country trips is Tallinn, Estonia via Helsinki, Finland. These two cities are often called the hidden Baltic sisters. Most people don’t know where those places are due to the Soviet areas, but all who go have typically raved about it. Here is my (solo) trip to hidden parts of Tallinn and Helsinki.
[divider class="" ]How?
In January, when we were mapping out our summer, I had circled our long weekend in July for Estonia. I really wanted to go in the summer as winter would be just really cold and dark! Flights to Tallinn from Luton were non-existent at the time, thus we had to look for other options. Conveniently, Helsinki, Finland is a short ferry ride away!
From Heathrow, as Finnair and British Airways both fly to Helsinki, there are plenty of flights from 3pm onwards. We purchased the last flight of the day at 6pm and landed at 11:30pm. It would be a British Airways flight and offered the best chance of being on time!
For our lodging, since Helsinki is expensive, I choose two hostels to book-end the overnight trip to Tallinn. My first hostel, Hostel Diana Park, is located in the center of Old Town for Thursday night. My Saturday night hostel, CheapSleep Helsinki, is more located in the suburbs. For Tallinn, since everything is cheaper, I still opted for a hostel as it was located in the middle of the hip area. Next time I would do an AirBnB or something!
Ferries to and from Tallinn are very frequent and often last about two hours. I booked via DirectFerries.com for the first ferry on Friday at 7:30am, returning on Saturday afternoon at 2pm. I would book this ferry before booking a hotel as I should have chosen a hotel closest to the ferry terminal for Thursday night!
Fixed Costs:
- Flight: £94
- Helsinki hostels: £110
- Tallinn hostel: £38
- Ferry: £42
- Hidden wonders: Priceless!!!
[divider class="" ]HEL or Helsinki?
Since I had a client meeting in Central London, I had two options to get to Heathrow. Either I could take the Heathrow Express or the Picadilly line. Since I hadn’t been via the Picadilly line, I decided to take the hour long tube ride.
Because MF was in Dover, I carried our two suitcases and dropped them off in NannyBag. Again, I highly recommend this service if you don’t have a hotel to drop off! My “nanny” even gave me micro-chip lock tags so I could track them if they were stolen or lost!
Since I had plenty of time to kill, I went to LHR early to go to the lounge. MF roughy left Dover on-time for the two hour-ish drive to LHR. While I was enjoying a lovely drink and early dinner, I received terrible news…
Mary Frances called me in tears and panic as her car now had a flat tire in the middle of the M25. To put it into American terms, it would be similar to her breaking down in the middle of nowhere I285 exit… I had no way or helping her as I didn’t have my car nor did we have any experience with this!
I quickly googled the UK version of AAA, conveniently named AA, and she called them for a fix. They were able to come out within 20 minutes and change her tire, but now she would be arriving at the airport with 10 minutes to spare….
There were many phone calls debating if she should continue driving or what. I rushed to the BA service counter in hopes to see if there was a Friday morning flight. Unfortunately, all flights were booked until Saturday night. Basically, we had to play the wait game and pray the flight was delayed…
As alluded to in the beginning, we were unsuccessful. I asked the gate attendants on the chances of it being delayed, but they couldn’t see it happening.. I waited and waited until I was the last person onboard. Mary Frances had arrived at the airport. She probably needed 10 minutes, but they were about to close the aircraft door. It was HEARTBREAKING!
Thus, I began my second solo trip of the year to Finland and Estonia…
[divider class="" ]Exploring Estonia
My sad flight arrived in Helsinki after midnight and I was all alone! Because I just didn’t want to deal with a bus or tram, I took a 40 euro taxi. I viewed it as a good cost since my ferry was super early and I just didn’t want to deal with anything!
The Friday Ferry
As mentioned, I had a very early ferry to Tallinn. They recommend arriving 45 minutes before the departure time. However, I would not recommend as that is just for cars! I think I could have come at 7:15-ish for the last call and been fine!
Because I went for the 6:30am “arrive on time” attitude, I had to wake up and walk the 30 minutes to the ferry terminal This is why I will book the ferry before the hotel and choose one that is closest to the terminal! Check-in and boarding were super easy and all automated so it was a brisk 5 minute walk once at the ferry terminal.
While on the ferry, I mainly just sat in the food court and read. It was very unexciting. I didn’t want to leave my bags, but also didn’t want to waste money on Burger King when I knew Tallinn has great brunch options! I think I even napped a little before we arrived!
Tackling Tallinn
Knowing my luck recently, the weather was poor and it was raining when the ferry arrived in Tallinn. The city center is a 15 minute walk from the terminal so everything is within walking distance in the small capital. After dropping off my bags at the hostel, I immediately went in search of brunch! Luckily, one of the top brunches in the city is 5 minutes from my hostel.
For my brunch, I sat inside at the great Carmen Cafe. I ordered eggs benedict with a strong coffee and it was very good! Perhaps I was more hungry than I anticipated since it was now 10am and I hadn’t really eaten much since my free lounge meal last night! I viewed my options for the rain and decided to make the best of it and continue to explore the city.
Before the walking tour at 12, I wandered around the old town. The Old Town is fascinating! There didn’t appear to be too many cruise ships in the harbor, so there weren’t many crazy tourists either. In the main square, there was even a cute little market selling heavy winter gear, Estonian trinkets, and yummy snacks. Even though I just had breakfast, I treated myself to chocolate covered strawberries!
A Two Hour Tour
To continue with the poor weather, the skies opened up before the tour began and we all whipped out our umbrellas. The poor tour guide didn’t want to use an umbrella and he was really soaked! Before the tour began in earnest, I got out the fancy camera and discovered I left the memory card in the hostel… I was crushed!
Our first stop was on the $21 million dollar avenue as the guide liked to call it. There is an interesting park resurrected on the only WW2 bombing in Tallinn that costed about $14 million. To be honest, it did not look that great, but apparently there is a nice ice rink during the winter! About 200 meters away, there is a glass unity statue costing $3 million. After its original construction in the early 2000s, the structure grew moldy on the inside so they had to rebuild and clean it. Thus, raising the costs to $7 million. That is the $21 million dollar avenue!
One of the famous steeples in the old town looks like a church. Before the Russians, it was actually a church, but it was converted into a barn during the Soviet times. Now, it is a medieval museum! The guide said Estonia isn’t religious - about 90% are agnostic - but they really enjoy the architecture.
My favorite part of the tour were the various lookout points of the city. In Toopmea, there are around three free, stunning overlooks. Even in the misty rain, there was a certain glow to tiny Tallinn. There are some cool parts to the true royal section of old town. There are really impressive Russian architecture. As a sticking point to the Estonians during the early 1900s, the Russians built the Russian dome across the road from Parliament.
City view
The tour ended in the central market square. Back in the day, this was the biggest part of town. Surrounding buildings date back to the medieval times despite the very touristy restaurants.
My fun fact of the tour is how Estonia gained their Independence from the Soviet Union. Shortly after the Berlin Wall fell, the Estonians gathered outside Tallinn and started singing. Out of the one million people in the population, over 300 thousand joined together in song to defeat the Russians. Granted, as an American with our heroic history, singing in a park seems a little far fetched! No, it actually happened!
Sleepy Afternoon
After the tour, I stopped at the first TripAdvisor signed restaurant I could find called Revel Cafe. I mainly wanted to do some research on what to do the rest of the day, but I also wanted to be out of the rain! It was actually a great decision as the “burger” aka pulled pork was very tasty AND the cafe is one of the top gelato spots. It was a very tasty decision.
After being on the go since 3am UK time, 5am Helsinki time, I was getting a little tired. The weather wasn’t helping as it was still raining. I ended going back to the hostel for a quick afternoon nap… Since I booked a private room, it was very nice having my own bed with no one else disturbing me! Mary Frances is rubbing off on me…
Sightseeing
After my cat nap, I woke up with a sense of purpose. Obviously, my partner in crime is in the U.K., but I could still see the famous sights and sounds. First, I would have to find a memory card for these awesome pictures. The camera would be my best friend this trip!
Since my hostel is in a great area between the hipster and old town, I ventured to the hipster area for a nice craft beer. The sun was finally (somewhat) shining and I was having fun! I think I kick started the Friday happy hour for the city, but I had better things to do. In my planning, I discovered a cool formerly Russian city market called Balti Jaama Turg.
The market is really awesome as it has over a hundred stalls selling all sorts of stuff. I discovered very nice berries, Russian fur hats, and probably one of the best gelato spots! I saw people heading to the real Friday happy hour and the city was slowly coming to life. It was very cool.
Since it was finally sunny, it was the golden hour to take pictures! Since it was a mix of downcast and stormy during the walking tour, I missed several good places! First, I retraced most of the steps, but primarily around old Town and the upper part. My main objective was to find the hidden, picturesque parts of Tallinn!
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At this point, I had literally eaten my way through the city. However, I had my eye on this cheap, recommended burger joint (less than $6) near the market. It is called Burger Box and literally a hole in the wall. They have like 5 things on the menu and I could hear the meat sizzling on the grill as I waited. While it wasn’t the best burger, it was savoring and very worth the extra calories!
Tallinn Nights
Since I only had one night in Tallinn, I knew I had to properly see the city at night! However, I was nearly friendless and very tired. At this point, I was at 28,000 steps! Since I didn’t have the fancy camera on the tour, I revisited the overlooks with it. The views were equally as cool at dusk! I even discovered really cool areas that I didn’t know existed.
While I didn’t have a travel companion for my preferred Tallinn restaurant, I had a great cheap meal. I kept walking around the old town discovering the little alleys. The old streets were alive with activity and it was very peaceful.
[divider class="" ]Split Time
On Saturday, I would split my time between Tallinn and Helsinki. Thanks to the abundant ferries between the Baltic Sisters, I could hop on a two hour ferry really easily back to Helsinki!
Minor Mishap
Unfortunately, I misread my travel ticket and thought my ferry left at 12, which hampered my spirits. I wanted a fuller day in the city! I walked to the terminal, expecting to shortly board the ferry. When I tried to get my ticket, the agent was almost laughing at me when I was shocked that it didn’t leave until 2:30! Thankfully, the terminal is 15 minutes from the old town so I dropped off my bags and went back to city for another brunch meal.
Steeple Views
First on my list is the old church. For a “donation” of three euros, visitors can climb the steeple. This is not for those who are claustrophobic as the staircase likely hasn’t changed in centuries. There was an older couple in front of me who couldn’t face their fears and declined to go up. Mary Frances would have hated me, but good thing she wasn’t here!
Once I reached the top, I had amazing unrestricted views. I could see the entire city on this very narrow space on the steeple. From this iconic church, I could see the fog rolling in from the sea and the Toopmea lookout points from yesterday. Because of the limited space, I felt rushed so I took the pictures, soaked in the views, and headed back down.
To reward myself for the steeple workout, I went to my favorite gelato shop, Gelato Ladies. While yesterday I had the strawberry flavors, I opted for the chocolate and strawberry flavors today. It is some of the best gelato I have had in Europe! Or perhaps I was just really surprised I enjoyed a flavor other than chocolate and cookies and cream.
I’m on a Big Boat
Similar to the Tallinn ferry, the one back to Helsinki is very boring. For the first 20 minutes, I enjoyed the sun and views on the top deck, but eventually it is really windy and cold. After I took my pictures of the departing city, I went downstairs and rested in a lounge. Also similar to the Tallinn ferry, I would arrive at the ferry terminal at the last possible moment! I think the gates close 45 minutes before departure!
Once we docked in the great capital of Finland, I had to walk to the original hostel to pick up Mary Frances’ suitcase. While I would typically enjoy a good walk, I was hot, couldn’t stop at the fun markets for food, and apparently my new hostel, CheapSleep Helsinki, was another 30 minutes away. Thankfully, Helsinki has excellent public transportation where I could download an app and buy the tickets virtually. I just wish the ferry terminal had it!
My new hostel, CheapSleep Helsinki, while 30 minutes via tram from city center, is actually really nice. My own queen room is quite nice and common space is really good. For the price of one night, it actually could be worth the travel into the city center. Especially as this area is close to the hipster areas and other tourist attractions.
Helsinki BBQ
During my food research, I discovered this fantastic BBQ joint called B-Smokery. It uses American BBQ methods and is located in an outdoor market! That alone was really unique and worth the visit. I originally thought I wouldn’t be able to visit since it is far outside the city center, but good thing I didn’t check my hostel’s location.
B-Smokery has a great front bar and then the restaurant. Although the pulled pork sandwich is a little expensive, I had to remember everything in Helsinki is expensive! I sat down for my hipster meal with my draft beer. The guys next to me at the picnic table would fascinated by the original, very American PBR. They viewed this as top of the line beer! It was so funny!
Once my food came, I was extremely happy with my decision! I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with a special Helsinki sauce with sweet potato wedges covered in goat’s cheese. It was way too much food, but very hard to put down! Everything was really nice and I enjoyed it!
It’s Saturday Night
While I could go for a classic Helsinki rage, I opted for a quiet stroll in the city. Luckily, the metro is close to BBQ joint so I had the pleasure of dechipering the Finnish language - which is nearly impossible. Everything is incredibly difficult to read not to mention is in two complicated languages. I am not entirely sure what the other language is, but it has just as many syllables as Finnish!
Since I didn’t know where to go, I went to the famous park - Esplanadi. I bought a drink and I was able to chill with the other Finns in the park. Everyone appeared to be getting ready for their big night out and it was simply enjoyable. In the evening light, I decided to walk around the city center to see the famous sights. Unfortunately, similar to other countries, everything was closed! Oh well, I enjoyed myself in the park!
[divider class="" ]Solo Sunday
After a wonderful night’s sleep all alone in my queen bed, I checked out of the hostel. It did offer a free breakfast, but I wanted to explore the great brunch places in the city. All I had to do was drop off my bags and catch the 30 minute tram into city center. Even on the tram, I learned some Finnish words! This word means school of business, obviously.
My first stop was the old market and the tourist squares. Since it was early in the morning, I was the only one wandering the very popular market and bought the best, fresh berries! I bought an everything pack, meaning I had blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. I even had a few cherries! By far, these are the best berries I have ever had in my life! While they are sweet, they are also full of flavors. I easily could have eaten buckets and bushels of them all!
Ahead of my walking tour at 12, I went to the old Russian market. I seem to keep finding these cool Russian markets! This one had various wooden stalls that usually sell all sorts of neat things. I wandered down and purchased reindeer meat while searching for this recommended brunch spot. Next, I purchased delicious sweets and coffee. Finally, I watched the people come and go and then read my book.
A Two Hour Tour
Funnily enough, the tour guide description said meet the guide who wears a funny hat. Certainly enough, my guide was wearing a moose hat! He was Finnish friendly and even knew where Tampa was due to the hockey team! The tour met in the famous Senate square and promised to be informational.
We learned several really fun facts!! Finland has three suntans for five million people. Basically, now, Finns expect a suana in every facet of life. Although the public saunas have lost popularity among the millennials, there still are several well established ones. Our guide warned us that one must always be naked in the sauna. You will attract more attention wearing a towel than wearing your birthday suit.
I also learned why people were buying out the liquor store on the ferry. Every person can buy up to 110 liters and it is remarkable at the price. Finns normally pay about 8 euros for a beer whereas the Estonians pay 2 euros. If only I had known while on my ferries the past two days!
As for historical fun facts, Helsinki has only been the capital since the 1800s. Finns have had an interesting history as they were technically neutral-ish during WW2. They assisted the Germans, but also aided the allies. Due to the close proximity of Russia, they become caught up in the Revolution in 1918 where they fought both the Reds and Whites. As WW2 approached, Russia kept attacking and the Finns were mostly able to repel them. For a nation of five million, it is a remarkable story.
Part Two - Afternoon
For our break, I had the opportunity to buy more berries! Since I missed my travel partner, I bought a few cases of berries and strawberries for MF. Unfortunately I forgot that meant carrying them through the city… To soothe my troubles, I bought a fresh salmon sandwich! I was having a great day for food! Our guide explained why the berries are extremely tasty. Essentially, because Finland only has 3-4 months of pure summer, the berries must grow in a very short time span. They also do not use any pesticides or chemicals and let the berries grow in the forest. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, the Finns eat most of them!
Our next stop on the tour was the world’s most glamorous and expensive Burger King. Why did we go inside BK? It certainly wasn’t for a whopper! Inside the beautifully designed train station is one of the world’s most expensive paintings. Done by Eero Jarnefelt, it hangs over the BK counters, yet many people will never notice it.
For the grand finale, we reached the famous silent wood. As the Finns are very in tune with nature and the forest, they designed this unique structure to represent the sounds of the forest. Now, the sounds of the forest is natural silence. It is very awesome to sit and soak in the forest’s sounds.
Comin’ Home
To begin my journey home, I had a lovely update where my flight was delayed by 1-2 hours. Good to know British Airways has the same problems as EasyJet! Since the airport has several lounges, I choose one and decided to enjoy the free food and drink! Before long, I had to catch my flight! Unfortunately, I didn’t realize time had flown by and had to run through security.
Once I arrived at Heathrow, I had a choice. Either bus it home or take the trains… Since my travel partner bailed, I went with the cheapest option… the bus! Surprisingly, it was really nice!
[divider class="" ]The UnChartered 13 Summary:
Despite my travel partner unable to make the trip, I had an amazing time exploring the hidden parts of Tallinn and Helsinki! I will certainly miss the fresh berries!
Best Views: Tallin Overlooks
Best Dessert / Gelato: Gelato Ladies in Tallin
Best Food: Helsinki Fruits and Berries!
Last Tip: If staying in Helsinki, I would stay in the Old Town close to the harbor. It will cost more, but the commute cost and time is probably not worth it!
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