Oh Tallinn how I loved you! Our first introduction to the Baltic States Old Towns and I loved wandering around and getting lost in the old cobblestone streets. Tallinn is awesome and a wonderful place to visit with kids. There are many things to see in Tallinn with kids, especially the Tallinn Christmas Market. Tallinn, Estonia at Christmas was beautiful.
The Walled Old Town
Tallinn was a definite on our White Christmas Adventure. We spent time in Finland and celebrated Christmas there before flying down to Tallinn from Rovaniemi. I had to time it right to make sure we were there whilst the Tallinn Christmas Market was still on.
We loved Finland and everything we did there, but it wasn’t until we arrived in Tallinn and visited the Christmas Market did I really go, wow this is what a European Christmas is like! The Tallinn Old Town Christmas Market has been voted as one of the world’s best Christmas Markets.
Some of the goodies at the Tallinn Christmas Market
Our stay was meant to be 3 nights but our flight was late leaving Rovaniemi and our connecting flight to Tallinn didn’t wait for us!! We spent the night in the airport Hotel and caught the early flight out the next morning.
Our first day was spent wondering the Old Town. We weren’t there to tick boxes and visit every museum that we could. We were there purely to enjoy Tallinn at Christmas, the Christmas Market and the Old Town.
Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is a magical place to visit during the Christmas season. The medieval Old Town is beautifully decorated with Christmas lights, and there are plenty of festive activities to enjoy with kids.
Part of the Old Town Wall
Tallinn is a beautiful and historic city that offers a variety of activities for families with kids of all ages. You can find outdoor fun (bike tours, museum, walking etc), educational experiences (plenty of museums), or just a chance to explore the city’s rich culture (walled city), Tallinn has something to offer for kids of all ages. I think if we had more time and visited in a different season we would have explored a lot more than we did.
Impressive Gates!
One of the highlights of Tallinn at Christmas is the Christmas market, which is held in Town Hall Square. Here, you’ll find a variety of stalls selling traditional Estonian crafts, food, and drink. The kids loved looking at all the different stalls, drinking the hot chocolate and I loved the warm mulled warm on the cold nights.
Enjoying our hot drinks at the Tallinn Christmas Market
It was extra special when we had snow falling around us.
Another must-see in Tallinn is the Tallinn Christmas Tree, which is located in the heart of the Old Town. This enormous tree is beautifully decorated and is the perfect spot for a family photo. It is a huge, beautiful tree.
Oh Christmas Tree
One of the best things to do in Tallinn with kids is to explore the Old Town. This medieval district is filled with narrow streets, colourful buildings, and charming squares that are perfect for wandering and exploring. The kids loved seeing the city’s many towers and turrets,
Walled City
We walked part of the Lonely Planet’s walking tour in the Estonia edition but soon found ourselves off track.
The kids would say the best thing we did in Tallinn was walk along a section of the Old Town Wall and explore tight passageways and tunnels.
Tight squeeze!!
The other thing we did with our time in Tallinn was visit the Tallinn Outdoor Museum, also known as the Rocca al Mare Open-Air Museum. Located just outside of Tallinn, Estonia’s capital city, the museum features over 80 historical buildings that have been relocated from various parts of Estonia, providing visitors with an immersive and authentic glimpse into the country’s past.
Windmill in the snow at the Outdoor Museum
It was super easy to catch the bus to the Museum and felt like we were slightly off the beaten path (even though we weren’t). I had high hopes for the Museum as it had great reviews, but we were disappointed. It was like a ghost town! We tried a number of times to catch someone’s attention in the school as Olive was super keen to try writing, but I think the staff were talking on the phone out the back! We really didn’t see any other staff at all!
The museum features over 80 historical buildings that have been relocated from various parts of Estonia, we loved our time at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi and thought that we would have a similar experience here. I would have to say though that during the winter, the museum takes on a magical and picturesque appearance, with the snow-covered buildings adding to the atmosphere. We were able to explore the different buildings, which range from traditional peasant houses and farmsteads to more affluent merchant homes and windmills. No buildings were closed or off limits during the winter, as I said it was just really quiet with no staff around so we don’t feel like we had the whole experience.
There was an old building that had goats and bunnies so the kids were happy with that ha!
The Tallinn Outdoor Museum is also home to a restaurant that serves traditional Estonian cuisine, which could be a must-try during the winter months. We had a look at the menu and it was very ‘soup’ heavy, not something that we eat!!!
Overall, Tallinn is a fantastic destination for a Christmas holiday with kids. There’s so much to see and do, and the Christmas atmosphere is truly magical. We would highly recommend a visit to Tallinn with kids. From Tallinn we caught the Lux Express on to Riga.
City Views
If you would like to sign up here for our newsletter that would be lovely! I don’t send out many (as I know we all get far too many) but it’s a really nice way to keep in touch xx
Leave A Comment