Birch Trees, Baltic Sea shore, and Churches of all shapes and sizes | Our Trip to Estonia

Out of all three Baltic countries Estonia was probably my favorite.  It was similar yet different from Latvia and Lithuania and I  am glad we spent the most time there.

We took a ferry across the Baltic sea from mainland to the island of Muhu to spend a night in one of the most remote places we’ve been – Padaste Manor.  If you are looking to get away from it all, to hike among pretty scenery, for some peace and quiet – look no further because this place is for you!

After Muhu we headed to the last stop of our road trip – the capital of Estonia – Tallinn.  This city is the most visited out of the three Baltics capitals because of cruise ships so during the day it can get pretty busy.  We arrived in Tallinn late afternoon after hordes of tourists left and had the old town mostly to ourselves.  The next day we went to explore again and I  was glad that I took a few pictures the afternoon before because the town was almost unrecognizable with crowds and crowds of tour groups!

With its UNESCO World’s Heritage Sight downtown, pastel building, narrow cobble stone streets, stunning churches of all shapes and sizes and delicious food this was was definitely worth a visit and I  absolutely loved it.  We walked all over the place, took another walking tour, ate great food, walked 5 miles (each way) to the Baltic Sea shore, bought fruit at a local market and even went to a piano recital.

 

Practical Info

Getting There

You can get to the Baltics with an easy direct flight from Amsterdam.  And if you are in any of the nearby european countries you can just drive there – the roads are great and Victor said that driving was super easy.

Hotels

When I was researching an off-the-beaten path place in Estonia I was debating between an island of Muhu or a seaside resort of Tartu… but then I  came across Padaste Manor and I  knew that we had to go to Muhu so we could stay in that place.  It is located in the middle of nowhere (literally, it has no street address – the address on the website just states Padaste Manor, Muhu Estonia); and it is home to one of the most high rated restaurants in all of Estonia.  The place was not cheap (even by NYC standards) but was definitely worth a detour – we loved having it all to ourselves, exploring the surrounding, meeting local wildlife (although I  was a bit worried about bulls going after us!) and breathing in very fresh air.

And in Tallinn we stayed at Savoy Boutique Hotel Tallinn – we loved it and I  would definitely stay here again.  We got the room on the top floor and the view of the old town from our room (see below) was absolutely spectacular.  Fresh fruit and chocolate awaited us when we got in, delicious breakfast and afternoon drinks were included and the location in the old town could not be beat!

Restaurants

I  take my restaurants very seriously and here are a few places that I  would definitely recommend:

Von krahli aed – located in the heart of old town in a 15th century building this place was great – everything from the pumpernickle bread served with our meal to appetizers, mains and deserts – and service was top notch.  Definitely recommend it!

III Draakon – my sister recommended that we check out this place located right in the main square.  It took us a while to find it – it was literally under the clock tower!  It prides itself on brisk service and it is definitely not a place for a leisurely meal in a pleasant setting.  But if you are looking for a quick lunch or a snack def check it out – and if you love pickles this is a place for you because you can literally fish out your pickles with a stick from a giant barrel!

Rataskaevu 16 – this is a top rated Tallinn restaurant on trip advisor so I  knew we had to go there.  The only issue was that it was booked when I  tried to make dinner reservations for two weeks out.  Fortunately somehow our concierge was able to get us a table and I was thrilled that she did because this place was great!  Located in a 16th century building the space was cool, service was friendly and the food was delish ! Rye bread, elk and beef, grilled avocado and mushrooms and a blue cheese cheesecake (unlike anything we’ve had before) – there was not a crumb left !

We also had dinner at Alexander restaurant in Padaste Manor in Muhu.  I  had really high expectations – it being one of the top rated restaurants in all of Estonia.  I  am sad to say that my expectations have not been met.  Sure the service was great, the setting was pretty and the food was beautifully presented.  But did it taste good?  It was Ok at best – and I  did not even finish my desert which is unheard of.  And on top of all of that it the price was quite obscene – the following day we had a deliciously 3 course meal in Tallinn at literally 1/5 of the price we paid at Alexander.  So if you end up going to Padaste manor and having a meal at Alexander then do NOT go for the tasting menu option – in my opinion it is simply not worth the price.

What to Do in Tallinn

Walking Tour

We’ve taken a lot of walking tours on this trip and Tallinn was not an exception – we did it there as well – took this one.  It was not our favorite but I  would still recommend taking it to get an idea of the country, its history and just to hang out and learn from the locals.

Concerts

We ended up at Tallinn Philharmonic completely by chance and I  am so glad we did!  It is a pretty small venue, which makes shows there very intimate.. Tickets are inexpensive and we were able to get ours the night of the performance.  So if you are in the area it might be worth check it out to see what they have going on.

Old Town

There is lots and lots to see in old town – many churches and towers and old pharmacies turned into museums – we just meandered all over the place and poked our noses into those that seemed interesting.

Baltic Sea

Victor asked me if I  wanted to do something a bit different and of course I said yes.  So we walked across cool neighborhood (for much longer than originally estimated) to the shore of Baltic Sea.  Seeing it was pretty cool in my opinion.

Hope you find this post useful and if you are looking for a place that’s a bit off the beaten path – or contemplating going to Estonia – do it – I  cannot recommend it highly enough.  It has great infrastructure,  good food (if meat and potato are your cup of tea), cool architecture and friendly (although a bit shy) people.