Our Estonian odyssey begins in Tartu. But not before a little luxury experience in getting there: we fly Finnair business class to Helsinki with a very pleasant pitstop in the Schengen Business Class Lounge, before hopping on a smaller plane for the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it connecting flight. Tartu was named 2024’s European Cultural Capital so expectations are high. With a population of just 100,000 (one fifth of this being students), we’re to expect a compact but creative city where medieval heritage meets modern life. We’re not disappointed. With seamless train and bus links from Tallinn, Estonia’s second-largest city proves an unexpectedly rich cultural escape – and one that’s easily reached from London.
Tallin Old Town
Tartu’s past is storied. The oldest city in the Baltic States, it was once part of northern Latvia under Baltic German rule. In the 19th century, locals fighting for Estonian independence conceived the Singing Festival movement, a musical uprising disguised as choral harmony. The first rehearsal took place in a Lutheran church in Tartu. Today, the legacy lives on in city-wide celebrations, and this duality of resistance and celebration echoes throughout the streets.
A guided walking tour proves a wonderful way to explore. Striking street art is everywhere, and we spot work by Edward von Lõngus, Estonia’s answer to Banksy. Another highlight is the Angel and Devil Bridges, each with their own local legend. The city park is extraordinary: lush, musical, and dotted with statues, including a touching tribute to Estonia’s first poet, who walked 300km from Riga to write his legacy. We come across a semi-ruined church, now a concert and wedding venue, which only adds to the romance.
Tartu is positively built for life outdoors: think rooftop terraces and vibrant outdoor markets. We fall for the charms of the Soup Town district, a bohemian pocket with colourful wooden houses and road names like Potato Street (with a surname like Pomfret, no potato reference goes un-noted!). At the riverfront, a trip on the Jõmmu Barge allows us to glide along the Emajõgi (cosy sheepskins optional), which is just as dreamy as it sounds.
The Estonian National Museum proves a must-visit, too: high-tech and immersive, it offers a futuristic journey through a folkloric past. Here, we scan our microchipped tickets and delve into tales of magic saunas, love charms, and yes, Skype, proudly described as the “great-grandfather of WhatsApp”. Speaking of futuristic, we arrive here on a driverless shuttle bus. Though the idea is somewhat hair-raising, it is surprisingly efficient, and importantly, completely safe.
Estonia’s second largest city proves an unexpectedly rich cultural escape
Top: Kadriorg Palace, Bottom: Tartu Town Hall
We’ve had an early start, and a long day, so we’re more than ready to check into the centrally located V Spa and Conference Hotel to put our feet up for an hour or so. We have evening plans – a well-earned dinner and wine-pairing. In the heart of the Old Town, the team at Pompei restaurant serve Italian cuisine made from local Estonian produce, alongside a menu of their own craft wine. We tuck into some tasty and unusual dishes, rounding off the meal with gelato laced with olive oil and a 25-year-old balsamic vinegar – an unexpected mix, but truly, a taste sensation.
Our time in Tartu is all too short, but we’re excited to set off on a scenic drive to Tallin. On arrival, we drop our bags off at Nordic Hotel Forum, situated right in the heart of the city, and meet our guide, the entertaining and knowledgeable Stanislav Lomunov. He seems to know everyone in the city and manages to get permission for us to have a sneak peek into the monastery at the beautiful 14th century Church of the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, we pop into the Schlössle Hotel for coffee – with an open fire and comfortable sofas, it is gorgeous, and it’s easy to see why this is the choice of the rich and famous, whose photographic portraits line the walls. We dine at the Fotografiska restaurant, where the interiors are straight out of the pages of a design magazine; we snap many a photo for inspiration. And the food tastes as good as the restaurant looks. It’s a Michelin Green-starred eatery that works on a zero-waste basis, proudly using every part of each ingredient.
Top: Maritime Museum Bottom: Estonian National Museum
The following day, we head off to the Maritime Museum, and this experience is nothing short of mind-blowing: we take in an incredible hangar, jaw-dropping design and extraordinary exhibits. It’s fair to say we’ve discovered a hitherto unknown interest in all things maritime. Afterwards, we take a gentle stroll, enjoying views of the incredible 18th century Kadriorg Palace, on our way to lunch at Mon Repos. A Michelin-listed restaurant, it serves hearty, traditional Estonian/ Russian cooking in a cosy setting.
Next stop is the Noblessner Quarter, and the Proto Museum, where there’s plenty of interactive, virtual-reality experiences on offer for visitors of all ages. Here, we ‘fly’ hot air balloons and get to live out our cowboy fantasies. Indeed, we’re having so much fun that it’s only the knowledge we’re booked on a tour of the Põhjala Brewery that persuades us to leave. At Põhjala, we enjoy a seriously entertaining tour that happily allows us to sample several of the beers brewed here – in increasing strength. It’s fair to say that memories are somewhat hazy after this, but we can recall there’s a sauna here, so customers can have a few drinks, sweat it out in the dry heat, and repeat!
We round the trip off with another blissful business class flight back to Heathrow, via a stop off at the luxurious Finnair lounge for a lovely lunch in Helsinki Airport. It certainly softens the blow of coming home somewhat. Estonia, you have stolen our hearts, and we will return.
