Book a Flight to Tallinn from €260

Old Town: Built between the 13th and16th centuries, the medieval Old Town is Tallinn's pride. Its fairy tale-like atmosphere with the cobbled alleys, the oil lamps, the majestic Gothic churches and the beautiful turrets-observatories, is so genuine that UNESCO included it in its World Heritage Sites. Stand in the middle of the beautiful central square of the City Hall with the coloured houses of old merchants and admire the tops of the towers surrounding it.

Kumu Art Museum: A masterpiece of modern architecture, the Kumu Art Museum is housed in a futuristic building complex, built inside a limestone hill. Its collection includes works from the 18th century to this day, unfolding Estonian art up to WWII, soviet era art and periodical modern art exhibitions. Address: A. Weizenbergi 34, 10127 Tallinn, www.kunstimuuseum.ekm.ee

Dome Church: Built in the 13th century on Tompea hill, the medieval Cathedral of Virgin Mary was the church for the Estonian elite of German nobility, most of who are buried in its elaborate interior. Its impressive baroque belfry is an 18th century addition and from its 69metres high top, one can enjoy an amazing view of the city. Address: Toom-Kooli 6, 10130 Tallinn www.toomkirik.ee

Museum of Occupations: This modern museum is dedicated to the period when Estonia was under German and Soviet occupation (1940-1991). Stories of oppression, resistance and of the difficult everyday life of common Estonians are revived through the rich audiovisual material, photographs and recordings. Address: Toompea 8, 10142 Tallinn, www.okupatsioon.ee

Kadriorg Palace & Kadriorg Art Museum: Built in 1718 for Peter the Great, this majestic baroque palace houses the greatest collection of West-European and Russian art in Estonia, from the 16th to the 20th century. The palace is surrounded by the beautiful Kadriorg Park, a dashing complex of gardens, fields and forest that underline the grandeur of tsars' Russia. The main sites of the park are the swan lake and the Japanese garden with the amazing collection of cherry trees and rhododendrons. Address: A. Weizenbergi 37, 10150 Tallinn, www.kadriorumuuseum.ekm.ee

Patarei Prison & Sea Fortress: This imposing seaside building complex of 1840, was built at the orders of Tsar Nikolas I as a defence fortress, but it soon turned to a barrack and then, as of 1919, to a Soviet prison. Today, it is an important architectural monument of the city, and a symbol of oppression of occupied Estonia in the 20th century. Address: Kalaranna 2, 13913 Tallinn, www.patarei.org

Tallinn Zoo: In a vast forest area, in the city outskirts, Tallinn Zoo has to show the greatest collection of wild goat and sheep in the world. However, the stars of the Zoo are the incredibly rare Amur leopards, since there are only 30 to 35 of them around the world. Address: Paldiski mnt 145, www.tallinnzoo.ee

Kiek in de Kok: Built in 1475, this exceptionally high tower with cannons was part of the medieval fortification of the city and today it housed an extensive museum, unfolding the defensive role of Tallinn in the Middle Ages, through maps, weapons and models of the time. From here, you can explore the fascinating system of secret tunnels running across the old town. Address: Komandandi tee 2, www.linnamuuseum.ee/kok

Seaplane Harbour (Lennusadam): Housed in a series of impressive seaplane hangars, dating back to 1916, this ultra-modern museum unfolds the narrative of the naval and military history of Estonia, through the use of modern multimedia. Outside the museum, visitors can tour to see an amazing collection of historic ships, such as the Suur Tõll, the largest steam-powered icebreaker in Europe. Address: Vesilennuki 6, www.lennusadam.eu

Tallinn TV Tower: Built in 1980 for the Olympic Games of Moscow, the ultra-modern telecommunications tower of Tallinn is the highest building (314 metres) in Estonia. With an observation deck at 170 metres above the ground, it offers an incredible panorama of the city, while its television studio is open to visitors for video recording and broadcasting their message internationally. Address: Kloostrimetsa tee 58A, 11913 Tallinn, www.teletorn.ee

Tallinn is a heaven for aficionados of local handicrafts with special character and high quality. The most exciting walk you can take is along St. Catherine's Passage, where dozens of artisans, in medieval style workshops, create before your eyes exceptional objects of glass, pottery, leather goods and duvets. Estonians are also famous for their knitwear, from hand-made woollen sweaters and gloves to felt hats in traditional patterns. You will find a huge range or relevant goods in the Knitwear Market of Müürivahe Street and in Viru Street, the two main commercial streets of the Old Town. There you will also find a number of elegant clothes and shoes boutiques. If you want to get an idea of the fresh local products, the central Kesturg Market offers an incredible range of seasonal foodstuff and more (flowers, clothes, shoes). Sadama Turgh in the port area is famous for its agricultural products and the unique handicraft goods. For western type shopping, the Estonian capital has a multitude of shopping centres and department stores, where you will find shops of many famous brands and international clothing chains. For more stylish shopping, make your way for the hip Foorum in the city centre or the popular Kristiine for shopping on a budget. Rotermann Aatrium, in the district with the same name with the restored 19th century factories, is a very hip place to be for shopping and culture and it is worth exploring.

The culinary scene of Tallinn is a mixture of international, exotic flavours (from Thailand to Brazil) and local Estonian cuisine, which is a creative combination of Scandinavian, German and Russian influences on fresh seasonal products of the area. Recipes with berries and all sorts of fruit and vegetables from the garden are typical in the summers, while in the winter expect more sour tastes and pickled dishes. Classic dishes in traditional restaurants are sour cabbage (hapukapsas), pickles, blood sausages (verivorst), pork terrine (sült), sour soups, fish (marinated eel), meat and potatoes and of course rye bread. Most restaurants are crammed in the Old Town and around the central square (Raekoja Plats). The Kalamaja and Kopli districts are particularly up-and-coming, with many openings of hip restaurants in old factories, where new talented chefs create dishes of the New Estonian Cuisine with imagination and ingenuity. Tallinn has the wildest nightlife in the Baltic and locals have a reputation of being party animals. They share their enthusiasm with the crowds of Finns arriving here every weekend to enjoy clubbing without the restrictions of closing hours. From classic bars and relaxed pubs to live stages, atmospheric lounge bars and the aspiring scene of DJ clubs, there are infinite choices. The most intense atmosphere looms above the alleys of the old town and in the district surrounded by Suur-Karja and Vaiike-Karja Streets, which the locals also call the “Bermuda Triangle” in jest.

• Jazzkaar International Jazz Festival: The greatest jazz festival in Baltic presents every year, since 1990, the most interesting discoveries of the international jazz scene. The highlight of the festival are the guest shows by top jazz artists from every corner of the planet, next to important Estonian musicians and singers. Artists like Angie Stone, Chick Corea, Dianne Reeves, Jan Garbarek, John Scofield and Charles Lloyd have performed on stage for the festival to this day.
• Õllesummer 2015 (Beer Summer): More than 60,000 spectators and over 100 artists from Estonia and abroad meet every year in the greatest summer musical event in Tallinn (1-4 July 2015). Concerts stretch to 10 different stages in the historical Tallinn Song Festival Grounds while an amusement park for adults and children alike, completes the action of the festival. This year's line up includes artists such as Placebo and Cardigans.
• Tallinn Old Town Days: Traditional festival celebrating the start of summer, focused in the Old Town. For a week in the summer, yards, squares, streets and cafés in the Old Town are filled with music, art and theatre as well as other events, in a modern version of a medieval carnival.

Transportation from the airport to the city centre

Aegean Airlines lands on Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport, 4 km. south-east of the centre of Tallinn. Here you will find a variety of duty free shops, restaurants, cafés, banks, ATMs, foreign exchange offices, a post office, a children's play area, clothing storage facilities. For those who want to surf the web, there are 14 Internet kiosks, special Skype video booths and free Wi-Fi available in all areas of the airport. For bibliophiles, there is a free lending library operating in the airport. The easiest and cheapest way to get to the airport from the city centre is to take bus line No2. The buses depart every 30 minutes outside the Academy of Arts (Kuunstakadeemia). You can purchase your ticket from the driver when getting on.