Day Visit to Tallin, Estonia

by guest bloggers Lauren Moody and Alexia Lipscomb

We started the day by meeting in the hotel lobby at 8am. We took a cable car to the port. We had an hour to go explore the market before we had to get on the ferry. The ferry took 2.5 hours to get to Tallinn, Estonia. Unfortunately it was raining when we arrived, but it cleared up an hour later! Once there we ate at Hell Hunt, Estonia’s first pub. Afterwards the group broke off to explore the city. Some students explored an Estonian history museum. We learned that Estonia has only been an independent country for 40 years! Estonian (native language) is one of the most unique languages in Europe. In addition, there are more trees per person than any other place in Europe.

We were able to walk around old Estonia and visit much of the architecture throughout the city. One of which was the beautiful Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Some of us were able to enjoy some snacks on a boardwalk that hung off a stone wall. There were some steep steps to get there! Also, most of the roads were cobblestone and connected small alley ways. In addition to the sight seeing, much of the day was spent exploring the local shops. Many stores had handmade fabrics and wooden carvings, including things such as clocks, silverware, and boxes. Around 8 PM we headed back to Helsinki on another ferry and the majority of the students enjoyed the hotel sauna one last time before it closed for the night.

Can’t wait for tomorrow!