Thousands of voters from all over the world have awarded Tallinn being the Best Christmas Market in Europe. It's a big reason to include in your must-see events in Europe.
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Christmas Markets in Tallinn
Finnoy Travel is based in Helsinki but we must admit that our neighbour capital, the Baltic beautiful city of Tallinn has a better Christmas Market than Helsinki. There is a simple reason for that. Tallinn has an extremely beautiful medieval Old Town what Helsinki is missing. Creating a Christmas atmosphere around the medieval Old Tallinn is much easier than doing the same in Helsinki.
"Quality beats quantity" - this applies well when speaking of Christmas market in Tallinn. The city is quite small and it has only one major traditional Christmas market located in the Old Town but the market itself is a great reason to visit this enchanting city.
Luckily, the lively city of Tallinn has also other Christmas events so town won't leave you empty.
Tallinna Jõuluturg - Tallinn Christmas Market
As the dark sets in, more shoppers can be spotted buying Tallinn souvenirs like winter accessories from the several shops at the Tallinn Christmas Market.
The Christmas Market is built in German style having many outdoor stalls selling delicious drinks and snacks. Naturally, you can also buy souvenirs and Christmas items. Estonians love drinking mulled wine outside to warm themselves up. The wine is often combined with dried fruits.
Glögi is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas in Europe. Visitors at the Tallinn Christmas Market are lining up for their Glögi.
Tallinn Christmas Market is in the middle of the Old Town next to Tallinn Town Hall. The building is the oldest surviving town hall in the Baltic countries and Scandinavia. Some people say, that the Christmas Market in Tallinn is the most beautiful in Europe. We have visited it also multiple times ourselves and we strongly agree - the market has a special winter atmosphere even though there isn't usually no snow.
Tallinn Christmas Market is the home to one of Europe's oldest holiday traditions. Ceasar is standing in front of the Christmas tree in Tallinn.
A big Christmas tree next to the Tallinn Town Hall is also worth seeing. It is said that a similar tree has been staying there already in 1441. The market has a true long history that many other Christmas Markets in Europe are missing.
Estonian Hospitality Meets Christmas Market
Estonians are friendly people. Some Estonians may have similar facial features as Eastern Europeans though there is quite difference between them in terms of personalities. Estonians like Finns love sauna and they don't really talk unless they have something important to say. Don't take it as unfriendly, because it is just a part of their culture. Travellers might find it quite rude but once you befriend a local then you will realize, they are very nice. While visiting Tallinn Christmas Market, you'll expect a fast and customer service. People love travellers and want to serve them well in the local way.
Young Estonians speak good English. With older people, you may need to communicate in Estonian, Finnish or Russian.
The Weather in Tallinn
Visiting Tallinn in the winter is expected to be too cold. Still, visiting there is best enjoyed by walking around especially at night when the corners of Tallinn Old Town are beautifully litted such as this.
In winters, the weather in Tallinn is cold. The temperature is normally between 0 and +5 degrees but if you are (un)lucky, you may experience even -20 degrees. There are countless cosy cafes and restaurants spread in the Old Town where you can enjoy Estonian food and hot drinks perfect for the cold weather.
One thing is sure, the sun rises late and set early in the winter.
Prices
The price level in Tallinn Christmas Market is about half cheaper than in Helsinki. Especially, food and drinks are affordable. Souvenirs may be more expensive but we are not recommending travellers to buy any unneeded items. Spending money to services is more environmental friendly than buying material things.
Hotels near the Christmas Market
There are numerous small hotels inside the Old Town. Check a complete list here.
If you prefer staying outside the Old Town in big modern hotels, we recommend you trying Original Sokos Hotel Viru or Radission Blu Tallin Sky. They are 4-star hotels a few minutes walk from the Old Town. Viru hotel has also an interesting KGB museum inside that you must see.
Our Day Trip to Tallinn Christmas Market
We visited Tallinn for a few hours on 10th Dec. There were two reasons for our visit: We wanted to update this article with up-to-date photos but we also love visiting Tallinn. The city has its charm in every season.
Our trip to Tallinn from Helsinki was simple, fast and very affordable. The ferry cruise had a great bargain, less than 5 euros / person. We took a modern Viking XPRS, which is one the newest ferry of Viking Line. The crossing took only 2,5 hours one way so we had four hours to spend in Tallinn. That was enough for a short visit.
We had time only to visit the Old Town. Firstly, we enjoyed the spirit of the Christmas Market but we had also time to climb up to Toompea hill to enjoy the scenic view over the city. And of course, we enjoyed a delicious lunch in the Old Town with a local beer.
If you are based in Helsinki, like us, we recommend you to read our article about ferries between Helsinki and Tallinn.
Ways to Travel to Tallinn
Tallinn lies in northern Estonia below the Gulf of Finland. The location is not central from European perspective but reaching Tallinn is still simple and fast. We list the best options.
To Tallinn by a Ferry
The most comfortable way to reach Tallinn is by a ferry. There is a daily ferry connection from Stockholm to Tallinn and many daily connections from Helsinki. Why not to visit Helsinki Christmas Markets first and then continue to Tallinn?
Tallinn by a Low-cost Airline
The fastest and cheapest way to reach Tallinn is to have a direct flight by a low-cost airline. EasyJet, Ryanair and Norwegian Air Shuttle have flights to Tallinn from Austria, Cyprus, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta and United Kingdom.
Tallinn Airport is small but modern. It is close to the city centre and it takes only 15 minutes to reach a central hotel from the airport by a taxi.
Tallinn by a Standard Airline
If you are reaching Tallinn outside Europe or coming from a destination from where there are no direct flights to Tallinn, we recommend you to fly via Helsinki. Finnair has globally great connections to Helsinki and the airline operates a route between Helsinki and Tallinn multiple times a day. It could also be a nice idea to have a stopover in Helsinki.
Other Transportation Options
You can reach Tallinn also by a bus via the Baltic countries. However, the journey time would be long and riding a bus will easily become uncomfortable. For example, from Berlin there are bus routes to Tallinn that take more than 24 hours.
Bottom Line
We bet you will love Tallinn Christmas Market. The market is beautifully unique in the whole Europe. Especially this year, the market is absolutely beautiful. Tallinn has also many other things to see and to do so spending a few days in the city is recommended. And the best part is that the city is affordable.
Tallinn lies close to Helsinki, so combining a journey to Helsinki and Tallinn is simple. A ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki or vice versa takes less than 2 hours. And from Helsinki, it is easy to continue to Stockholm.
Have you visited Tallinn Christmas Market? What did you like the most?
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