2 months, 62 days, 1488 hours, 89280 minutes, 5356800 seconds. This is the amount of time that I…
Times visited: 1
Cities visited: Tallinn
UNESCO sites visited: 1/2
As my two-month journey through Northern Europe was coming to an end, I made a spontaneous decision to add one final destination to my itinerary: Tallinn, Estonia. While not everyone includes Estonia in their definition of Northern Europe, the country shares deep historical ties with the Nordic nations – especially Denmark.
In fact, Estonia played a pivotal role in Danish history. It was in Tallinn (then called Lyndanisse) during the Battle of 1219 that Dannebrog – the Danish flag – was said to have miraculously fallen from the sky, inspiring the Danish troops to victory under King Valdemar II. It became the first national flag in the world, and to this day, Dannebrog can be spotted flying proudly through the streets of Tallinn.
As a Dane, I was excited to explore a new country with such a unique link to my own. My travel buddy and I booked a return ferry trip from Helsinki to Tallinn, giving us a four-hour window to soak in the city’s highlights.
From the moment we arrived, I was captivated by Tallinn’s blend of old and new. The medieval heart of the city – with its cobbled streets, towers, and centuries-old buildings – felt like stepping into a fairytale. Surrounding it all were sleek modern skyscrapers and tech hubs, creating a striking contrast that added to the city’s charm.
We spent most of our time wandering the medieval old town, but the true cherry on top of our Tallinn visit was Cat Café Nurri. I’m a big fan of cat cafés, and this one quickly became one of my all-time favourites. Sharing a cozy cup of tea with a group of purring felines was the perfect, heartwarming way to end our time in this enchanting capital.