The Best Things to do on a Rainy Day in Tallinn

As my regular readers know, "Everyplace is worth visiting at least once" is our travel mantra.  When we found Ryanair flights from Dublin to Tallinn, Estonia for less than 50 euro each, we jumped on them!  Unfortunately, our arrival in Tallinn was greeted by rain but we made the most of our weekend city break in Estonia anyway despite the inclement weather.  Read on to find out about things to do in Tallinn when it rains. Don't let the weather spoil your fun in Tallinn. Bring an umbrella to explore outdoors and build in plenty of time to dry off in Tallinn's WiFi connected cafes.

Walk Around Tallinn's 'Fat Margaret'

Here's our first glimpse of 'Fat Margaret', a sentry tower at the entrance to the medieval city. Open an umbrella and walk around the perimeter.

'Fat Margaret' really dwarfs her counterpart on the right.

Tallinn's Old Churches

We walked past an old church with stained glass in Tallinn that had darkened over time.

Run from Awning to Awning and Explore the Shops Along Tallinn's Cobbled Streets

We continued along the cobbled streets of the old town exploring Tallinn's various storefronts in the rain.

Cheer up from the Rain by Checking Out Tallinn's Colorful Doors and Dramatic Architecture

This colorful door in Tallinn's old town was particularly impressive.

Tallinn's architecture was amazing and incorporated dramatic accents.

Tallinn's Market Square and Old Town Hall in the Rain

We approached Tallinn's Market Square with the Old Town Hall towering above.  The Town Hall featured imaginative gargoyle rain gutters. The rain gutters were definitely put to good use during our visit.

Take Refuge from the Rain at Tallinn's Reval Cafe

We went inside out of the rain and tucked into some lunch at Tallinn's Reval Cafe.  The savory dumplings with sour cream, garlic, and parsley toppings metered out to taste and ham and pesto omelet were delicious.  We stopped at Reval Cafe at random, but we'd highly recommend making it a purposeful stop on your visit, especially if you need a break from the rain.

Escape the Rain by Shopping for Arts and Crafts

Estonian arts and crafts shops abounded in Tallinn and were another good excuse to step in and out of the rain.  Many shops were tucked into the basements of Tallinn's medieval buildings.

One of our favorite shops to visit and dry off from the rain in Tallinn was Anneli Viik. Anneli Viik featured handmade Estonian chocolates in a variety of amazing flavors.

Don't Miss the Details Because of the Rain

The little touches in Tallinn really impressed us...like these boots sprouting fragrant greenery.

...or this old fashioned and highly ornamented clock near Tallinn's town square.

Stop and Smell Tallinn's Flowers

Flowers in the park offered a pop of color on an otherwise dreary and rainy day.

Run Between the Raindrops Toward Tallinn's Palace

We walked toward the palace in Tallinn which was up a considerable hill.  En route, we passed some historical Estonian houses.

Ducking out of the Rain, Who Did We Spot? Steve Ballmer! 

We were in Tallinn just at the time that Microsoft bought Skype and the infamous Steve Ballmer was visiting Estonia! We caught a surprise glimpse of him (standing in the horizontal striped shirt) through the window of a local cafe in Tallinn.

Tallinn's Kiek in de Kök

Onward to the palace!  We passed the Kiek in de Kök, a major fortification in Tallinn.

Take Shelter from the Rain Near A Russian Orthodox Church

Cresting the hill, we glimpsed the magnificent Russian Orthodox church in Tallinn.

Admire the Bright Colors of Tallinn's Palace

There is a small park near the palace shaded by eerie trees.

The bright pink palace in Tallinn helped substitute for the rain and general lack of sunshine and lifted our spirits.

Tallinn's Memorials in Unlikely Places

We noticed that Tallinn likes to surprise visitors with memorials in unlikely places.  We saw a number of three dimensional plaques around the city.  This one commemorates the life of Voldemar Panso who laid a foundation for theatre education in Estonia.

Take The Low Road from the Palace to Old Town Tallinn

We continued our rainy walk back towards the center of Old Town Tallinn and I smiled when I saw this serious-faced planter sprouting white flowers.

The path diverged and we decided to take the low road.

Escape the Rain by Shopping for Shawls and Sweaters

We noticed that a variety of stores in Tallinn had plush models outside to showcase shawls and sweaters.

Stop for a Fat Plate in Tallinn

We walked past Olevi, a restaurant that we'd return to the following night.  We were intrigued by one item on the Estonian menu (pekvalik napsuga): 'fat plate with a shot of vodka'.  Yikes!

Hide Out from the Rain by Relaxing in the Hotel

We finally returned to our hotel, the Domina Ilmarine which is located just a short distance outside Tallinn's old town wall.

Dinner at Liisu Juures

After a brief rest, we ventured out for dinner at Tallinn's Liisu Juures.  This was another semi-random stop but the food was excellent at this family run place in the Estonian capital. 

We particularly liked the broad beans with bacon and Estonian sweet rye bread.

Get Out of the Rain with a Nightcap and Eurovision

We finished the night with a couple drinks at Hell Hunt.  It was Eurovision time!

Unfortunately, our home country favorites, Jedward, didn't do as well as hoped but we were excited to cheer them on nonetheless.  Sadly, the Estonian entrants came in last place in the Eurovision finals.

Exhausted from a very full day, we headed back to our hotel in Tallinn to rest up for another (hopefully rain-free) day of exploration.