One of the joys of planning a family trip with young adult children is that they often have interesting ideas of their own. In our case, a desire to visit Tallinn, Estonia, was on their wish list during a pre-pandemic, multicountry tour of the Nordic countries -- and it turned out to be a highlight of the vacation.
We cruised in from Helsinki on the Megastar ship, part of the Silja Line, on a two-hour ferry ride. I had warned the kids not to expect too much from the ship's facilities, but on the contrary, the vessel is new, environmentally friendly and offers various venues for shopping and dining. We sprang for the business lounge, which features a first-on/first-off location, a complimentary and above-average buffet and free wine and beer.
On arrival, we took a five-minute, $20 taxi to the 516-room Sokos Hotel Viru on the edge of the city's picturesque Old Town.
The property features a bright, pop-art decor and lounges with espresso machines and snacks, along with shopping venues and even a KGB Museum.
Soaring views and gastronomy
Since Tallinn is known for its standout restaurants, even among its Nordic competitors, we decided to mix so-called high and low culinary options during our stay.
We wandered into Must Puudel ("black poodle" in English) in Old Town, for example, for a casual but first-rate dinner of small plates and wine -- for a grand total of about $50 for five people -- then pivoted on another night to the tonier, reserve-ahead Rataskaevu 16, where we went all-in Nordic-style, with braised elk and wild boar in a beautiful wine cave setting.
The local tourist office runs free walking tours of Old Town, and ours was run by a college student whose perfect English was sprinkled with correctly used idioms that she said she learned watching Nickelodeon.
Old Town is small enough to explore on your own, but our guide put the sights into historical context, while making sure we saw the Kohtuotsa viewing platform for the best views of the city, the hilltop Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the picturesque Town Hall Square and St. Olaf's Church, with its climbing tower for still more views.
On our own we also visited the Vabamu Museum of Occupation, which features KGB prison cells and other artifacts of remembrance about this long and difficult period in the country's history.
We discovered that cafes don't open until 10 a.m. in Tallinn, so at 9:59 we waited at the door of Rost Bakery in the Rotermann district, where patrons squeeze in for artisanal coffees, sourdough breads and pastries, which we watched being made right in front of us.
On our last day, we hopped in a taxi to return to the Silja Line terminal for our overnight ferry ride to Stockholm on the Baltic Queen, notable not only for its lounges and restaurants but also for a full-service grocery store full of traditional and international fare and a full array of wine, beer and other drinks at reasonable Estonian prices.