A Winter Fairytale: The Must-Visit Tallinn Christmas Market in Estonia for Christmas

Text & Photos /Evan

This time, while chasing the Northern Lights in Finland, I also visited Estonia. Estonia is the northernmost of the three Baltic states and the most prosperous among them. Many Finns take ferries here on weekends to buy everyday goods, as prices are relatively lower. Most importantly, alcohol is much cheaper in Estonia than in Finland due to tax differences. So whenever we took the ferry back to Finland, anyone dragging along a huge load of booze was almost certainly Finnish, haha. Estonia is truly a magical country—I won’t elaborate further here but will share more in my Estonia day trip blog post.

This mysterious and enchanting country—I think Estonia’s old towns are really fantastic, incredibly dreamy, though the prices aren’t quite as dreamy, haha XDXD They’re about the same as in Taiwan. Anyway, getting back to the point, today I’ll introduce you to the Tallinn Christmas Market in Estonia. This market is located within a UNESCO World Heritage site, and just like I mentioned, it’s quite different from the ones in Finland. Here, the stalls are all wooden cabins, while Finland’s are more Nordic-style, so the atmosphere is distinctly unique.

The Christmas Market opens in the morning, and the main trading hours are actually in the morning. While the morning market may not feel as magical, it’s definitely less cold (in my opinion), allowing you to slowly browse each stall. You can then wait until the evening to capture the charm of the market lit up at night—it’s truly atmospheric. There are also performances in the evening, and we even met a somewhat slim Santa Claus, so we took a photo with him, haha XDD

Photos of the Christmas Market

Honestly, most stalls sell pretty similar stuff, haha XDD

The nearby Town Hall

A must-try drink at the Christmas Market is GLOGG. GLOGG is found at Christmas markets across Europe. It’s sweet and has a wonderfully fragrant aroma—definitely a favorite among the ladies. GLOGG is essentially hot spiced wine, though there are also traditional non-alcoholic versions, which are naturally the cheapest. A non-alcoholic cup costs around 2 euros, the same price as in Finland’s Christmas markets. In the steaming hot GLOGG, you can add raisins and almond slices, paired with gingerbread cookies. It’s super comforting to sip on such a cold day. The alcoholic versions can even have an alcohol content as high as 21%—I dare not try those. Just two sips of a 14% drink left me completely knocked out the other night, haha XDDD

The central performance stage and performances (just some kids singing heartwarming songs up there~~~)

The striking carousel (that’s not operating)

Besides the abundance of red wine, their sausages are also a highlight—there’s even “venison” sausage here~~~

Even the dining area is adorable (I happened to catch someone looking like they were enjoying their meal happily, haha XD)

Finally, I also got to take a photo with Santa Claus—and it’s free~ So I think there’s no need to spend money on Santa photos at Santa Claus Village~Because you might run into Santa at the Christmas Market anyway

The Christmas Market during the daytime

How to get to the Tallinn Christmas Market in Estonia? The Tallinn Christmas Market is located in the Town Hall Square of the Old Town. After disembarking, it’s just a 15-minute walk away. After visiting—do you prefer the Christmas Market in the daytime or at night?

Evangeline-Evan
Hi everyone, I’m Evan. I’m a timid and easily scared person,
but through independent travel, I’ve gradually found courage,
and each journey has helped me discover a different side of myself.
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