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By the historical banks of Tallinn (Walking trip towards Kalamaja and Noblessner area)

Duration 4 h

A short walking trip from port will take you to several panoramic viewpoints.

One of the first things you notice on the border of the Old Town is the brick chimney of Kultuurikatel, a former power station, now home to Tallinn’s Creative Hub and some of the coolest parties and fairs in town. The Creative Hub is named after the former boiler room (Kultuurikatel in Estonian). Completed in 1934, this part of the building with limestone walls is now used by art-minded, creative people. The former power station’s first serious encounter with art occurred in 1977, when Andrei Tarkovsky used the complex as a set for his cult film “Stalker”. Throughout most of Tallinn’s history, Kalamaja served as the town’s main fishing harbour. In fact, ‘Kalamaja’ literally means ‘fish house’ in Estonian, and starting from the 14th century, the area was traditionally dominated by fishermen and fishmongers.

A short walk away, you will find the former Patarei Prison. Patarei is one of the largest completely preserved classical style building ensembles in Estonia and the surrounding area. The exhibition focuses on the crimes of communist regimes in Estonia and the world. The uniqueness of the exhibition area is the well-preserved authentic prison interior, where Soviet and Nazi regimes repressed thousands of people on political grounds. The complex is protected under heritage conservation. The exhibition area and the future museum will contribute to the development of the seaside area of Tallinn as a cultural and educational centre and will keep part of
Patarei in the service of historical truth.

Continue to the Seaplane Harbour (Lennusadam) maritime museum. Located in seaplane hangars from the beginning of the 19th century, it is definitely worth a visit. Outside, you can view historic ships, including the world’s largest steam-powered icebreaker, Suur Tõll.

Continue your walking trip to Noblessner Seafront Quarter. Named after its founders, businessmen Emanuel Nobel (nephew of Alfred Nobel) and Arthur Lesner, the Noblessner Seafront Quarter dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Formerly famous for building submarines for the Russian Empire, the factory was later used as a shipyard. Today, the Noblessner Seafront Quarter is an up-and-coming city space complete with a port, a restaurant with a Michelin-starred head chef and a top-class brewery. For families and curious adults, the Proto Invention Factory is a must see: the museum uses virtual reality to bring to life game-changing inventions from the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries. On the seafront you will find Kai, a contemporary art centre housing gallery spaces and restaurants. Enjoy the coffee break in the restaurant near Noblessner Quarter.

After the coffee break return to the port.

Seaside Cycling with Fish Workshop

Duration 4 h ⎢ Distance: 30 km (from port)

Enjoy the seaside breeze and cycle from Tallinn city centre to Viimsi peninsula to Pringi village. Where you have a chance to get a glimpse how local people lived in coastal villages in 19th and 20th centuries and hear interesting stories about spirits smugglers and see the ‘sprat-tin-view’.

It’s not just a bike tour. In Viimsi Open Air Museum you will have fish workshop. Estonia is a country of good food with flavours that are influenced by the four seasons and pure Estonian nature. Estonia as any seaside country has always honoured fishing. The sea, lake and river fish of the region have helped to provide livelihood for centuries, when crops have failed because of unruly weather or other problems.

You’ll learn about the various species of Baltic fishes and how to prepare them for cooking from a local Estonian fishing expert. In this casual and authentic setting, you will also enjoy a tasting of the fish dishes prepared. The expert will explain the techniques of fish cookery while you can put your hands on cooking and sample many varieties of smoking, grilling and curing fish from the Baltic Sea. (Enjoy a salted coastal folk beer which has several legends about the salt in it. First one tells that salt is added so it will conserve water. Since it is quite uncomfortable to go to pee on a boat, especially with a windy weather, then salted beer was very handy in reducing this need. The other legend tells that they just wanted to prove that you can make good beer with salty seawater. Third one claims that sellers were just greedy, and they noticed that people wanted to drink more when they drank salty stuff. So, who knows, which one is the truth, but one thing is sure – salted beer is something special to try.)

Cycling back to town enjoy a relaxing bike ride while the endless open sea is to your right and the skyline of Tallinn straight ahead.

By the Banks of Tallinn Bay (walking tour to Kadriorg Park)

Duration 4 h

A short walking trip from port will take you to several panoramic viewpoints where you can enjoy the view over Tallinn Bay and Tallinn Old City Harbour. Tallinn Old City Harbour is the third-largest harbour on the Baltic Sea (after Helsinki and Stockholm) and the fourth-largest in Northern Europe. Port of Tallinn will install the latest ABB shore power systems on five of its piers in the Old City Harbour as part of the first shore power project in Estonia.

Continue the trip by Reidi tee to Kadriorg Park.

A short stop on the seashore will give an impression of the important Tallinn sight – Russalka. Russalka is a monument to the Tsarist armoured ship Russalka. A storm hit the ship as it was headed from Tallinn to Helsinki, taking the lives of all 177 crewmen. The Russalka sculpture by A. Adamson was completed in 1902 and is considered one of the classics of Estonian art.

Proceeding with the walking trip it brings you to impressive Kadriorg Palace, built in 1718 by Peter the Great in honour of his empress wife Catherine I. Its magnificent scale is enhanced by its setting on several levels, with upper and lower gardens in contrasting styles. Kadriorg means “Catherine’s valley” in Estonian, although the palace was seldom visited by the Tsarina. Since the Russian revolution, the ornate palace rooms have been used as an art museum, and following a closure in recent years, Kadriorg has reopened in its former glory. Behind the Catharine`s Palace you can find the Estonian president’s residence. On the palace’s property is a tiny stone house, an inconspicuous cottage that Peter used as his summer residence before the building of the palace. His “cottage in the woods,” as he called it, is now dubbed Peter’s Cottage and houses a museum exhibiting his personal belongings. The Kadriorg Palace itself acts as the showcase for the nation’s foreign art collection, while the extensive Kumu, awarded the accolade of European Museum of the Year in 2008, displays both classical and contemporary Estonian art, and hosts international exhibitions.

Afterwards have a short coffee break with local pastry. On your way back to port you can see also the wooden architecture of Kadriorg.

Discover the beauty of seaside Tallinn

Duration 4 hours ⎢ Distance: 30 km (from port)

Enjoy the seaside breeze and cycle from Tallinn city center to Viimsi peninsula. Where you have a chance to get a glimpse how local people lived in coastal villages in 19th and 20th centuries and hear interesting stories about spirits smugglers and see the ‘sprat-tin-view’. You will be visiting Viimsi Open Air Museum and the Museum of Coastal Folk and have a coffee break at the restaurant Paat.

Bicycle path goes nicely by the sea and through the pine forest.
You will see a very different type of architecture – private houses from the 50’s and 60’s with their neat little gardens and nowadays modern houses.

On your way to Viimsi you will pass by Pirita beach and Olympic Complex, where the Moscow Olympic Games’ sailing program was held. Just across the Pirita River lies the majestic ruin of St. Bridget’s Convent – the largest convent in Old Livonia. Cycling back to town enjoy a relaxing bike ride while the endless open sea is to our right and the skyline of Tallinn straight ahead.

Bike Tour in Lahemaa National Park (guided) 

Duration 7 hours ⎢ Distance: 40 km

Lahemaa National Park is the ideal place for nature lovers and it is situated just one hour drive from Tallinn. You can hardly find a better place to enjoy nature in Estonia.

Lahemaa is the oldest and largest national park in Estonia representing the nature and cultural heritage, typical of North Estonia. Established in 1971, covering an area of  72,500 ha. Lahemaa forests offer good habitats for large mammals, including large predators — permanent communities of bear, wolf, elks, wild boars and lynx live here and at least 200 species of birds.

You will start cycling from Palmse – the heart of Lahemaa National Park. Palmse is worth knowing not only for its natural beauty but also for its history. Your route takes you to Sagadi. The history of Sagadi manor dates back 500 years. For the time being Sagadi has become the centre of tourism and natural and cultural education. Then, continue cycling to Altja fishing village. Altja was first mentioned in written records in 1465 and is a typical seaside village, with all of its houses stretching along one street. In the 17th century there were 6 farmsteads in Altja. The main income came from fish that was also traded against grain and clothing. On the point at Altja you can see the fishing net sheds which were reconstructed on the basis of old photographs and the memories of the villagers. Next you will continue cycling to Võsu. Võsu has a beautiful 3 km long beach area with a belt of dunes behind it. Traditionally the Võsu beach belonged to Palmse manor state. In mid-19th century it was still a small fishing village with 11 farmsteads and 2 peasants holdings, a watermill and a brickyard. Nowadays Võsu is primarily a seasonal town with the number of residents multiplying in summer. Continue cycling to Käsmu. It is steeped in maritime history and known in Estonia as the “Captains Village”. Was first mentioned in 1453. The main income came from fishing, but the families also traded salt, matches, logs and bricks to Finland. The houses in the village were built before the First World War when seafaring had brought wealth and knowledge. Käsmu will not only appeal to lovers of maritime history but also to those people who enjoy deserted sandy beaches, where swans swim off the coast in boulder-strewn waters and the forest edges right up to the shore.

Rejoin the coach and drive back to Tallinn.

Itinerary:

• Drive from Tallinn to Palmse 80 km (1h5)
• Palmse-Sagadi 9.2 km (45min)
• Sagadi -Altja Village 5.6 km (30min)
• Altja Village – Võsu 13.4 km (1h)
• Võsu –  Käsmu 7 km (30min)
• Drive back to Tallinn 80 km (1h5)

Please note: Helmets, safety vests and a bottle of mineral water are provided. Wear appropriate footwear and comfortable clothing. Tour operates in all weather conditions. Minimum age is 12 years.

Tallinn Bike Tour (guided)

Duration 4.5 hours ⎢ Distance: 20 km (12.4 miles)

Tallinn Bike Tour is an ideal possibility to get a glimpse of the pulsing life of Tallinn outside the historic city centre!

Pedal through western and eastern part of Tallinn. Explore Tallinn neighborhoods such as Kalamaja and Kadriorg and the seaside promenade.  Pass by UNESCO World Heritage listed Old Town.

Your guide meets you at the pier or hotel with bicycles and safety equipment; then, you are off on your bike journey. Along the way, you will pass old Patarei Prison. This imposing, seaside complex in the Kalamaja district is now one of the best places in the world to catch a glimpse of Soviet-era prison life in all its dire dreariness. Next, you will view the hangars at the Tallinn Seaplane Harbor—the most important engineering landmark in the region. These are thought to be the first large-scale reinforced concrete shell structure in the world. When the hangars were first built, they were compared with Hagia Sophia Church in Istanbul. During the Soviet period, the seaplane harbor fell into the hands of the military and the neglected hangars decayed rapidly. By the time the restoration work began in 2009, the building was on the verge of collapsing. The seaplane harbor was renovated as a maritime museum which opened in 2012 and has since become Tallinn’s most visited attraction after the Old Town. It’s also the most visited museum in Estonia. And your next stop is in Noblessner seafront quarter – the former submarine shipyard Noblessner is the fastest developing, and thus the most interesting, area in Tallinn today. Noblessner wins your heart with its distinctive and colourful architecture, boldly combining old and new. Style and design can be found in many of the area’s shops, restaurants and bars as well. Continue cycling to Kalamaja, a lovely neighbourhood in Tallinn, just next to the Old Town and the Balti Jaam railway station. The heart of Kalamaja is filled with colourful wooden houses with bright panel doors. These are the former living quarters of the area’s factory workers, mainly dating from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, now homes to young professionals and families. You have a chance to visit Balti Jaama market. The new market is something of a community centre too, drawing in locals to do their everyday shopping, but its unique atmosphere, fascinating selection of antiques, and brewery also make it a great place for tourists to explore. Next short stop will be in Telliskivi Creative City – it is a collection of former factory and railway buildings transformed into a centre for creative enterprises: an entire quarter filled with offbeat eateries, trendy cafés, and hip bars along with design, antique and vintage shops. Get a glimpse of Old Town passing by the Old Town city wall towards Kadriorg Park, where you’ll stop outside Peter the Great’s Summer Palace and the President’s Palace. Then, continue toward Pirita for a stop at the Song Festival Grounds where Estonians “sang themselves independent” in the late 1980s. Now pedal to the Estonian History museum, where you will visit the outdoor exhibition of Soviet monuments. Sculptures of Lenin and other Soviet leaders, a reminder of the difficult times under Soviet occupation. Follow the coastline towards the Memorial to the victims of communism. This 30 000 square meter memorial was opened in 2018 and the names of over 22,000 people who never returned home are inscribed on huge memorial tablets. From there start pedaling back to the city centre along the coastline with a panoramic view on Tallinn’s Old Town.

Please note: Helmets, safety vests and a bottle of mineral water are provided. Wear appropriate footwear and comfortable clothing. Tour operates in all weather conditions. Minimum age is 12 years.

Create your own bike adventure!

Already have an Estonian destination in mind? No worries, we are happy to tailor your tour itinerary, plan your time and organize everything from meals to transportation. Just pick a time, set a location and leave all the logistic challenges to us! All you will have to do is just to enjoy the cycling experience, totally hassle free.

The DMC Green Tours project has received funding from the European Regional Development Fund in the amount of 20 000 euros. The aim of this project is to develop and promote sustainable products and services (bike tours, walking tours, tram tours, bog-shoeing, Nordic Walking). This project includes following activities: establishing and developing new itineraries, training local guides, promoting new products to Finnish, Swedish and Russian markets.