Little Christmas Market

Both locals and tourists say that Tallinn is a city to visit during the summer, when it's completely green, with flowers and fountains and that lovely sun that they miss dearly during the winter. But over the last few months of the year, the Christmas lights and the snow play a fundamental part in finding yourself in a city with so much charm. In more than one article about the Christmas markets of Europe, I read about Prague, or various other cities in Germany or Switzerland, and surprisingly, nearly every time Tallinn appeared.

It was a Friday at the end of November when, despite the fact that it was snowing considerably, a friend and I decided to go to an opening of a "Christmas Market". What a good choice! The weather perfectly accompanied our trip to Raekoja Plats (the Town Hall plaza), and it created even more charm than we thought possible.

When we arrived in the plaza, we found ourselves next to an enormous Christmas tree in the centre, decorated incredibly and lit up. Around the tree were numerous little huts that were all made in the same way: of wood, with a pitched roof covered in snow, lights and plants.

We then discovered that the huts were selling all sorts of things, generally handmade stuff made by the vendors themselves, such as Christmas decorations, gloves, hats, kitchen utensils, trinkets and much more! Without forgetting, of course, the traditional souvenirs that they sell all over the country like viking magnets, "matrioskas" (although they aren't typical here) or accessories made of amber (which aren't from Estonia either).

In general, in this country there's a good level of English (at least in comparison with Spain) which is why most of the people who man the stalls (who are very friendly) will help you in English. But you could also run into an older person who doesn't speak it, so it never hurts to learn a few words like "aitäh", which means thank you, or numbers when it comes to buying things.

As well as the handicraft stalls, you can also find some that sell food such as salmon or cold meats with potatoes. A few tables with roofs are available for you to enjoy, although you have to go on foot. And, I have to admit that they're not very comfortable as it's so cold. You can also find game, sweets and drinks stalls that will warm you up, like the traditional hot wine. I must admit that I'm not a big fan of it, but it's something that you have to try.

There's a small merry-go-round for children near the food stalls, and they play Christmas music at the same time which makes the market a pleasant place to be. Also, so the younger people can have fun too, there's an enclosure with animals, from rabbits to a few reindeer.

In a corner of the plaza there's a stage decorated in lots of lights that, throughout the whole of November, December and the beginning of January, they perform shows of every kind, and there's something for everyone. For example, regional dances typical of the country.

I recommend to anyone that wants to visit this city, but decides not to do it in the summer, do your trip over these dates. It will surprise you how pretty it is, with everything completely white. The Christmas market is perfect for buying gifts for families and friends, and to help you get to know the Estonian culture a little bit more.