City Guide to Tallinn, Estonia

Medieval meets modern in Estonia’s cool capital: in tune with its 13th-century roots yet also a progressive start-up hub (Skype was invented here), with contemporary cuisine and culture in spades.

Talllin is known for

Its city wall fairytale charm cool culture

Tallin’s Eat streets

Tallinn’s dining scene is rising as a new generation of chefs reinvent traditional cuisine.

Try the casually sophisticated Leib Resto ja Aed, upmarket Restoran Ö or funky, design-led Kaerajaan.

From its top floor location, artistic Komeet overlooks the national opera house and is run by chef and author Anni Arro; or take a trip to NOA at Pirita Beach for a gourmet experience with Baltic sea views.

Out and about in Tallin

Kick things off in Town Hall Square; it’s been the hub of the Old Town for eight centuries.

The rest of this historic district is enclosed by a city wall, complete with towers and terracotta-topped turrets, and features colourful gabled houses and cobblestone streets.

It’s a tourist draw for good reason, but make sure to also venture beyond to Kalamaja, Tallinn’s ‘hipster district’.

Here, quaint wooden worker houses cosy up to converted industrial spaces, and culture abounds.

Insider’s secret

The Estonian Song Festival is integral to the country’s national identity (and has twice helped lead it to independence, latterly from Soviet rule in 1991).

One of the world’s largest choral events, its next edition in 2019 will mark 150 years since its inception.

The city also hosts on-the-pulse Tallinn Music Week and big Balkan jazz festival, Jazzkaar.

Retail reconnaissance

A trip to Telliskivi Creative City in Kalamaja will provide an overview of Tallinn’s contemporary culture.

A complex of 11 industrial buildings, it showcases a range of Estonian design and fashion, plus vintage stores and flea markets.

You’ll also find eateries and bars plus music, dance and comedy nights.

The ultimate experience

Tick Tallinn’s medieval sights off your list (including its city wall, Town Hall and Saint Catherine’s Passage) and take in a slice of opulent Russian history in the shape of Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral; built in 1900, when Estonia was part of the tsarist Russian empire.

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Caffeine hits

Check out estonia’s oldest cafe, Maiasmokk, or get your specialty fix at Renard Coffee Shop in Kalamaja.

Also beyond the boundary wall, BJÖRN Espresso BAR takes its beans seriously.

Stay & play

Affordable

Preserving period details like exposed stonework and featuring wooden ceiling beams and floors, The Taanilinna Hotell combines a historical feel with a light and modern touch, and is set within the city’s Old Town.

Moderate

Set across three converted merchant houses built in 1362, Three Sisters Hotel is a boutique accommodation in the Old Town’s cobblestoned Pikk Street (the arterial road in the Middle Ages), offering style and a sense of history.

Luxe

luxury five-star in a grand 19th-century building that was formerly used as a post office, Hotel Telegraaf is just a stone’s throw from Town Hall Square and has everything from sumptuous rooms to a spa and indoor pool.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.