This former industrial area in Estonia’s capital has been revamped with bars, boutiques and galleries, along with several festivals
With its gothic spires, pastel-hued houses and cobbled streets, Tallinn’s Unesco-listed Old Town is undeniably a classic destination – and it’s also where most visitors head. However, if you don’t follow the crowds and, instead, turn left out of the main station (Balti jaam) and head north, you’ll find a different energy in the neighbourhood of Kalamaja.
In the 14th century, Kalamaja (fish house in Estonian), on Tallinn Bay, served as they city’s primary harbour. Then, in the 1870s, with the advent of the railway connecting Tallinn to St Petersburg, the district evolved into a manufacturing hub. Today, it is undergoing a revival – with many of its Soviet-era industrial buildings being converted into restaurants, shops and galleries – and is by far the most dynamic neighbourhood in the compact Estonian capital.
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