Dear visitor of Tallinn Black Nights,
Welcome to Tallinn,
Here are some tips and recommendations to help you get the most out of your festival visit.
Tallinn is very compact and easy to get around. Reaching farther out destinations is simple thanks to the city's network of buses, trolleys and trams. The public transport network operates from 6:00 to 23:00 daily (see timetables for further information). The ticket system works on a random-inspection basis: you don't have to show anything to the driver. Simply remember to validate each entry at one of the orange validators (or risk a €40 fine).
You can buy one-hour ticket with a contactless payment card* (Mastercard, Maestro, Visa and Visa Electron) at the rectangular orange validators in the front of the vehicle. Simply tap your card on the validator!
You can buy one-day ticket online from tallinn.pilet.ee, or with the mobile app pilet.ee
READ MORE ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN TALLINN HERE
In addition to all the films and festival events, there are also a lot of interesting and beautiful places to discover in Tallinn. Here are some recommendations.
If you are planning on having a full day or two for sightseeing, then you might consider buying Tallinn Card, which gives you free access to more than 50 museums and attractions and lets you travel with public transport for free.
Tallinn’s Old Town, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, is probably the most famous sight in Tallinn. With its well-preserved medieval architecture, it is a good place to have a walk on the old cobbled streets and visit some interesting churches, museums and courtyards. You can also play an entertaining orienteering adventure game Melchior the Apothecary, based on the medieval mystery novel. As you play the game, you can visit different parts of Tallinn's Old Town. In the centre of Old Town, there is also the Town Hall and the Town Hall Square, which in December is the site of one of Europe's best Christmas markets. Find out more.
Kadriorg Palace is a baroque palace, where you can see the Estonian Art Museum’s collection of foreign art. The palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens. You can also visit Kumu - the main building of the Estonian Art Museum - which is a five minute walk from the Kadriorg Palace. Find out more.
Rotermann Quarter, located just next to Nordic Hotel Forum, Metropol Hotel and Apollo Cinema Coca-Cola Plaza, is a neighbourhood full of modern architecture. There is also a Pop & Contemporary Art Museum that we recommend to visit. As well as just walking around and taking in all the beautiful buildings, you can also find a range of shops, cafés and restaurants there. Find out more.
Telliskivi Creative City is a former factory site that is now home to numerous restaurants, bars, design shops, and cultural institutions, such as Fotografiska Tallinn, a photographic art centre and satellite-gallery of the photography museum founded in Stockholm, or The Juhan Kuus Documentary Photo Centre. It is also the place where PÖFF’s offices are located, PÖFF being one of the first ones to move here during the start of the district’s development. Find out more.
Noblessner seafront quarter, a former submarine factory, is now a place for art galleries, such as Kai Art Center, and many great restaurants. A good place to visit with children is the Proto Invention Factory, where you can experience Jules Verne era inventions through virtual reality and hands-on technology. You can also take a stroll by the marina, have a sauna and a dip in the sea in Iglupark or look around in the Seaplane Harbour, one of Europe’s grandest maritime museums. There is a temporary exhibition. It tells the story of the ferry Estonia from beginning to end. Find out more.
In Maarjamäe History Centre you can visit Maarjamäe Palace, which has exhibitions about the history of the Republic of Estonia, or something for film enthusiasts - The Film Museum - that tells a story about the history of cinema. A short walk away is also the Memorial to the Victims of Communism. Find out more.
To get more information you can visit Tallinn Tourist Information Centre (Niguliste 2), which is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., call them +372 6457777 or send an email to info@visittallinn.ee.
The Museum Card
The Museum Card is a pass that allows you unlimited visits to over 120 museums and 500 exhibitions for a full year!
Use code: PÖFF (discount for 55 €)
More info: https://muuseumikaart.ee/en/
It is worth sharpening your eyes when walking around the city because you can find the PÖFF sticker on the doors of restaurants, cafes, bars, and venues – if you notice this, don’t be afraid to step in, because the sticker marks all the warm, cosy, snug, and friendly wolf dens.
PÖFF RECOMMENDS - FIND PLACES HERE.
Even though there is already a lot to do in Tallinn, a real fan of PÖFF and Estonia will not stop here. You should also definitely go to Tartu, where you can see most of the films in PÖFF’s programme and discover the beautiful city, which also is the European Capital of Culture in 2024.
Lux Express is a good way to travel between most of the bigger cities in Estonia, and in fact you can also use it to travel to Riga, Vilnius or even Warsaw. The buses are comfortable and every seat has a screen, where you can watch films during the ride - something that is definitely appealing to all the PÖFF visitors. You can look up the schedule and book your tickets here.
If you are more of a train person, then this is also a good option and again you can travel to most of the bigger cities or discover all the smaller ones in between. You can find the schedules and book your tickets here.