Tallinn’s UNESCO-world heritage listed Old Town, with its complete 2.5km / 1.5mile medieval defensive wall and various hidden bars and restaurants, is one of the prettiest Old Towns in Europe and, when combined with a short ferry ride over to Helsinki and its harbourside, makes for quite a fun European getaway for a long weekend, even in the winter
The winter weather didn’t spoil things from a Tallinn perspective. If anything it made the Old Town prettier with all the snow and cosy when you go from the freezing dark outside to the warm interiors of the bars and restaurants serving the hot spiced cider. Helsinki, however, felt very cold because the buildings were more spread out and the harbourside was very exposed to the wind. It was still worth heading over from Tallinn as part of the round trip, but I wouldn’t suggest Helsinki in winter on its own