Tourist attractions

Tallinn is now World-renowned as a World Heritage site and thronged with visitors from Scandinavia, Germany, America and even Japan. All the more surprising given that it was a Soviet naval base and effectively closed to foreigners for decades up to the late 1980s. Lack of (drinking) time and cold weather may limit sightseeing but here are some of the highlights:

Vana Linn (Old Town) is on a hill overlooking the port. Think Derry or maybe a bit Kilkenny. The lower part has quaint cobbled streets, tacky souvenir shops and the pubs listed above. Above these are the Parliament building and the Cathedral. Alas unlike the Faeroes, you won't see the MP for Svensjockstrap Sud appearing in goal for the national side. To be fair he really should have saved that McCourt chip from outside the box.

Kiek in de Kok ('Peep in the kitchen', or what our more disgruntled fans were planning for that lazy bugger Chris Brunt) is worth a visit for the name alone. It's one of the towers in the town wall.

For some fresh air to chase off the hangover, try Rocca al Mare (Cliffs on Sea), now an open air museum. Similar to Cultra for any Belfast readers. Culture fans will like Empress Catherine and Peter the Great's place, Kadriorg. It's now the country's National Art Gallery.


You'll probably want to wind down and forget the predictable disappointment after the game. Luckily, Tallinn offers a number of nightclubs for the discerning enthusiast. Tonic (see photo) also runs the Pizzeria opposite, for a small extra charge they'll get on toppings of your choice. Alcatraz is on a rocky island offshore, if you manage to swim there everything's free...

OK not really, it's in a shopping arcade opposite the ferry terminal. Probably best not to take too many credit cards here, and certainly not to try to put them in the first available slot...