BudgetTravel

Further into the forest from Pirita, a full five miles from downtown, is the old Ecoland (Randvere tee 115, tel. 605-1999, fax 605-1998, ecoland@ecoland.ee), a resort of fairly recent vintage at the edge of the Vilmsi forest, in a quiet neighborhood of country houses (take bus 8, ten minutes from Pirita or 20 from downtown). With heated floors, free morning sauna, and rooms starting at $36, it's an excellent base for cross-country skiing and exploring the local woods or nearby beaches.

Finally, bed-and-breakfasts can be reserved in private homes throughout Estonia from Rasastra (tel. 641-2291, rasastra@online.ee) for $16 single, $30 double per night; similarly priced apartments are also available for longer stays. Accommodations of all types are listed at tourism.ee.

Estonian edibles

The Old Town is littered with restaurants, from quick cafeteria-style joints to elegant restaurants serving various cuisines. Get a fine $2 buffet and a full menu of traditional Estonian meat and fish dishes for $3 to $6 at Kloostri Ait (Vene 14, tel. 644-6887), an ancient cloister turned into a factory and now renovated as a restaurant, cafe, and cultural center, often with free music in the evenings. It's an excellent place to meet locals and travelers.

The cheapest and quickest eats in the Old Town are at bare-bones Lemmik, a cafe at Viru 18 (tel. 641-8357) where a full meal won't set you back more than $4, yet the food is fresh and surprisingly good.

On the square's north side at No. 14, the Cafe Anglais (tel. 644-2160) serves filling sandwiches, the freshest salads in town, huge slices of pie, and great coffee in a spacious, second-floor room next to an informal art gallery; meals run $3 to $6.

For authentically Estonian food (which features lots of meat, potatoes, cabbage, and the mysterious yogurt-grain concoction kama), the best option is a five-minute walk from the Old Town past the concert hall. Tallinna Eesti Maja (Lauteri 1, tel. 645-5252) serves a filling lunch buffet for $4 and entrees for $4 to $8. In the Old Town itself, especially Estonian in mood is the popular, fairly new Vanaema Juures ("Grandma's Place") at Rataskaevu 10 (tel. 626-9080); classic dishes such as mulgikapsad (pickled cabbage cooked with pork and barley) are served in an old, cavern-like basement with decor and music from the early days of the first republic, right after World War I. Entrees run $4.50 to $10.50.

Tallinn by night

This town now boasts a decent range of cultural offerings, from the symphony to modern discos featuring pulsing electronica and techno music. Of the latter, one of the largest is Club Hollywood (Vana-Posti 8, tel. 699-7830; admission $4.75 to $6.50), consisting of several rooms with various kinds of music - and no sneakers allowed! Another is Raekook (Dunkri 5, tel. 631-3370; admission free), a warren-like maze of dance floors, bars, and eating spaces (and even private saunas and bedrooms, rentable for all-night bashes). Check out the Von Krahli Baar (Rataskaevu 10, tel. 626-9096, $3 admission) for smaller, funkier acts and more offbeat music. All three of these spots are in the Old Town. A block away at Eesti puiestee 4 is Tallinn's world-class orchestra and theater complex (contact Eesti Kontsert at 614-7700 or info@concert.ee to find out what's on, though there are usually posters around town advertising the season's performances).

The free Tallinn This Week booklet available at hotels or the tourist office is published so long in advance that it isn't terribly accurate on events (though a good source for sightseeing and dining information); instead, you can usually glean some decent info from the weekly newspapers Eesti Ekspress ($2) or Linnaleht (free), as well as the arts/literary weekly Sirp ($1). Also try the Web site weekend.ee/eng (which is in English).

Touring beyond Tallinn

The capital's hinterland is a landscape that's the least densely populated in Europe, with wild swamps harboring moose, wild boars, lynx, and bears. Wooden boardwalks take you deep into the bogs, and the wild, rocky islands of Saaremaa and Hnumaa offer a solitude hard to find on beaten-down pathways elsewhere in Europe. It's easy to get around, by bus or by car, and it never costs much to stay and eat along the way.