Tallinn - Shop 'til you drop

Tallinn has established itself as the main shopping city in the Eastern Baltic.

Facts about Tallinn

Membership in the EU hasn't led to the prices increases one might have expected in Estonia. Instead, both the number of tourists and competetion have increased, keeping prices down.

The many small shops and boutiques in central Tallinn provide healthy competition to the large shopping malls. Estonia has also developed a local design culture, with their own high quality brand names, targeted to young and middle-aged consumers.

A very nicely tailored man's suit of the Estonian label Ivo Nikkola went for 210 Euros and fit like a glove. A coat is around 125 Euros. A classic wool pinstriped suit at

City Hall, the natural hub of old town. In the summer lined with sidewalk cafes, in the winter with charming cellar restaurants.

Baltman's is around 190 Euros. The hardest part is choosing. Baltman (for men), Monton, Sangar, Hula, and Veta (for women) are other names in the growing Estonian design world.

You will find more stores in Viru, and in the Kriistina Shopping Center, than in other Nordic cities, featuring all the well known European brands as well as domestic Estonian brands. Last year, a large shopping galleria opened across the street from Hotel Tallink. It is called Viru Keskus, and has a wide selection. Jeans, sport clothes, children's clothing, and shoes are especially good deals. Fashion is in line with the rest of Europe, so if you are looking for an old eastern bloc collection of glitter and glitz you will be sorely disappointed. One remnant of the Russian era is an enormous array of sexy underwear and stockings, and the selection of ladies hats and furs is larger than average. Make-up, beauty care, and eye glasses can all be found at good prices. A pair of progressive glasses may save you the cost of the trip, easily 30-40% cheaper than Sweden.

Also well worth buying is anything of Estonian linen: dresses, shirts, suits, napkins, blouses, tablecloths. A man's shirt might cost 25-30 Euros, while a large table cloth is 18-21 Euros. A light linen coat was found for 50 Euros. These prices were seen in Tallinn and the linen town of Pärnu at midsummer. Prices during the January sales are even lower.

Stores are rapidly multipying. Linen and fashion clothing are good deals.

Dental care is also a big draw. A filling runs between 21 and 49 Euros, a 30 minute teeth bleaching is 30 Euros, and a root canal 37 Euros, including novocaine. You can have a wisdom tooth extracted for less than 95 Euros, all according to a survey by a major Scandinavian daily.

Bags, mittens, gloves, scarves, sporting goods, everything from tennis shoes to whole canoes are good bargains. And if you brought your car (preferrably a big one) you should check out the appliance section; stoves, washers, building material, tiles, even a whole house would not be a bad deal. If you don't own a car, buy one. Well, perhaps you should check your local regulations first, but it would surely be a bargain.

However, you can expect pricing similar to the west on mobile phones and consumer electronics, with the possible exception of TV sets.

Estonia recently increased its liquor tax, but prices are still lower than home. Occasionally, though, you might get a better deal at the tax free store on the ferry. The large food and liquor gallerias close to the harbor carry lots of interesting goods; don't forget the Estonian black bread, the many varieties of Russian-Estonian sardines (yum!), toothpaste, shampoo, etc, all at rock bottom prices. In the large liquor aisles, alcohol is often sold in practical 10 x .5 liter plastic bottles, including, among other selections, vodka. A different touch is the Russian (Ukrainian, really) champagne, a very good value, and various types of brandy from Georgia and Armenia. The Estonian liqueur Vana Tallinn is often consumed straight, but it has been a success among my friends when used for "Irish coffee", where the bittersweet taste comes into its own. Estonia also brews many kinds of good beer, from Saku to A le Coq and Saarenmaa. If you are flying straight home, you might also consider frozen filet mignon. And the chocolate factory Kalev has a few gems in its product line.

Next to the city wall, you can still find a good selection of knit items from the countryside and Russia. Near the harbor, in an ancient warehouse, is "the Russian market" with budget clothing, knit items, linen fabrics, and underwear. And if you see an open air market don't forget flowers, local berries, and mushrooms.

If you are here on a longer vacation and doing your own cooking, the grocery stores are a pleasure; big selection and "happy" prices. And don't forget to check out the drugstore.