Where saunas or steam rooms are provided in clusters (73FR34465)

I am not always the best planner when it comes to travel, so it's really helpful to have friends all over the world who forgive you for deciding to visit on short notice. It's especially nice when such friends have an apartment where you can crash, so all you have to worry about is buying plane tickets. Such was the case with my last-minute trip to Tallinn over a long weekend in January, which barely got planned in the few in-between days after we returned from our holiday road trip.

Mid-winter in the Baltics, the days are short, so even though we arrived at Jagala Waterfall in the early afternoon of my first full day, it already seemed like the sun was setting (top). Despite the frigid temperatures, only the edges of the cascade had frozen into icicles (bottom left). This, along with the fact that the water was a little dingy, gave the impression that Estonia's highest waterfall was a flow of cola (bottom right).

 

We got a little lost as we headed down the road to Lahemaa National Park, but luckily, when we arrived at Viru Bog, the sun was still on the horizon (top). The light through the trees made the trailhead feel tranquil, even though a hearty lot filled the parking lot (bottom left). Unlike the falls, all the water in the bog seemed to be frozen. Despite appearances, we didn't take any chances, sticking to the boardwalks and tower as we surveyed our surroundings (bottom right).

With the majority of one day spent mostly outside in the cold, we figured it wouldn't hurt to balance out the weekend with a day spent inside in the heat. So we took a bus to Parnu (left), where we visited Estonia Resort Hotel & Spa. An hourly fee gives you access to eight saunas, including a traditional smoke sauna, a UNESCO Intangible Heritage. My favorite was the aroma sauna, which had windows that framed a view of the snow you were escaping. After our sweat sessions were over, I kept the saline feeling alive with a salt-table treatment. At our next stop, a late lunch at Supelsaksad, only salt, not myself, was set on the table (right).

 

I had been to Tallinn before, so I wasn't necessarily interested in seeing all the tourist sites. But they're difficult to avoid as you wander around and through the old town, especially when they're so darn charming. A cute little skating rink was constructed outside St. Nicholas Church and Museum (top left). And a delightful holiday evergreen was lingering by the Town Hall (top right). Right across from the hall sits the city Pharmacy, which has been open since 1422 (bottom left). It was home to some less adorable wonders, including "dried deer penises" and "sun-bleached dog feces" (bottom right).

More appetizing and healthy remedies were on display at Balti Jaami Turg, the market on the other side of the train station in the new part of town (top left). After a stroll through the produce, we headed over to Telliskivi, a former industrial area that is being transformed into a creative, artistic space (top right). We contemplated lunch at a cafe there, but then decided instead to head back to the old town to Rataskaevu 16 (bottom left). I believe we made the right choice because the homemade bread and braised elk (bottom right) put a perfect final point on an indulgent weekend.