Kadriorg Park and Kumu

Kadriorg Park, about two kilometres east of the Old Town, was begun in 1718 on the orders of Peter the Great, who named the estate after his wife Catherine. Its pink Baroque palace now holds the Kadriorg Art Museum, with European and Russian art in rooms whose great hall is one of the finest Baroque interiors in the region. The park covers about 70 hectares of formal gardens, the Swan Pond, avenues of trees and the promenade to the Presidential Palace. At its top end stands Kumu, the main building of the Art Museum of Estonia, a bold modern building cut into the limestone bank and home to the largest collection of Estonian art, from the eighteenth century to the present. The park is free and open at all hours; the museums are ticketed and closed on Mondays.

How to plan it: take the tram from the centre to Kadriorg, about ten minutes, and walk through the park. Start at the palace and its formal garden, stroll past the Swan Pond and the presidential promenade, and finish at Kumu. Allow half a day if you visit both museums. Kumu’s Soviet-era galleries are especially strong, and its temporary shows are often excellent.

Opening hours: Kumu and the Kadriorg Art Museum are both closed on Mondays, and each has one late evening a week, so check before you go. The pedestrian tunnel to Kumu is closed until mid-November 2026, so follow the signs for the alternative path. The small Mikkel Museum nearby belongs to the same group.

When to go: late spring brings blossom, summer the flower beds and music, autumn spectacular colour, and winter a quiet, snowy park. The seaside promenade toward Pirita starts nearby, and the TV Tower is a short bus or taxi ride further on.