Tallinn, Estonia is a city you HAVE to visit while in Europe, especially if you love marzipan.
Think it'll be tricky to head over to the Baltics for a quick weekend trip? Not if you're already living in Europe! I loved my quick weekend trips to places like Estonia when I volunteering in Europe with ILP.
Seriously, come live in Europe for a semester
Learn more about volunteering with ILP.
Now that you're set to live in Europe for a few months, you can easily take a short trip to Estonia. You will absolutely love it here, it reminded me of a page of the fairytales I loved as a kid (no joke). Here's your total guide to Tallinn which you'll want (it's crammed with tons of tips and info for your trip). But if you're into unique and tasty adventures, you have got to try marzipan sculpting.
What Is Marzipan?
I had never heard of marzipan before living in Europe and once I tried it I became obsessed. Marzipan is has a soft, dough-like consistency with a very distinct flavor, thanks to an almond base (sweetened with honey or sugar). You can get original (which tastes like almonds) or you can buy it flavored.
This stuff is eaten by itself, it's made into candy bars and it's even covered in chocolate. Yum. It is also really popular in Europe to mold marzipan into shapes and paint it. It is really amazing to see what artist make with it. Like I said, it's pretty unique so if you don't love it, please send it my way!
Visiting The Marzipan Museum
In Tallinn you can visit the Marzipan Museum and see some of that amazing art, all built out of marzipan. It really is incredible to think that this is made out of a candy (seriously, look at that amazing palace)! The museum is not huge, but there are quite a few (big and small) sculptures that will blow your mind. Some of the molds have been used for over a hundred years (wow). Also, the museum entry is free which makes it even better!
- Address: 40 Pikk Street, Tallinn, Estonia
- Hours: 10:00 AM- 6:00 PM
- Check the website ahead of time to see if there are any changes.
Sculpting Your Own Marzipan
The coolest part of the museum for me was being able to sculpt and paint my own marzipan. For 5 euros they will give you marzipan and all of the tools you need to make your own little figurine. It takes about 30 minutes for the whole sculpting lessons + process, and the price includes the marzipan, all the tools for carving and painting, as well as a little box so you can take it home.
It was really fun to make (but even more fun to eat it). I ended up eating mine right after I left (which wasn't surprising). Here are some of the creations we made... We can't all be artists!
Come call Europe home for a semester!
Spend a few months wandering colored alleyways, finding your fav bistros and cafes, taking weekend trips to places like Finland or Estonia, all while you make difference .... come teach English with ILP! 
