Unfortunately, my semester abroad started with some difficulties. Because it was pretty sure that all rooms at the dormitory at Tallin University would be occupied, my friend Isabell and I have been searching for privat flats.
We started 2 months in advance before getting here. After some searching we actually found something suitable and the flat was reserved for us. Then 2 days before flying to Tallinn we got a message from our broker. Long story short, the apartment could not be rented to us (we still don’t know the exact reason, we guess there has been some double renting).
Due to this issue we have now stayed at a hostel for the first week, while continuing of search for a flat. Most people don’t want to rent their apartment for only 6 months and if they do, they usually push the price up quite a bit. However, there is a lot on the market right now, so we hope to find something soon!
Apart from the apartment problem (which surely can be solved, friends of ours have found something here or didn’t have any problems even though they rented from overseas) Tallinn is a city that I instantly liked. Other than you might expect pretty much everything is within walking distance!!! My tip for right after you arrive at the airport: Use the Bolt App! Bolt is an uprising company that offers E-Scooters, delivers food and gets you from A to B (like Uber) for very cheap prices. Talking about prices: Groceries shopping is about as expensive as in Germany. Imported goods like German beer is unfortunately a bit more expensive 😉
The overall impression of Tallinn is more westernised than I’d expected it to be. It’s an interesting mixture of the old parts of Tallinn and the newer, more industrial parts. Especially on sunny days Tallin’s old town with its cute little alleys, cafés, art galleries and museums offers a great opportunity to explore our new hometown. Within a 15 minutes walk you are at the port and can smell the sea. For those who don’t like walking: Fear not, there is public transport as well. Buses and trams take you anywhere you want. Just buy a rechargable ticket at a so called R-Kiosk and you are good to go.
Next week will be the orientation week at our new University. We are looking forward to new people and new experiences!
