About 2km east of Old Town, this beautiful park’s ample acreage is Tallinn’s favourite patch of green. Together with the baroque Kadriorg Palace, its 70 hectares were commissioned by the Russian Tsar Peter the Great for his wife Catherine I soon after his conquest of Estonia (Kadriorg means 'Catherine’s Valley' in Estonian).
Nowadays the oak, lilac and horse-chestnut trees give shade to strollers and picnickers, the formal pond and gardens provide a genteel backdrop for romantic promenades and wedding photos, and the children’s playground is a favourite free-for-all for the city’s youngsters. Stop by the park's information centre, housed in a pretty 18th-century cottage near the main entrance, to see a scale model of the palace and its grounds.
From central Tallinn, tram 3 stops right by Kadriorg Park. Buses 1A and 34A (among others) stop at the J Poska stop on Narva mnt, near the foot of the park, while buses 67 and 68 head to the Kumu end.