How to Spend a Day in Nõmme – Tallinn’s Greenest Local Neighborhood

I discovered the Nõmme district in Tallinn after a few visits on different days for different reasons, and it turned out to be such a surprise.

It’s a local neighborhood which you can find in Tallinn outside Old Town, covered in greenery, full of interesting old architecture, an interesting market with good prices, forest trails to walk even in winter, and a few great places to eat that you would never expect to find this far from the center.

For me, Nõmme is one of Tallinn’s true hidden gems… the kind of place where you can spend half a day or even a full day and feel like you’ve left the city entirely. It has the atmosphere of a small town somewhere in central Estonia, yet you are still in Tallinn.

It’s a great area for people who like exploring different neighborhoods, not just the city center, and who have more than three days visiting Tallinn.

Is Nõmme Worth Visiting?

If you already did the basics in Tallinn and want something different, then absolutely, Nõmme is worth it. It will help you escape the city without leaving it.

What I like about this neighborhood and what makes it awesome is its vast greenery and calm. It’s very local and feels like a small Estonian town hidden inside Tallinn.

Things to Do in Nõmme, Tallinn (All Year)

1. Visit the historic Nõmme Train Station

If you arrive by train, you’ll get off here anyway. And if you come by bus, I recommend walking to the station since it is quite an atmospheric place, even though tiny.

Built in the 1900s style, it hasn’t changed much and still has the same wooden details and a small platform (as a century ago, I saw in the books about old Tallinn in the library), plus there is a beautiful forest around.

Good for:

• photos
• starting/ending your walk
• feeling like you are in a small Estonian town rather than Tallinn

From here, the train back to the center takes 10 minutes.

2. Pop Into a Nõmme Museum

Right next to the train station, inside a historic railway building, there’s a small local museum that helps you understand what Nõmme actually is. Before it became part of Tallinn, Nõmme was an independent town with its own mayor, plans, and architecture, which is why it feels so different from the rest of the city.

Inside, you’ll find old photos, models, documents, and objects that show how the neighborhood developed from forest and sand dunes into a garden-town full of wooden villas.

It’s not a long visit (20–30 minutes is enough unless you like read everything and search extra info about the place online), but it adds context to everything you see outside later – wooden houses, wide streets, forest grid, even the character of the market.

Practically:

• Address: Jaama 18
• Open only a few days during the week, check the schedule here, since it depends on the season
• Ticket price is only €3
• Easy to combine with the market, train station, and forest trails
• Good stop for colder or rainy days

3. Stop for a Classic Estonian Food at Sõõrikukohvik

A neighborhood classic right by the station. This cafe has been here for years and feels very “old Nõmme” if I can say that. It is quite simple, but cozy, home-style, and full of locals. If you are visiting in the morning and haven’t eaten anything yet, stop here for a traditional cheap breakfast in Tallinn, as the choice is big.

Otherwise, stop for a quick coffee, pick up freshly fried doughnuts (they sell them by weight and are incredibly good), or sit down for a small meal like soup or pancakes during the day.

What makes this place good is the atmosphere: you know right from the start that you are not in a trendy city cafe, but in a traditional neighborhood spot where people from Nõmme come daily.

In winter it’s perfect to warm up after the forest walk. In summer, it’s a great break during a longer loop around the wooden streets and Glehn Park. Prices are also very reasonable compared to central Tallinn.

Practically:

• Address: Jaama 12
• Open all year
• Great for both a quick stop and a full-size meal

4. Visit Nõmme Market (Nõmme turg)

Nõmme Market is the heart of the neighborhood and the easiest way to understand this part of Tallinn. It’s not a tourist market because most people who sell here actually live nearby, and many stalls are run by families who’ve been here for decades.

What you’ll actually see:

• tables with seasonal berries (in summer) and homemade jams (year-round)
• smoked fish that’s fresher and cheaper than in the center
• pastries and small baked goods from home bakers
• flowers, vegetables, honey, and small local snacks

Inside, there’s a small hall with butchers and bakeries. Outside, the market has a covered area where locals buy their vegetables even in winter. You can pick up a snack and start your walk straight from here.

There are also kiosks selling cafe-style foods like good burgers, coffee with cakes, and sandwiches. Entrance to the market is here.

During the holiday season in December, they even set up a Christmas market here, which is more local and has lower prices. (If you go then, you can visit it with other Christmas markets in Tallinn using my guide).

5. See the wooden houses & “old Nõmme” architecture

Between the market and station, you’ll find a cluster of beautifully restored wooden houses. Some are a century old.

They usually have:

• wooden façades painted in muted Nordic colors
• decorative details from pre-war Tallinn
• small gardens with pine trees

These streets feel like a different world compared to the center with no trams or traffic, just quiet residential life.

Walk slowly… this area is one of the few places in Tallinn where you can feel what the city looked like before Soviet times.

You’ll find these houses pretty much in any direction, but I like to walk on Mai, Kastani, and Tähetorn tänav (they are street names).

6. Walk to Glehn Park & castle ruins

If you want a longer route (40–50 minutes round trip), head toward Glehn Park.

What’s actually there:

• Old Stone Glehn Castle (private and not open to the public, but very atmospheric from the outside)
• a sculpture garden
• forest paths that feel wild but safe
• quiet hills (nothing steep)
• shady walks in summer, snow-covered paths in winter

I like it for being hidden and giving that ‘local’ feel, which reminds me of discovering an old, forgotten corner of the city.

7. Try a local sauna or the Nõmme swimming center

Nõmme has a small, simple community swimming center with a public sauna inside (Nõmme Spordikeskus). It’s not a luxury spa, more like the kind of place locals use after work or after a walk in the forest. You can come just for the sauna, or you can combine it with the pool if you want a longer break.

But I like them for other things too – for the opportunity to rent skis with poles, and even rent a snowmobile with a driver. Lots of activities here!

Why it works in all seasons:

• a warm-up stop after a winter walk
• a relaxing cool-down after a long summer walk
• a very “local Tallinn” experience with zero tourists

If you are spending a full day in Nõmme, it’s a perfect place to finish your visit before taking the train back to the center. Find more details about prices and services here.

8. Walk the Nõmme–Harku Health Trail (Terviserada)

If you want something a bit more active than a casual forest walk, Nõmme has a marked health trail that feels almost like a small national park inside the city. The Nõmme-Harku terviserada starts here and continues deep into the pine forest with scenic adjacent paths.

These paths are maintained all year, and if there is snow, you can go skiing here on flat land.

In summer: soft ground, deep shade from tall pines, and a warm forest smell that Nõmme is known for.
In winter: the whole route turns into a peaceful snow corridor where you can walk even when the city center feels somewhat messy or icy. Trail is wide, clear, and well-marked, so you won’t get lost.

It’s perfect if you want to stretch the day and feel like you are outside Tallinn without actually leaving the city. This is one of the best ways to see why Nõmme is considered Tallinn’s “forest district.”

How to Get to Nõmme

My favorite way (and I think the most atmospheric one) is to take a train from Tallinn Balti Jaam (train station). It takes just 10 minutes but creates a feeling of a little adventure (plus, Estonian trains are really nice).

Another option is to take a bus from the city center. Several different bus routes cover the stretch to Nõmme, but I like to take #36 if going from the lower Old Town (or Viru area) since it is the fastest. But depending on the location where you are exactly, you can also take #10, 23, 27 from the center.

Quick Half-Day (or Full Day) Itinerary for Nõmme

Arrive in Nõmme by train from Tallinn. Get off at the station, feel the atmosphere, and before you arrive (while still on the train), scroll down to the ‘Old Nõmme Facts’ section and read it on the train (it’s a quick 2-minute overview that shows what this area used to look like. I read a lot about Nomme and prepared a little info for those who love getting acquainted with a place before even arriving).

If you visit on a day when the museum is open, pop into the Nõmme Museum for half an hour. And if someone really wants to see it properly, there’s also an option to book a guided visit in advance through their email.

After that, I suggest stopping at Sõõrikukohvik to get breakfast or lunch. Their mashed potatoes with patties are so good, and of course, you can also get doughnuts.

If you prefer not to eat there (for example, if you’ve already tried their second location in the center), then go straight to the market.

At the market, walk around a bit. If you are visiting in summer or fall, the berries here are amazing, mushrooms are perfect to buy. The corn and watermelons are very sweet – better than in any store in Tallinn.

Inside the market, there are two small indoor shops I really like:

– one with Georgian pastries like khachapuri, lobiani, and other Georgian goodies
– and directly opposite it, another shop with very tasty and cheap pirozhki (back from the old days) with different fillings (photos above in #4 of the section about the things to do in Nomme).

I recommend buying a few to take with you if you plan to walk in the forest or on the health trail afterward.

Next, I suggest following the small streets toward Nõmme Snowpark (by the way, this is also a nice place to go skiing in winter for both beginners and professionals).

On the way, you’ll pass wooden houses hiding in the forest. It’s a really nice area to walk through and to see how people live here. You’ll notice some very wealthy, slightly pompous houses… honestly interesting to look at (I think).

If you keep following the path, you’ll reach Glehn Park with the viewing tower and castle. It’s also a nice place to walk around in any season. Near the castle, there are benches where it’s really nice to sit and eat the pastries you bought at the market.

From Glehn Park, you can continue the walk further or turn toward the Mustamäe district, which also has its own interesting spots. Or you can stop by the sports center there and swim in the pool.

Or simply follow another path back to Nõmme and take the train (or bus) back to the city center.

The beauty of Nõmme is that you can spend just a couple of hours here or a whole day if you go for a longer forest walk. It’s a very different side of Tallinn, which creates an impression that the whole district was built directly in the forest.

Interesting Things About Old Nõmme (Easy to Read on the Train)

1. Nõmme used to be its own town, completely separate from Tallinn

Not just a district, yes. From 1926 to 1940, Nõmme had its own mayor, its own police, its own city planning, and even its own small-town identity.

People from Tallinn used to call it “the garden town”.

2. The whole area grew around the railway line

Nõmme basically exists because of the Tallinn–Paldiski railway.

When a station was built here in the late 1800s, wealthy Tallinn families started buying plots around it to build wooden villas. They wanted a “country escape” but still close to the city.

(This is why there are so many rich-looking old houses in this area, together with newly built ones that match the style).

3. Wealthy summer villas = today’s wooden houses

Many of the wooden houses you see today were not built for everyday life. They were summer homes for rich merchants and Baltic Germans who spent warm months in Nõmme because of the forest and clean air.

That’s why the houses look unusually decorative and villa-like.

4. The founder of Glehn Castle was a total eccentric

Nikolai von Glehn, who built Glehn Castle in 1886, was a strange genius:

• He created sculptures by himself (the crocodile, “Kalevipoeg”)
• He planned Nõmme as an artistic “garden town”
• He even built his own observatory
• Locals thought he was half scientist, half crazy
• His castle became the cultural center of old Nõmme.

5. Nõmme once had one of the best ski hills in Estonia

Before WWII, Nõmme actually had a real ski jump, cross-country trails, and winter competitions. People came from all over Estonia there.

The forest itself + sandy hills made it perfect for skiing long before Mustamäe was developed. (The Snowpark I mentioned above is that exact place where you can go skiing on hills in winter. Good option for beginners too, since the hills are small.)👇

6. People used to go to Nõmme like a resort

In the 1920s–30s, Nõmme was consiered one of the best places to stay in Tallinn; families took the train on weekends for:

• forest air
• picnics
• coffee houses
• concerts near Glehn Castle
• walking paths

Basically it was Tallinn’s “summer resort”. Until this day, people go there for the same reasons.

7. Nõmme Market is over 100 years old

It started as a small village market around 1908, where farmers brought berries, mushrooms, and butter.

But later, it became one of the best-known markets in pre-war Estonia because Nõmme residents were wealthier than Tallinn’s average population.

8. The forest grid was planned, not natural

Perfectly organized forest paths around Nõmme were intentionally designed. Urban planners wanted a “garden city” with:

• wide sandy streets
• pine forest strips between houses
• lots of open spaces

This is why today Nõmme looks like a forest and a town blended together. Here is just a small part of it:

@roadiscalling

An unbelievably green city… one of the most nature-filled I’ve ever lived in or visited, maybe even the lushest, to be honest. #tallinn #estonia🇪🇪 #baltics #northerneurope #hiddeneurope

♬ sonido original – lomas90’ta y 2000

9. Old Nõmme was known for its wooden street lamps

Before the Soviet era, Nõmme had hand-made wooden lamp posts, very unusual for Estonia. Some early photos show these lamps lining quiet paths around the train station.

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I hope you’ll enjoy Nõmme when you see it through the prism of my eyes, and maybe discover a side of Tallinn you didn’t expect!

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