The Tallinn Botanic Garden in Pirita holds over 8,000 plant species across 123 hectares of open gardens and glasshouses, including a large palm house, a rose garden, and a well-designed collection of native Estonian plants. It opened in 1961 and, by the standards of Eastern European botanical gardens of its era, has been consistently well maintained.
The garden is pleasantly uncrowded even in summer, and the surrounding pine forest makes it a genuine escape from the city. The rose garden is at its best in June and July. The Botanic Garden is adjacent to the Tallinn TV Tower and easily combined with a Pirita afternoon.