Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn was my last stop in the Baltics -- such a beautiful city, I definitely could have spent more time there.  The only negative -- way too many tourists!  There were at least three cruise ships at port while I was there.  The weather was mostly gorgeous during my visit -- so I didn't spend much time indoors -- just spent my time walking around the Old Town of Tallinn (and a fair amount of time basking in the sun at outdoor cafes -- drinking coffee & wine).

I stayed at the Three Sisters Hotel and quite happy about that choice.  The hotel is located within the Old Town (in the city's most famous medieval merchant houses built in 1362, renovated and turned into a hotel in 2003)-- so great location, made it very easy to get around to all of the sights.  My room was also really comfortable -- although strangely I had a bathtub in my room (instead of in the bathroom) -- fortunately there was a shower in the bathroom.  And the hotel had a lovely inner courtyard -- perfect for an early evening cocktail!  The only thing I wasn't impressed with was the breakfast -- rather ordinary (although great selection of fresh fruit).

For some reason, I ended up having dinner both nights at Italian restaurants -- and both were really very good (Pan Y Vino and Ristorante Castello).  I had lunch at Kompressor, a pancake restaurant (actually more like a crepe restaurant) - serving both savory and sweet pancakes (I had both) -- quite good and extremely well-priced!

After 10 days of traveling around -- I also must have been tired of taking photos.  Tallinn is extremely photogenic -- and I didn't fully capture all of its gorgeousness.

As my photos show though, I do have a thing for weathervanes and doors.  As you walk around town - you can't help but notice all of the colorful and decorative doors -- especially cool were the ones with geometric shapes.  And don't get me started on the weathervanes! ☺ I don't know why I like them so much, but I do -- and Tallinn had some exceptional ones.

Old Thomas is one of Tallinn's famous weathervanes.  The original one dates back to 1530 -- and is kept in the Town Hall (unfortunately closed when I was there).  This one is the third reincarnation and was erected in 1996.

The Old Town of Tallinn is set on a hill with the medieval buildings climbing up the slopes in almost every direction.  It was founded in the 13th century and grew in size as it grew in wealth.  At the top of the hill, the most important buildings were erected and this is where the political and religious power was wielded.  The lower areas were main for residential and commercial buildings.  Interestingly, that is still the case today.

As noted in an earlier post, Estonia has been occupied by most all of its neighbors - Danes, Swedes, Russians, Germans, Lithuanians, Poles.  Tallinn survived a 29-week siege by Russia's Ivan the Terrible between 1570 and 1571.  It was held by Sweden from 1561 to 1710, when, decimated by plague, Tallinn surrendered to Russia's Peter the Great.  In 1870, a railway was completed from St Petersburg, and Tallinn became a chief port of the Russian empire.

Tallinn is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Northern Europe.  It was also one of the best fortified cities in Europe, with 66 towers adorning the city wall.  Today, there are about 20 of them still remaining.  Trivia tidbit - Tallinn is named after taani linnus, which is Danish for castle.

Tallinn is right on the Baltic Sea -- and just 80km south of Helsinki.  If I had stayed another couple of days, I would have spent a night in Finland -- it's just 2 hours away by ferry.

Landmarks viewed / visited:

• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
• A spectacular, onion-domed structure perched atop Toompea Hill is Estonia's main Russian Orthodox cathedral.  
• Built in 1900, when Estonia was part of the czarist Russian empire, the cathedral was originally intended as a symbol of the empire's dominance - both religious and political - over this increasingly unruly Baltic territory.
• Church of the Holy Spirit
• Built in the 14th century with a timber interior and a hexagonal tower, the bright white church is one of the oldest structures in Tallinn.  
• The clock on the façade has been measuring time since the 17th century.
• The treasures inside include a unique altar created by Bernt Notke in the 15th century and the pulpit built in 1597.
• Estonian Knighthood House
• The Renaissance revival building was erected in the mid-19th century as the fourth consecutive home of the Estonian Knighthood, a congregation of German nobles who practically controlled Estonia up to its independence in the 1920s.
• Former KGB Headquarters
• Within the walls of this building, suspected enemies of the state were imprisoned and interrogated before being either shot or sent to labor camps in Siberia.
• The commemorative plaque on the building reads "This building house the organ of repression of the Soviet occupational power.  Here began the road to suffering for thousands of Estonians."
• Great Guild Hall
• The Gothic-style building, completed in 1410, was built on what was then the main street, and near the Town Hall.
• It was commissioned by the Great Guild, the association of Hanseatic merchants. 
• House of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads
• Dating back to the 14th century, this is the only surviving Renaissance building in Tallinn.
• The Brotherhood of Blackheads was divided into local autonomous organizations that owned the Blackhead Houses in more than 20 towns in Estonia and Latvia.  This one is the only house that has survived intact into the 21st century.
• Historically, the Blackheads was a professional association of ship owners, merchants, and foreigners.
• Hobuveski (horse mill)
• Round limestone building built in 1379.
• Originally used for milling flour when the city was under siege or when watermills couldn't be used due to lack of water.  The mill mechanism was operated by eight horses that turned it inside the building.
• Reichmann's House
• Art Nouveau house built in 1908
• St Mary's Cathedral aka Dome Church
• Originally Catholic, now Lutheran.  Built by the Danes around 1230.
• The exterior mainly dates from the 15th century, with the tower completed in 1779.
• The building was a burial ground for the rich and titled, and the whitewashed walls are decorated with the elaborate coats-of-arms of Estonia's noble families.
• St Michael's Swedish Church
• Originally built as a hospital in the 16th century, St Michael's also housed a spinning factory where 'fallen women' worked.  Then it was transformed into a church for local Swedes.  After serving as a weightlifting room under the Soviets, the church was returned in 1993 to the Swedish congregation.
• St Olaf's Church aka St Olav's Church
• The church's 124m spire is a Tallinn landmark, and was the tallest building in Europe between 1549 and 1625.  An old legend claims that the church was built to attract more merchant ships to the town by a mysterious craftsman who promised to work for free if the townspeople discovered his name (Olev).  In reality, the church took its name from the canonized Norwegian king, Olav Havalddson.
• The first mention of the church dates to 1267, but the interior dates to 1840.
• St Olaf's Guild Hall
• Built in 1419-22 with two naves and a rare ceiling with High Gothic stellar vaults, the hall is considered to be one of the most brilliant architectural masterpieces in Tallinn (hmmm - I should have gone inside!).
• The guild united individual who worked in so-called 'lower-class' occupations in the Middle Ages (butchers, tanners, gravediggers) assembled in the Guild, representing both Estonian and Scandinavian members.
• Toompea Castle
• The castle was erected on the foundations of the crumbling eastern wing of the fortress built on this site in the 13th & 14th centuries.  The castle with its late Baroque façade was built between 1767 and 1773.
• Today the castle is home to the Riigikogu (the Estonian parliament).
• Town Hall
• Built in 1402, this is the oldest surviving Gothic town hall in Northern Europe.  The structure has unusual dragon gargoyles on its north side facing the busy market square.  Both the spire and the gargoyles are later Renaissance additions.
• Town Hall Pharmacy (Raeapteek)
• Open since 1422, the pharmacy is the oldest in Europe that has continuously operated in the same premises.
• Ten generation of the same family, the Burcharts, operated it from 1581 to 1911.  It was so famous in its day that the Russian czar used to order medicines from here.
• Town Hall Square (Raekoja Plats)
• The square has been the undisputed hub of Old Town for the last eight centuries.
• Surrounded by elaborate merchant houses, and packed with café tables, it's also packed with tourists!
• Historically it served as a market and meeting place, and was the site of at least one execution (resulting from a dispute over a bad omelette).
• Each winter it's home to the town's Christmas tree -- a tradition that stretches back to 1441 -- and a buzzing Christmas market.
• Walls of Tallinn
• With 1.9km of its original city wall and 20 defensive towers still standing, Tallinn boasts one of Europe's best preserved medieval fortifications.  
• Work on the town's defenses first began in 1265, but the current outline of the wall dates to the 14th century.
• By its heyday in the 16th century, it was was 2.4km long, 14 to 16 meters high, up to 3 meters think, and included 46 towers.