Tallinn

  Estonia is situated in Northern Europe, on the coast of the Baltic Sea, neighbouring Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Russia. It is a country with 1.4 million people, which attracts more than 3 million visitors annually. Modern seaports and convenient air services make it simple to visit Estonia. Moreover, visas are not required for the citizens of most countries. Estonia boasts vast areas of almost virgin nature and is becoming known as a splendid holiday and health resort destination. Sandy beaches, pine forests and picturesque hilly landscapes will impress you. While driving by comfortable bus you will be able to see most of the country within a day and become acquainted with its reach history and culture. Estonia is known above all for its beautiful capital – Tallinn. The Old Town of Tallinn is on UNESCO's world heritage list and is one of the most romantic places in the world, whose medieval architecture - churches, towers, burghers' houses and the Town Wall - has been excellently preserved. In order to get the right perception of the old town atmosphere you should walk down the winding cobbled streets lined with cafés, art galleries, boutiques, pubs and restaurants. It brings a heightened understanding of the rich town’s history and gives a unique chance to experience the layers of time.
Depending on the season, there are various happenings throughout the year based on medieval traditions and lore, or inspired by Tallinn’s medieval past. The “Old Town Days” are celebrated annually. In the middle of the summer for four days, the Town Hall Square is turned into a “Medieval Market”, where counters overflow with goods, handicrafts and art. Within the old walls of the Old Town, the skills and traditions of ancient masters are brought to life, and noble citizens, buffoons and musicians wander the streets.
Tallinn’s Old Town is rich in concert venues. The Medieval Town Hall, the impressive House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads, the Nicholas’s Museum-Concert Hall, the Gate Tower, the Dominican Cloister, and the Kanuti Guild Hall are only a few examples of the unique settings that Tallinn offers its music lovers.

During a city sightseeing tour you can see beautiful Kadriorg park with its Swan Pond and the Baroque Catharina Palace. Not far from Kardiorg is the Song Festival Grounds. The tour continues to Pirita. There you will pass by the Forest Cemetery, where many important Estonian public figures are buried. On the way back to the city you will pass by the ruins of St. Brigitta’s Convent in Pirita, Maarjamae Palace, Russalka and the Memorial Monument of Estonia’s Shipwreck. The walking tour includes Toompea Hill on which Tallinn was founded in the 12th century, the Parliament House, the Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral and the Dome Church. Before descending the Toompea Hill, you will have a chance to view Old Tallinn from the observation platform. In lower Old Town you will see the ancient St. Nicolas Church, the Medieval Town Hall and the Town Hall Square.

The Town Hall Square has been a marketplace, fairground and meeting place for centuries. The square in front of the Town Hall functioned as a marketplace even before the Town Hall itself was built. The square was used for celebrations, but also for executions. Today, the square is a social focus of the city, filled with outdoor cafes in the summer, as well as open-air concerts, handicraft fairs and medieval markets.

The Town Hall Square has also become the traditional centre of the “Old Town Days”, a modern version of a medieval carnival. Traditions from the middle ages are kept alive here, including parades, a knights' tournament, a parrot-shooting contest, and the election of the May Count. The streets and courtyards of the Old Town are filled with music, dance, theatre performances, exhibits and fairs.

The Tallinn Town Hall building is one of the most famed symbols of the city, recognized throughout Estonia as a venerable, unique architectural treasure. The Town Hall was established on the central square, probably at the beginning of 13th century. 2-1404, the building was substantially reconstructed. The exterior we know today dates from this period, and the basic room plan has also been preserved, as it was reconstructed for hosting receptions. The second floor is the main floor, where the Citizen’s Hall, the Council Hall and a small kitchen. It is a place where the festive receptions and concerts are held. The three-nave cellar hall is open to citizens and guests today as an exhibit hall.

The St. Olaf’s Church was the tallest church in Medieval Europe. The earliest data on St. Olaf’s Church come from 1267. The church was named after the Norwegian king Olav II Haraldsson, canonised as a Saint. Around 1500, the building reached a height of 159 meters, and became the world’s tallest building of the time. The motivation for building such an immensely tall steeple must have been to use it as a maritime signpost.

The City Wall - Medieval fortresses, which emerged during the development of the medieval town at the end of the 13th century, surrounded the city centre as a closed defence zone. By the 16th century, Tallinn’s defence system was one of the most powerful in Northern Europe. The city wall was three metres thick, sixteen meters high, and four kilometres long, completely encircling the city with 46 defence towers. The portion of the wall that has survived is two kilometres long, encompassing 26 of the original towers. Three towers and a section of the town wall surrounding the Old Town are open to the public – and can be visited by anyone with a sense of adventure.

The Great Coastal Gate and Fat Margaret were built as a defence on the seaward side of town, but also for impressing visitors coming in from the sea. The Great Coastal Gate, built along with the city wall, is situated on the northern side of the Old Town, near the harbour. During the reconstruction of the gate in the early 16th century, the cannon tower Fat Margaret was added. The round tower, with 155 loopholes, a diameter of 25 meters, and a height of about 20 meters, was built to protect the harbour. It got its name from the fact that it was indeed the stoutest tower in the city wall. Through history, the cannon tower has also served as a storehouse for gunpowder and weapons, and as a prison. Fat Margaret now houses the Estonian Maritime Museum, with a permanent exhibit on Estonian maritime and fishing history. The viewing platform on the roof affords a lovely view onto the Old Town and the bay.

The Dome Church is the main Lutheran church in Estonia and one of three functioning medieval churches. The present appearance of the Dome Church is the result of several rebuildings. Notable items in the church’s interior include numerous gravestones from the 13th to the 18th centuries and numerous nobles' shield epitaphs from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Among the famous people buried in the church are the well-known captain Pontus de la Gardie and his wife, Sophia Gyllenhelm, daughter of Swedish king Johann III; admiral Samuel Greigh, Catherine the Great’s lover; and the Russian admiral Adam Johann von Krusenstern, who led the expedition around the world.

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the Tallinn’s largest and grandest cupola cathedral. The large, richly decorated Orthodox Church was built on Toompea Hill in 1900, when Estonia was a part of the Russian empire. The church’s bell towers hold Tallinn’s most powerful church bell ensemble, consisting of 11 bells, including the largest in Tallinn, weighting 15 tonnes. You can hear the entire bell ensemble playing before church services.