Don drove us into Helsinki to catch a catamaran that crosed the Baltic Sea for an hour and a half to the city of Tallinn in the small historic country of Estonia. It was a cloudy, overcast day. Don made sure that we had some umbrelas and we took our rain ponchos, determined to see this medieval wonder. The boat ride was smooth but packed with lots of travelers. We boarded at 11:30. We felt lucky to secure two tickets to go to Tallinn on Saturday. When we bought the tickets on Friday, 11:30 was the only available time to go. Tallinn is a very popular place to visit when in Helsinki. We arrived in Tallinn around 1:00.
Tallinn began to grow into a town about 8 centuries ago. Quite a few years ago!! Steeped in medieval charm, Tallin became a major trading port between the east and west. This country has had Germans, Danes, Swedes, and Russians ruling at one time or another. Durng World War I Estonia declared its independence in 1918. The Soviet forces occupied Estonia while the Nazi invasion brought on a holocaust.
Many fleed the country to Sweden when USSR reinvaded in 1944. Estonia was cut off from the west from 1945 to 1991 with Soviet occupation. In 1987-1988 a "Singing Revolution" took place. Singing wasn't allowed. Large scale protests against Moscow rule began to occur through traditional mass singing events. Estonia became independent in 1991. In 1997, Tallinn was entered into the UNESCO World Heritage List and in 2004 it joined the EU. It was great to continue to use the euro for currency.
Larry and I enjoyed walking the streets of Tallinn....seeing centuries old decaying castle entranceways, twisting cobblestone lanes, iron street lamps. gothic spires and medieval markets....colorful, gabbled houses, grandiose churches...all packed into a mostly intact walled city and dotted with guard towers gave Old Town Tallinn a medical fairytale charm. Tallinn was constantly under the threat of attack. The solution beginning in the 13th century was to maintain a system of high thick walls, guard towers and gates. Today 2 kilometers and half of the 46 towers still loom over the Old Town.
One of the towers to enter the city....absolutely awesome!
The bottom of the tower to the entrance
The original entrance towers...very cool
We enjoyed listening to music that was in the old town center, looking through the open air shops, watching the whimsical acts of medieval times and seeing such joyous people. In our travels, Estonians were probably the happiest people that we have ever encountered.
The sellers actually made the wares that they were displaying and they showed much pride in their products...homemade ice cream, cheeses, breads, honey, jams, linens, glass jewelry, woven sweaters, iron prodicts, and much, much more....all at very reasonable prices.
This lady made the haat that Larry bought from her.
They sang in the pubs and enjoyed coffee on the sidewalk cafes. Their happiness was contagious. The citizens of Tallinn showed a love of life and their city.
My man couldn't resist the homemade ice cream...sporting his Estonian hat.
Original whimsical structures
Quaint sidewalk cafes
Leaving the Old Town Tallinn...what a cool opening into a fantastic setting!
We boarded the boat with big smiles on our faces. The weather had held out ...no rain. The day had been full of great entertainment and charming medievel structures and entertainment. Estonia left us with a warm fuzzy feeling. It was just a wonderful palce to meander, relax and take in some of the history of the past.
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