Sept. 3, 2017
Estonia is the northern most and smallest of the Baltic States.
Tallinn is the capital city of Estonia with a population of 400,000.
They are part of the European Union and use Euro's as currency.
It
was about a 15 minute walk from the ship to the old town section
of Tallinn which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a medieval
enclave with old walls, towers, winding cobbled streets and buildings
dating back to the Middle Ages when it was a member of the Hanseatic
League. The old town is divided into Lower Town and Toompea or Upper
Town.
We
decided to follow the self-guided walk described in Rick Steve's
book on Cruising the Baltic. We started in Lower Town, passing through
the archway by the Fat Margaret Tower. The tower guarded the entry
gate of the town in medieval times. We then walked up Pikk Street,
the medieval merchant's main drag. It is lined with interesting
buildings. Some were warehouses complete with cranes on the gables.
Some like the buldings nicknamed "Three Sisters" have
been converted to hotels.
We
continued along the street to Town Hall Square which has been a
marketplace through the centuries. The 15th century Town Hall dominates
the square.
Today, the square is full of eateries and beer halls.
Leaving
Old Town, we walked uphill along a steep cobbled lane, through the
gate of the wall separating the two towns. The wall originally had
46 towers of which 26 still stand. Upon
entering Upper Town, we immediately saw the gorgeous Alexander Nevsky
Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox church, with its colorful onion domes.
It was built in 1900 when Estonia was part of the Russian Empire.
The church has been exquisitely renovated inside and out.
Continuing
through Upper Town, we stopped at several over looks which gave
great views of the whole city. From there we decended back to the
lower town and through the Viru Gate into downtown, more modern
Tallinn. By then we were very tired, having been walking all day
on the cobblestoned streets. So we found the cruise ship's shuttle
bus and gratefully rode back to the ship.
To view more photos from our trip to Tallinn, please go to Tallinn
Photo Gallery. To read about the next location visited, go to
St. Petersburg.
Home
Locations Visited Photos Map
Contact Us
|