Travel Destinations for this August – Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn, the capital of Estonia is a truly historic city dating to at least 1154 when it was first recorded on a map. The city’s location meant that it would change hands for the next couple of centuries a fair few times, being conquered by the Danes, then sold to the Hanseatic League, then being part of Sweden, then Russia until it finally became the country of Estonia during the turmoil of World War I.
All of this rich history means that present day Tallinn – pronounced Tah’linn – features an interesting mix of cobbled streets, Russian domes, breezy bars, Hanseatic towers, cool cafes, Danish castles and Soviet suburbs, a truly beautiful city to behold.
Arguably the most interesting part of the city to visit is the ‘old city’ or Vanalinn. Both the government and the residents have worked hard to preserve the look and spirit of this quarter. As such you will not find any sort of loud banners or cellophane floats, the only thing that you’ll find is sightseers and shoppers and of course the medieval atmosphere.
Some of the attractions that the Old City has to offer are Fat Margaret and Tall Herman, these are two towers, the first one being short and stout while the second one being the tallest in Tallinn and part of the city’s medieval fortifications. Alongside these you will find here the Maritime Museum as well as the Art Museum and the Dome Church.
One other major point of interest is the Kadriorg Palace, built in 1736 for Peter the Great it features wonderful wooded grounds as well as a small cottage which houses the Peter the Great Museum. In a somewhat similar vein you might want to travel a bit west of Tallinn and visit the Estonian Open-Air Museum, this is where you will encounter rebuilt traditional homesteads and trade houses of old Tallinn. With a bit of lucky you’ll see a street performance of folk music or dance.
When the sun goes down and you’re tired from all that sightseeing it is time to experience the city’s varied culinary offers and as far as food is concerned you will find pretty much everything possible from Indian and Mexican restaurants to the more traditional eateries.
The city also has a series of popular nightclubs as well as beaches, despite its northern location, so there is something for everyone in Tallinn.
Photo by: themiddleeye
