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| Upper Town and Lower Town of Tallinn |
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| Of the 60 Towers protecting the City, a good number has survived the ravages of time |
Between 8000 BC, when Finno-Ugric ancestors of Estonians
migrated to the Baltic Coast and 2014, Tallinn in Estonia certainly experienced
drastic historic ups and downs.
Arabs mentioned
Tallinn in 1154 in the records of their cartographer Al-Irdrisi. The Danes and
Germans run it between 1219 and 1284, when Tallinn joined the Hanseatic League
and attained self-governing status. Not for long, though!
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| Parks adjacent to the old city walls and towers |
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| View from 'upper town' to the spire, now cut down to size, after being hit by lighting often causing the church to burn down three times |
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| Many restaurants take on the medieval theme and capitalize on the Old Hansa League connection |
In 1346 the Danes sold it to the Livonian Order, and the
Livonian War between 1558 and 1583 brought the infamous cruel Russian Tsar Ivan
the Terrible to town to besiege it. However, after the war it finished up under
Swedish Rule. During this time Tallinn boasted the tallest building in the
world: the then 159 meter high spire of St. Olaf’s Church. Due to its height it
made an excellent lightning rod, hence it burned down trice. 124 meters are its
present height, just right for people without vertigo to climb up and enjoy the
view.
The Swedes went to work to fortify the city, and built
massive walls and 66 defence towers around old town, as well as digging miles
of underground tunnels underneath the walls to allow soldiers to move defensive
equipment around and spy on locals and enemies alike. Almost 2 km of this wall
and 20 defensive towers remain today, mostly deployed as museums and galleries;
the tunnels were used as bomb shelters in WWII. During the Soviet era they were
equipped with running water, electricity, ventilation and phones. If not
exactly cottage country, they are open to tours several days a week.
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| The only orthodox church in Tallinn, which was almost destroyed after liberation from the USSR. |
Despite the most powerful defense system of the time, 1710
brought another Russian Tsar to town, this time Peter the Great. When this war
finished in 1721, Peter the Great owned Estonia and he set up a summer
residence in nearby Kadriorg. The palace is open to visitors.
World War One brought temporary independence in 1918, which
was again short lived. Red Army Forces annexed Estonia into USSR, resulting in
mass arrests and deportations. By 1941 the Third Reich took over and introduced
a different set of problems. But in 1944, USSR reinvaded (thousands fled by
ship and some made it across the frozen Baltic) and cut off Estonia from the
rest of the world until 1991. During Soviet rule Pirita, a seaside town near
Tallinn, was chosen for the sailing events of the 1980 Moscow Olympics; the
marina still exists and is used by sailing enthusiasts.
Estonia gained its independence in 1991 by means of a
‘Singing Revolution’, traditional mass singing events, used as a form of
protest. Since then it has been upward and onward for the little country with
Tallinn as its Capital, and it is now member of NATO and the European Union
(Euros). Tallinn has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage sites.
To top it all, Estonia gave the world SKYPE! Who could live
without SKYPE, unless one is a complete Luddite?
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| Shops still line the old city wall... |
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| Textiles are Tallinn's strength and appear in any form, even Viking felt hats |
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| Smaller city wall tower |
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| Cobble stones on steep alley leading from upper town. Stairs have been added to accommodate today's expectation of comfortable descent |
Tallinn is a charming hybrid between Old Town taken right
from a medieval fairy tale, and cutting edge amenities within its walls and
without (such as the ultra-modern refurbished warehouses of the Rotermann
Quarters) such as free Wi-Fi everywhere, payment of parking fees via mobile
phone, plush hotels, eclectic restaurants and cafes, gleaming stores and
stylish interiors.
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| Nordic influence on sweaters, pullovers, socks, gloves, scarves etc is evident and Scandinavian motives prevail |
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| Stylish glass ware |
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| Simple vase |
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| Pharmacy dating back to Anno 1422 |
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| St Olav's Cathedral |
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| Dance Macabre, medieval painting depicting Tango Nuevo in long gone past. Unfortunately death may not be the most sensual partner, but according to this painting, everyone will dance with him at least once |
It has more fascinating legends, than there is space to
write them down. Ghosts roam by night, tales of execution over a spoiled
omelette, a peasant turned super hero (Old Thomas on top of the town halls wind
vane), a medieval construction worker falling from the spire of St. Olav’s with
snakes and frogs emerging from his mouth and the invention of marzipan (Mart’s
Bread or Mardileib) in the oldest pharmacy in town dating back to 1422 and
still working. Marzipan concoction is based on an ancient remedy for colds
containing bitter ingredients. Marty (the apothecary’s assistant) replaced all
the bitter ingredients with crushed almonds and sugar to make the stuff
palatable, which not only cured but enchanted his client (the major of town) so
much that he ordered tons of it and thus made marzipan famous in Tallinn and
beyond.
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| Textiles and quilting are popular |
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| Quilting Loft in Old Town |
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| Medieval Town Hall |
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| St Catherine's Passage, location of artisan's work shops and stores |
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| Picturesque St Catherine's Passage |
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| Many buildings still await re-construction |
During my two visits here it rained both times.
Nevertheless, armed with a pocket umbrella and bundled up in warm clothes I
explored and wandered through Tallinn’s historic alleys and climbed up from Old
Town to ‘upper Tallinn’ (Toompea Hill) where the Wealthy had their hang out. St
Alexander Nevsky’s Cathedral with its onion domes towers over the city and a
number of embassies have made camp on top of the hill today. I explored walls,
towers, markets, shops, cathedrals and cafes in a semi soaked state, but
enjoyed the town and the horn of plenty it has to offer immensely.
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| Sample of Estonian National dress. Colourful weaves are still being produced |
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| Felt Art |
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| Beautifully designed quilt |
