Sights of Tallinn
On the northeast coast of the Baltic Sea is the city of Tallinn – the capital of the Republic of Estonia. This city is rightly considered to be a unique medieval city that has survived to our days. The whole face of the city, a fortress wall, towers, cobbled streets, make us think that the time for this city has stopped in place, and it does not want to return at the present time. But of course, in reality this is not at all the case.
If you walk around the city, you can see that Tallinn has acquired a large number of fashionable shops, modern hotels and prestigious restaurants, which in no way harmed the historical past of the city. Trying to catch up with Western Europe, Estonians in many aspects even outdid it.
In Tallinn, you can visit the most fashionable art museum in Europe, and you can easily visit the former Soviet prison where you can have a corporate party at will.
Tallinn is unique and with its name, during its existence, this city managed to get about fourteen names, two of which are Russians – Kolyvan and Lollipop.
It is believed that in Tallinn the cleanest air from all cities of Europe. And if you want to feel the breath of the Middle Ages, then be sure to book tours to Tallinn. Here, walking through the old streets, you will feel the echoes of bygone days. You can also just walk around the city and relax on the numerous benches in one of the parks and at the same time feed the squirrels that take food directly from their hands. You also have the opportunity to ride on rollers or a bicycle, they both give for hire on the Pirita embankment.
During its existence, Tallinn has constantly attracted the attention of merchants and conquerors. The successful location of the city whetted the appetites of such countries as Germany, Denmark, Lithuania, Russia and Sweden. All these conquerors left their mark, both on the face of the city and on the character of its inhabitants. And he willingly tells his guests about what happened to see him in his lifetime.
He has known wars and peaceful times, periods of decline and prosperity throughout its long history. Each epoch brought with it its own special architectural style, which was etched on the face of the city, in its unique buildings.
Difficult times had a beneficial effect on the safety of the Old Town, in Estonian Vanalinn. Due to the lack of necessary funds for the construction of new structures, ancient buildings remained almost intact.
Old Town is the oldest part of Tallinn – this is the place where the very first settlements appeared. First of all, it is a pedestrian part of the city, where tourist routes pass through narrow, cobbled streets past ancient historical buildings, churches and old shops, which stand in the same place as a few centuries ago. No wonder the Old Town of Tallinn is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Old Town was formed in the 12th and 16th centuries due to the favorable conditions of the Hanseatic Trade Union. All his toy houses with intriguing courtyards, gothic spiers and its medieval market will seem to be some kind of scenery, but in fact this city exists, and it is just a real Tallinn.
Tallinn, Town Hall Square To this day, most of the buildings of the 11th – 15th centuries, a network of medieval streets and a large part of the city wall have been preserved in the Old Town. In this part of the city are the most important sights of Tallinn: the church of St. Olaf, which until the end of the XIX century was considered the tallest building in the world, the Dome Cathedral, the Dominican Monastery, the Church of St. Nicholas, the Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky, and the City Hall, built in 1404 .
A rather interesting part of the Old Town is Vyshgorod, in Estonian Toompea. Here in the XII – XII centuries, the Toompea order castle was built. The castle is crowned by a 48-meter tower, it is affectionately called the “Long Herman”. This tower was built in the years 1360 -1370, and the flag, which flies on top of Long Herman, is one of the symbols of Estonia. Currently, the Estonian Parliament – the Riigikogu – is located in the reconstructed building of the Toompea Castle.
Until today, one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe, the first mention of which was still in 1422, is working on the Town Hall Square. In ancient times, a man in the street came here and bought dried worms, frogs legs and the blood of a black cat. Now the pharmacy sells more traditional drugs, but you can still buy marzipan, which is made according to an old recipe.
In the eastern part of Tallinn, outside the Old Town, there are two charming areas of the city – Kadriorg and Pirita. These two districts are a favorite destination for tourists who want to find something unlike the Old Town. To all this, you can relax and unwind after a guided tour of the city.
