Europe

[Visited: January 2016, November 2003]

Just around the corner is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a Russian orthodox church which shines in the winter sunlight. There is a statue of Linda nearby, in honour of the mythical Linda, wife of Kalev; according to some, Lindanisa, the former name of Tallinn, was chosen after her. We walk the cobble stone streets of Toompea, the Upper Town of Tallinn. There are buildings in bright colours, there are more churches, there is a modern sculpture hanging from a wall with a stretched out hand. Apart from the various buildings, there are several platforms in the Upper Town from where you get great views all over the Lower Town and beyond. You can see big ships sailing into the port which is at walking distance. But mostly, the viewpoints serve to make you want to go down and step into the maze of streets of the Lower Town of Tallinn. There are several stairs connecting the Upper and Lower Town, and they bring you to one of the best preserved Middle Age towns of Europe.
Centrepiece of it all is the Town Hall Square, which at this time of year is occupied by a big Christmas market and a Christmas tree; Tallinn prides itself by being the first town to erect a Christmas tree. The Town Hall itself always holds something new to see: it has a remarkable, slender tower, it has beautiful gargoyles, the vane on top of the tower, and more to discover. We walk the outside of the city wall, with its elegant medieval defensive towers with red-tiled roofs. We look at the slender towers of the city, like the one of the Town Hall. There is Olaf's Church, which some controversially claim had the tallest tower in the world in the late Middle Ages. There is the Church of the Holy Ghost, with its remarkable clock. We enter the old pharmacy, which not only looks very attractive both inside and out, but which also is the oldest operating pharmacy in Europe. There is the curiously named House of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads with its richly decorated door and facade. And then, there are many more buildings that make you pause on your way through town. The good thing about Tallinn is that there are plenty of spots to warm up over a hot drink, and the food is remarkably good. The Old Town is small, and you can superficially see it in a couple of hours, but when we leave after a couple of days, we still feel like there is so much more to discover.

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Old Tallinn (Estonia)

Old Tallinn > Estonia > Europe

[Visited: January 2016, November 2003]

Around the World in 80 Clicks