Tere Tallinn!

Exploring the medieval old town of Tallinn

I had never heard of Tallinn before. My uncle suggested that I visit this city for a day trip and he bought me a round trip ticket to Tallinn, Estonia (Thanks Tito!).

Day 22

I took the Tallink Silja Line’s Superstar ferry, a two hour ride from Helsinki to Tallinn.  There weren’t any seat reservations in the ferry. Most passengers were at the café, some were sitting in a corner and there were even a few who got drunk and were lying on the floor. Since I was still sleepy, I opted to buy a coffee and stay at one of the tables.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

When I arrived at the port, I didn’t know where exactly to go. Did I need to take a bus? A tram? I found a liquor store near the port and I went there and asked how to get to the old town. The cashier told me that it was just a quick walk—I just needed to go straight until the buildings look old.

With the GPS installed in my smart phone, I headed towards Toompea Hill, which I marked from my Google maps the night before. I was quite doubtful if Toompea Hill was located accurately in my map (it wasn’t!) but I knew that the Aleksander Nevski Katedraal was nearby. I wasn’t sure where I was going, but after 30 minutes to an hour, I found the Aleksander Nevski Katedraal, a Russian Orthodox Church. I really wanted to visit this Church because it’s very different compared to the other cathedrals I’ve been to for the past three weeks. I was particularly fond of its onion-dome, which I found very Russian.

Cobbled steps in the Medieval Old Town

There are several churches in the old town. Just a few steps away from the cathedral, is the Toomkirik (Dome Church /Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin). It is the oldest church in Tallinn and used to be a Roman Catholic church. Today, it’s an Evangelical Lutheran church. I also passed by Niguliste Kirik (St. Nicholas Church) or what is now Niguliste Museum. Today, this old church is used an art museum and a concert hall.

The night before, my uncle checked the weather forecast and the chances of rain in Tallinn was 100%. Nevertheless, rain has never stopped me from going anywhere. So, I just prepared an umbrella. When I finally arrived in Tallinn—the weather was good. It wasn’t sunny and it wasn’t raining either. The weather was just perfect for strolling around the cobbled streets with medieval houses and alleys. After walking some more, I found myself in Raekoja Plats, a square in the middle of the city with a lot of cafes and restaurants.

The Great Coastal Gate and
the Fat Margaret tower 

As I sauntered along Pikk Tänav  I passed by another church, Oleviste Kirik (St. Olav’s Church). This Baptist church had once been the tallest building in the world. It has a very tall steeple which had been hit by lighting several times. Then, continuing until the end of Pikk Street, I reached the Suur Rannavärav (Great Coastal Gate) and the Paks Margareeta (Fat Margaret tower). The gate here is one of the remaining gates of the old medieval town of Tallinn and the tower now houses the Estonian Maritime Museum.

View of Tallinn from ferry

Tallinn is incredibly fascinating and probably one of my favorites. I did not expect to like Tallinn so much. Just walking around the medieval old town seems to bring you to another century. At 5PM, Tallink Silja’s Star ferry took me back to Helsinki and with a scenic view of the city, I bid Tallinn Nägemist.