Top Tallinn

13-14/09/2023

Well, we definitely saved the best Baltic capital till last. By accident rather than design, as we had no expectations of which city would woo us. So much so we stayed a second day. This is despite getting absolutely drenched on the first visit, which you would have thought would have dampened our enthusiasm.

Day 1 we’d booked a free (tip based) walking tour. Our guide gave us a similar potted history to Latvia’s …except the Danes were first here. Then the Germans, Russian empire, independent between wars and then swinging between Germany and Russia during the WW2. With only 1.3 million people today, it is truly a small country. About 30% of the population are native / 1st & 2nd gen Russians … brought over to work and ‘Russanise’ Estonia. Like in Latvia, they go to Russian speaking schools and live and socialise only with each other. Our guide said she’d only recently made a Russian Estonian friend as their paths just do not cross. One has to wonder how many would welcome a Russian invasion.

Estonia lost nearly 18% of it’s population due to USSR deportations. The chap we met the other day told us his grandmother had been deported as a young girl with her parents and two sisters. She was the only survivor. Our guide explained that her grandfather had fought with the Germans during WW1, meaning his name went on a list, so durung Russian occupation post WW2, he went to hard labour camp for 3 years. His wife and son (our guide’s father) were sent to different Gulags. It was many years before they returned.

*Wet misty first view of the old town wall*

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral built late C19 as part of the Russanification. During the inter war independence, Estonia planned to pull it down. They didn’t have the funds for such a huge demolition project, so it survived.

*What was the castle is now the Parliament*

*A wealthy inhabitant decided there were insufficient statues in Tallinn and commissioned the* *monks,* *which* *now* *grace* *the Danish Kings* *Garden*

Freedom Square. The cross monument was built early 1990’s at huge expense and the glass sheets need annual repair. According to our guide, this and a public toilet are good examples of early independence corruption. It wasn’t until the turn of the century when Estonia was chasing joining the EU, *that corruption* was stamped out. EU and NATO were 2004. Euro was 2011.

*Lots of viewpoints, but oh, so misty in the stair rods. Tallinn actually has a proper hill in the city, making for views and a* *more interesting layout. Bear in mind, Estonia boasts the highest of the Baltic states mountains … at 318m. To p*ut into perspective, *Sca Fell Pike is 978m* *and* *Ben Nevis is* *1345*m.

*Cold and wet we splashed out on a lovely* *meal, including pud and a bottle of red!*

Our wet weather gear had been no match for the torrential downpours. We were cold and wet. On the way home, a small bottle of brandy was purchased … stiff Irish-ish coffees back at Jez! However, on the 30 minute train ride back to the campsite, we determined to visit for a second day.

Day 2 was sunny. What a difference a day makes. We left shoes etc drying outside Jez. I spent the morning grappling with some admin for one of our rental properties … the site had good wifi. We used gps.mycity again to follow a route to see most of the sites. Whilst we felt one day was just OK in Vilnius and Riga, as we can’t go into museums etc with Corrie, Tallinn definitely justified a round 2.