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Monday, July
21’St
I’m
leaving Riga at 10 am with Eurlines to Tallinn, where I arrive a little
past 2 pm.
Then
things start to go wrong! First of all the busterminal is not at the
spot where I thought it would be – it’s much further away from the city-center
than expected. This means that I get lost on my walk to the hotel, which
honestly shouldn’t have been a walk, but a taxi-ride. It takes 1˝ hour
of walking before I find my hotel in Tallins Old Town called Meriton Old
Town. Then it’s certainly time for a break. |
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Later
my first walk in Tallinn Old Town. There are lots of tourists here. Most
of them are from Finland and Sweden. And there are lots of old houses,
churches, museums, hotels, restaurants and cobble-stoned roads. And it
is unbelievable clean everywhere. The local life takes place outside Old
Town, which is more like a tourist-settlement. So I head outside for
dinner. A large beer is now 3 €, so things are going the wrong way. |
Tuesday, July
22’Nd
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This is
the great sightseeing-day in Old Tallinn. First stop is just outside my
dooe. It’s the St. Olaus Church with a 139 m. high tower. It was built
in the 15’Th century, and is supposed to be the highest building in the
world at that time (how would anyone know??). KGB used to use it as a
good place for surveillance.
Further
on along the city-wall in Tallinn, and a monument for the ship Estonia.
Then
it’s more church. First it’s the Holy Spirit Church from the 13’Th
century. Outside there’s a very old clock. Then it’s the Peter and Paul
Church. It’s closed today. But the Dominican monestary next to it is
not. You have to make your own “ticket” by hammering a round metal-thing
with a huge hammer. It’s a little expensive to get in, but it’s valid
for the rest of your lifetime, so it’s kind of OK. The monestary was
built in 1246 and was used by Scandinavian munks, which was sent here to
chritianite the estonians. |
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Further
on along the city-wall and another church. It’s the huge and ugly Jaani
Church. Then on to the tower with the weird name “Kiek in de Kök”, which
means something like “Look into kitchen”, named so because you could see
into the kitchens of the nearby houses. There’s a small arms-museum in
the tower.
I head
back to the hotel before trip 2 of the day. This takes me to Upper
Tallinn or Toompea as it is called. There’s a fantastic beautiful
Russian church called Alexander Nevsky, with their domes looking like
onions. Inside there are lot’s of icons, but as it is in Russian
churches – not a chair og bench within sight. Everything is done
standing. |
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Just
opposite is Toompea Castle. It’s huge and there are real chess-towers in
the corners, but the pink colour is not my idea of colours for a castle.
A little away is the Dom – the largest church in Tallinn. From Toompea
you also have some of the best views across Old Tallinn and its
surroundings.
On the
way downhill I pass the old Danish Kings yard. They’ve got a spot like
this because rumours say that the Danish nationalflag fell from the sky
in Estonia on the 15’Th of July in 1219.
I’ve
had enough sightseeing for this day. Only dinner and relaxing is left
for the rest of the day. |
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Wednesday, July
23’Rd
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The
trip of the day is not anything recommended by the tourist-office. I am
heading for the city of Paldiski. It’s about an hour by train from
Tallinn.
Paldiski was an important harbour for the navy back in the soviet-days.
So they built this ugly town with plenty of bunkers and other military
facilities. |
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Some of
it has been preserved, so together with the ugly buildings that used to
house the military employees, some petro-chemical industry and a harbour
now used for car-impor, it doesn’t make a lot of good photos for the
tourist-brochures. But I find it exiting and it’s also a part of
reality. And after all there’s also a small beach where kids are having
a good time bathing in the dirty water of the Baltic Sea – and there’s
the loveliest train-station I have ever seen. It’s as much a contrast to
the city that anything could be. I spend a few hours out here, where
there are only 2 other tourists for the day, before heading back on the
train to Tallinn.
The
rest of the day is spent on nothing special. |
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Thursday, July
24’Th
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Anoher
day in beautiful Old Tallinn
First
visit is to a museum just around the corner. It’s The Maritim Museum,
which is housed in a tower called Fat Margaret. There are a lot of
things in the museum about the sailing-history of Tallinn, and from the
top there’s a fine view across the harbour and all the cruise-ships down
there.
Next I
head for the harbour. Due to terrorist-fright you are not allowed to
walk around the harbour, but from the ferry’s arrival-hall you can see
some huge ships around. A big one from Helsinki has just arrived, and is
loading off. Most of the cruise-ships seem to be German. |
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Back to
Old Tallinn and a visit to a tourist-trap called Eppingi Turn. It’s also
a part of the city-wall, but really contains absolutely nothing.
Lunch
is at an Ukranian restaurant. Ukranian sausages are not recommended.
After a
break at the hotel I head out again. I head for the tourist-spot no.1 in
Vilnius, the City-Hall Square. It’s packed with tourist and restaurants,
but I’m here to see the City Hall. It was built between 1371 and 1404,
so it’s both old and very fine. On the room you will find the small
statue of Vana Toomas – Old Thomas – as a symbolic guard for Tallinn. He
also doubles as a weathercock. |
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Next
stop is St. Nicholas Church from the 13-th century. It was destroyed by
Russian bombs during WW2, but is now restored. Inside it contains some
of the most valuable religious paintings from the Middle Age. Among them
is the famous painting of “Dance Makabre” by Berndt Notke from the 15-th
century.
After
this I walk aimlessly around the southern parts of Old Tallinn, before
I’ve had it for this day. |
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Friday, July
25’Th
I’ve
made a mistake on this trip, and that is going back in the evening. This
means that the rest of the day is just for killing – and it’s a little
annoying.
So I
kill this hot summerday in Tallinn by visiting another stupid museum
built into the wall, then visiting the city-museum, which is rather
exiting, a good lunch and finally a visit to the photographic museum of
Tallinn. Finally it’s time to head back to the hotel and get a taxi to
the airport.
The
check-in is fast, so there are another few hours to kill in the airport
before leaving with Estonian Air at 6.10 pm. The trip to Copenhagen
takes 1˝ hour, so including time-difference I arrive at 6.40. The train
leaves at 7.40, and I’m back in Aarhus slightly before midnight. |
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