Traditional Tallinn

What a beautiful old city Tallinn, Estonia is. So traditional, so quaint and yet so open to tourists with pockets of modernisation.

We began our walk past flower markets to the Town Hall Square where a stage was set up and singers and dancers entertained the crowds all day with their traditional music and costumes.

We stopped in at the town’s History Museum and were fascinated to learn of Estonia’s controversial and violent history. Apparently Estonia is one of the world’s most secular countries due no doubt to the number of times it has been conquered and faced destruction by other nations.

We visited the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with its gold interior and climbed up to Toompea Castle which tops the town with acres of buildings and offers great views. We strolled back down and had tea and a snack at Clayhill’s Bar.

 

Then we found the Maritime Museum and climbed several circular staircases to the various floors that displayed the history of shipping and fishing in Tallinn including a plethora of glass cases containing model ships of various types and ages.

Lunch at a pub in Town Hall Square saw us eating smoked salmon with cream cheese and salad whilst we enjoyed the entertainment before returning to the ship.

Flower markets

One of the town squares

 

Saint Alexandra Nevsky Cathedral

Inside modern Clayhill's Bar

 

 

Tallinn History Museum

Original Mozart manuscript

 

Document signed by Napoleon

Maritime Museum

 

Model ship building tools

Jim outside Clayhill's

Entertainment in Town Hall Square