LOVE: last time when here - happy in love (had met someone here; and then traveled together to Oslo) … back in Tallinn now six years later, I had expected all those memories to come flooding-back… and was kind of dreading it a bit?
But interestingly enough, it was totally different: walking the same streets of Tallinn’s old town, but almost seeing them as if ‘anew’ …noticing new things in the old city’s little nooks and crannies that I hadn’t noticed before.
… absorbing new vistas and just enjoying a nice walk under a perfect sunny day.
And even though recognizing many places shared before, those memories were locked away safely in the back of my heart - as if frozen in time - and now just treasured from afar!
Nothing can change those precious pearls of ‘happy memories’ nor the feelings wrapped around them in love - happily tucked away, as I kept walking the streets of old Tallinn, with a smile on my face and the sun shining warmly on my face.
From the medieval Pirita Convent to the parliamentary heights of Toompea Hill, let’s explore historic Estonia 🇪🇪again muchachos!
First mentioned in the history books by Roman author Tacitus, Estonia was once dominated by clans led by elders. Yet much of the country’s written history is characterised by foreign domination, beginning with the Vikings who arrived from the mid-9th century.
After the Russians took over Estonia under Peter the Great, Estonia largely followed Russia’s trajectory, including revolution in 1917. Unfortunately, this also meant after a short interwar period of independence, Estonia would become occupied by the USSR in 1940 until the union fell in 1990.
Reflecting this colourful history of Estonia are a range of fantastic historic sites to visit, and among the very best are the Pirita Convent, Toompea Castle and Tallinn City Walls.
1.Pirita Convent
This was an important 15th century nunnery of the order of St. Bridget and now stands as a picturesque ruin in modern-day Estonia.
At the time it was constructed, the city of Tallinn – where it was based – was already a trading hub and the idea to build Pirita Convent was first mooted by some of its merchants. Yet, it would take several years to begin building the convent.
Pirita Convent would continue orperating for some 150 years, eventually suffering destruction at the hands of Russian forces in 1575.
2.Toompea Castle
Impressive site in Tallinn is the site of the Estonian Parliament and has been a central administrative and military centre for hundreds of years.
Today, Toompea Castle reflects the numerous phases of its construction, with medieval fortifications blending into latter-period Czarist architechture and the early 20th century parliament building (the Riigikogu).
3.Barclay de Tolly Mausoleum
This is the final resting place of Field Marshal Mikhail Andreas Barclay de Tolly, one of the most talented military commanders in Russian history and a key contributor to Russia’s victory over Napoleon in the 1812 and 1813-15 campaigns.
The site is quiet and peaceful: there are rarely large numbers of visitors, and it’s a nice place to come and reflect.
4.Toompea Hill
In the capital city of Estonia, Tallinn, stands between 20 and 30 metres taller than the city skyline and has risen with the fortunes of the rulers of Estonia.
In folklore the hill is known as the mound over the grave of Kalev – a legendary heroic figure in Finnish and Estonian lore – erected in his memory by his grieving wife.
5. Tallinn City Walls
With almost 2 kilometres of its original city wall and 20 defensive towers wall still standing, Tallinn City Walls are one of Europe’s best preserved medieval fortifications. In fact, what gives Tallinn’s Old Town its fairytale-like charm is the system of 13th century walls and towers that encircle it.
Today, roughly half of the original towers still watch over Old Town, evoking images of heroic armour-clad knights.
About Tallinn City Walls
With almost 2 kilometres of its original city wall and 20 defensive towers wall still standing, Tallinn City Walls are one of Europe’s best preserved medieval fortifications. In fact, what gives Tallinn’s Old Town its fairytale-like charm is the system of 13th century walls and towers that encircle it.
Tallinn City Walls history
The first wall around Tallinn was ordered to be constructed by Margaret Sambiria in 1265 and for that reason, it gained the name of ‘Margaret Wall’. This wall was less than 5 metres high and about 1.5 metres thick at its base. Since then, it has been enlarged and strengthened.
In the 14th century, inhabitants of Tallinn were required to turn out for guard duty, wearing their armour and showing their readiness to face off enemy invaders.
Tallinn City Walls today
Today, roughly half of the original towers still watch over Old Town, evoking images of heroic armour-clad knights. Many of the Town Wall’s towers serve as museums, for those wanting to dig deeper into the city’s history.
To get a look at the wall from the inside, head to these three towers at the northwest corner of Old Town. Here visitors can climb up from Nunna tower and explore the towers and wall, as well as enjoy a picturesque view of the red-tiled roofs of Old Town.
The best places to see the wall are the Patkuli viewing platform from up on Toompea Hill and Tornide väljak (Towers’ Square). 🇪🇪
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