﻿Tallinn, the capital of Estonia is the best-preserved medieval town in northern Europe,
according to UNESCO, which has designated it a World Heritage Site. They describe Tallinn as
"a system of walls, fortifications and authentic buildings, constituting an urban structure formed
in the 13th and 14th centuries." The place you will spend more time at than any other
part of Tallinn is the major marketplace of the Town Hall Square. It's tremendous fun. The
marketplace is filled with many dozens of craft booths selling handmade goods. There's food for
sale and restaurants all around. This happens pretty much every day throughout the summer.
This is the busiest place in town, surrounded by some of the finest architecture, housing, shops,
and outdoor restaurants, and beer halls, and the great collection of market kiosks in the
center of the square. The City Hall is one of the oldest town halls in Europe and dates back to the
beginning of the 15th century. It was a place where the magistrates and mayor would be. Now
it's a museum with an outdoor restaurant. We happened to be here at a lucky time in early
July at a festival called Old Town Days, with costumed performers and live music
from a stage. We'll show you more music, craft booths and festivities later in the
program. (music) Now we're going to take you on a walking tour of the main lanes and side alleys.
The Old Town is relatively small, just one kilometer from one end to the other, but there are
so many interesting sights packed in here, your visit will be filled with rewarding experiences.
While tourism has become a major part of the economy, with a million foreign visitors coming
in every year, it is still much less crowded and much less visited than other major cities
of Europe. Visitor numbers will certainly be increasing exponentially because it is such an
attractive destination. So this is a good time to go, before the massive crowds arrived. This video
was photographed in July when the weather was beautiful and it was not too crowded.
The excellent preservation of this medieval architecture is a result of about three major
factors. Well, during the 13th and 14th centuries, it became a very important trading center,
part of the Hanseatic League. And therefore, these buildings were constructed and built up in a grand
style befitting the wealth of this community. But after a few hundred years of trade and expansion,
the prosperity tapered off. The trade moved to other places, and Tallinn was sort of left
behind in the wake of history. And then in the 20th century, it was occupied by Russia. Estonia
was controlled by the Soviets for much of the 20th century, but that communist government never did
much damage here. It's Fortunately, they did not have any money to knock down old buildings
and put up new buildings. And so because of that, Tallinn was just sort of left alone, perhaps even
neglected. But happily for the visitor and for the people of Estonia, it survived as a great
symbol of their national pride. Another reason why it does not get too crowded with tourists
is that Tallinn is a little bit further away from the center of normal European travels. After all,
we're at the northern fringe of Europe. Estonia is not right next to any other major tourist
countries. It's up there in the Baltics by Lithuania and Latvia and across the Baltic Sea,
you find Helsinki, Finland, which is where we came from. More about that later. So Talon's
physical isolation makes it somewhat of an untouched gem -- very much worth visiting.
The buildings date back to the 13th-century, 14th and 15th centuries, and some a little bit later
in the Renaissance and the Baroque, yet with practically no modern buildings. And most of
the shops are independent type boutiques -- very few of the big chain stores here in the Old Town.
As you walk along and look down side lanes, you occasionally see parts of the medieval wall,
another reminder of the antiquity of this town that we're walking through. The Old Town is
special because it consists of two parts, the Upper Town and Lower Town. That Upper Town has
always been a residence and workplace for the bureaucrats and the ministers, while the Lower
Town has always been for the ordinary common people. Tallinn is really quite easy to see in
a day because it is not all that large. You could walk from one end to the other in 30 minutes.
There are approximately 500 building complexes in the town, all of them old, and the streets are for
pedestrians, by and large, there are signs to help you out and the pedestrian zone is quite easy to
navigate. Since Tallinn is a bit remote, way up here in northern Europe, it's a slight challenge
to get here. Of course, you can fly, for example, from Berlin, it's about a two hour flight, so
that's easy. But ground transportation is somewhat more difficult. One of the most popular options is
coming to Tallinn on a short cruise from Helsinki, a 90-minute boat ride across the Gulf of Finland.
The ship is quite comfortable with open decks, you can walk around, there's restaurants on
board. You could have a simple snack or one of those elaborate buffet meals. Maybe use some of
your French fries to feed the seagulls hovering around. (Dennis) "On board the ship, it's a lot
of fun. There's restaurants, there's lounges, there's shopping, there's nice, comfortable
seating." You could get a private state room if you like, but it's just a 90-minute ride and the
public lounges and decks are quite comfortable as you walk around and explore the ship. When you get
to Tallinn, it's an easy ten or 15 minute walk to the Old Town. If you're traveling with luggage,
you can check it in a secure room at the Tallinn arrival building. And then, as we did,
spend the day walking around in Tallinn, then take a boat back to Helsinki. Or better yet,
take an overnight boat to Stockholm -- makes a wonderful package. It's an easy stroll from the
marine terminal over to the old town, crossing the street and through a little park area. Just
watch out for the trams going by on this busy road, so be sure to use a crosswalk. One of the
first sights that you'll see approaching from the waterfront into town is Fat Margaret Tower,
built in the early 16th-century, rising 25 meters high with walls that are five meters thick. It
would have been a very impressive and intimidating sight for anybody approaching the town.
The Great Coastal Gate is the most important entrance of the six remaining gates in the
old city wall system. It was the main route for traffic entering the town from the port heading
for the market square, first mentioned as far back as 1359. It's the perfect way to enter town. It's
like entering a time machine, right into the main street of Tallinn called Pikk Street. This is the
longest street in town, so it's called the Long Leg because it's the main connection between the
upper town and the Lower Town, leading all the way to that Great Coastal Gate, about one kilometer
total length. Tallinn has a few gentle hills, creating an interesting topography where you get
some intersections of streets going high and low. One of the first of the impressive historic sites
you come upon on Pikk Street is three connected houses called The Three Sisters. These are
typical examples of what the dwellings of wealthy merchants would look like in the Middle Ages.
Tallinn has always depended on merchants for its prosperity, and in this street we find many of the
guild houses. They were the headquarters of the various merchant organizations.
This elaborate facade and beautiful doorway leads to one of the most interesting of
the guild houses. We're in the house of the Brotherhood of Blackheads, and you see here
a gothic guild hall. This would have been the principal meeting room inside the Guild Hall,
thus the name. And you see the typical Gothic vaulted arches behind me here. There was a
organization of young single merchants, so you can imagine they would have a lot of parties in here,
as well as doing a lot of business inside. It was very much a combination of a social gathering
place as well as a center of business and trade, a place where apprentices would learn the various
kinds of functions. And the guild was really an important organization in the medieval society.
The Brotherhood of the Black Heads is most famous for its little door outside,
which is highly decorated in the Renaissance style and has a picture of a fellow who looks
very dark. He was a moor, he was the patron saint of the Brotherhood of the Black Heads.
Admission is free and it's open every day unless there is a function going on inside. So by all
means, step in and enjoy this guild house. We'll come back to this Pikk Street later,
but there's another lane that's parallel, that's just to attractive called Lai. St Olav's Church
is claimed to have been the highest church in Europe, and there are some who claim it was the
world's tallest building in the late 16th century. They say its height was 200 meters, but lightning
has struck at numerous times and the height's been reduced now to 125 meters. It's a Lutheran church,
but not very active with services. The Tallinn City Theater has been operating in these old
buildings since 1965 with three different theater halls. Some parts of this street can get quite
busy with motor vehicle traffic, but there are various side lanes leading off from it that
are very quiet and sometimes lead you through buildings in a tunnel. If you'd like to stay
here for a couple of nights, you might consider the Meriton Old Town Hotel right here on Lai,
located just 200 meters from Old Town square. Wander through the nearby little lanes,
and you will soon come upon a section of the wall that you can actually walk on for free.
The oldest sections of Tallinn's city wall were built in the 13th-century.
During the next 300 years, it became one of the largest and strongest defense systems in
all of northern Europe. More than half of the magnificent defense system has been preserved,
which includes nearly two kilometers of the wall, 26 defensive towers and two major gates.
It would be very easy to miss this wall-climbing adventure, so be sure to look for it. It's right
here in the center of town. And if you like, you can climb higher, right up to
the top of one of the towers from which you get a beautiful view looking out over the town.
To get the best views of the old town, you need to do a little walking uphill to the upper town,
400 meters from that wall walk. One way to reach the Upper Town is walking through that fortified
gateway that was part of the barrier between the upper and lower towns, on an extension of Long
Leg street, the main street of town. Artists are displaying their paintings, and here some young
gals selling postcards and the Tallinn Card, the discount card. While the Lower Town is the most
captivating and charming part of Tallinn, you want to be sure to go to the Upper Town, which was for
the upper classes, has some very large, impressive palaces and a wonderful viewpoint looking down
on the Lower Town. The Upper Town is relatively small, just about 15 acres, while the Lower Town
is four times larger. The streets were laid out as far back as the 13th century, and they still
have the same basic pattern today. This elaborate church is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. That
was the last building erected in the upper town in 1900, built in the Russian style of architecture,
reminiscent of the 16th- and 17th-centuries with large wooden front doors that were made
in the Ukraine. The cathedral has five domes shaped in a traditional onion cupola style,
with the main dome symbolizing Jesus and the other domes representing his disciples.
The pink palace is the Parliament building with 101 members who are elected every four years.
St Mary's Cathedral, also called the Dome Church, is located in the heart of the Upper Town, and
it's the oldest church in Tallinn, built in the early 13th century. But then in 1684, a great fire
took place and the building was reconstructed in limestone, which is the most available material in
Estonia, the national stone. It's still functional as an active church and has a congregation of
about 300 people. There are a couple of lookout points up here where you get splendid views
looking down at the Lower Town, especially at the city wall, and the watchtowers, and
the clay tile roofs of the old buildings. There are 26 of these medieval towers still standing
and nearly the entire wall is standing. It's a remarkable example of medieval preservation.
As we continue along through the Upper Town, looking at a few more of these noble structures
that had been palaces, another nice feature of the upper town is a small park with greenery and
trees. When coming down from the upper town, you get spectacular views of the wall that protected
Tallinn in the Middle Ages. Walking through the Danish King's Garden. On top of the wall,
you can see this wooden defense passage that joined the towers together, which enabled
the defending soldiers to walk from one tower to another. This marks the boundary of the Upper Town
or the castle. What could make this idyllic scene any more perfect? How about a wedding? The locals
are out, all dressed up celebrating their friend's marriage. When finished with the Upper Town,
it's quite easy to get back to the Lower Town. It's all downhill, perhaps returning
the same way you came up along the Long Leg street where you're going to find more of
those paintings and crafts on display. Walking back into the arch through the fortified tower,
but there is an alternative way to get down for some variety. Take a right and enter a staircase
that will lead you on a shorter route back to the Lower Town. And they make it quite easy to walk
down hill with the staircase. It's always nice to have an alternative route in your round-trip so
you can walk uphill on a gradual incline, which is quite easy, and then downhill on a staircase,
also very easy. This will lead you back into the center of the Lower Town, where you can continue
your explorations, there's a lot more to see. Maybe by now it's time for a meal or continue
along White Bread Passage. That little building is the smallest house in Tallinn, formerly sold
white bread, now it's a souvenir shop. Katerina Käik, or St Catherine's Lane, is one of the nicest
streets in town because it's a quiet respite with this ancient architecture. And it's lined
with open studios that function as everyday work rooms for the artists. So you can step inside
and see the craftsmen at work and purchase their products directly from the artist. It's a little
bit hidden away, like a peaceful oasis, remote from the hustle and bustle of the rest of town.
Here you can see with your own eyes the craftsmen doing their daily work, making ceramics and hats,
blowing glass, selling hand-woven fabrics, and have a chance to chat with the artists.
This group of artists is the Katerina Guild, a symbolic bridge between the past and the present.
Integrating eight studios and 14 women artists. As is customary in the guild system here, also you
find master craftsman as well as apprentices. Athough each studio has its own character,
they are united in the principle of openness. People return here to enjoy the deliberate pace,
remote from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It is just a little connecting lane between
two larger streets the you could easily miss. So look for it as you're walking along and you will
find this little art oasis. Katerina Passage is named after the adjacent St Catherine's Dominican
monastery, one of the oldest buildings in Tallinn, dating back to the mid-13th-century. It has a
garden cloister surrounded by the monastery and a giant old wall. The Gothic interior has different
rooms where monks were living and studying. The monastery also brewed four different types
of beer. It's a little hard to find this, but it's just off of Katerina Passage. Admission is
included with a Tallinn card, otherwise, you pay a small fee in the lobby. When you come out of
that tunnel, you hit the wall. Another spectacular part of the medieval fortifications of Tallinn.
It's often a challenge in our travels nowadays to be able to purchase something that's locally made,
let alone handmade. Well, here you have a beautiful collection of handmade sweaters,
all authentic, tucked away under the shelter of this impressive section of the medieval wall.
And then after you've seen the main site, it's always nice to just simply take a walk off the
beaten track. Perhaps down some of the little side streets, the little side lanes. They might not
be in the tourist guidebooks as important visitor attractions, but it's all part of the ambiance of
this remarkable medieval town. Wandering through these little back lanes, getting even away from
whatever tourists are in the main square is always a thrill. You can enjoy the quietude and the
beauty of these authentic buildings. In addition to that cluster of craft workshops along Katerina
Käik, you'll find plenty of galleries scattered through town with contemporary works by local
artists. While most of the buildings date back to the 14th through 18th centuries, there are quite
a few with the Art Nouveau style of architecture, which was popularized in the late 19th and early
20th-century in England and Belgium and France. There is an impressive history museum inside what
had been the headquarters of the Great Guild. This was the most important of the merchant societies.
In 1987, this impressive Gothic building was converted into the Estonian History Museum with
a fascinating collection covering a wide variety of topics, bringing these old tales back to life
with very contemporary displays, all housed in this Gothic structure, which has been beautifully
preserved. In a poignant display sign, the curators sum up the national character, asking,
"Which word has enough power to encapsulate the survival of the people who have lived on this
piece of land for 11,000 years? That word could be perseverance. Perseverance helped Estonians
survive amid a harsh climate and rocky soil. After all the wars and conquests, plagues and famines,
the steadfastness and even stubbornness of the people here created a distinctive environment
and unique culture. The Estonian spirit is meant for survival."
Estonian history extends across a long and winding road through time,
telling the tales of many conquering nations, including Viking, German, Swedish, Danish, Polish
and Russian invaders. The Republic of Estonia has been independent since 1918, interrupted by
a half-century-long Soviet occupation following World War Two. Estonia restored its independence
in 1991, and today is a thriving and forward looking member of state of the EU and NATO.
Preserving their treasured historic traditions and festivals, yet, as a very modern country,
they've always been traders. Appropriate that the town square today is filled with the merchants.
This has been going on for more than 700 years. After all, it was founded as a trading town. It
was part of the Hanseatic League, which was that northern and European medieval alliance,
Germans, Scandinavians, merchant centers trading with the East and bringing goods on into Europe
and being the middlemen and always taking a cut of the profits. And how fortunate to be
running into this great town festival with the old customs dating back to those medieval days.
The Estonian culture is a really modern society set in this medieval trappings, so don't let the
buildings and costumes fool you. These are very modern European peoples, very technologically
advanced. They've got some of the highest rate of Internet connections and broadband speeds,
for example, a couple of Estonians are the inventors who created Skype for the computer,
for making long-distance phone calls for free. And many other technological innovations have
come out of Estonia, which has been called the Silicon Valley of Europe, recognized as
the world's most advanced digital society. Nearly all interactions with government are done online,
perhaps one reason they have the most business startups per capita, where it only takes 5 minutes
to found your own company. They have one of the world's highest adult literacy rates at 99.8%,
and they were the first country in the world to adopt online voting way back in 2005. Ever since
the Middle Ages, Town Hall Square has been the center of life. It's been a place where people
come to buy things and sell things and listen to the latest gossip. So it has always been a very
busy area. There are two famous restaurants with traditional food just a block beyond the
Old Town square, out the southeast corner, the Olde Hansa, with an authentic style of decor
on the inside and Peppersack, both offering an extensive menu with traditional cuisine.
Now the main building on the town hall square is the city hall itself. It's the
best-preserved town hall in the Baltic and Scandinavian states, dating back to 1402.
The Town Hall has a couple of waterspouts in the shape of dragon heads, which they believed offered
protection against the evil spirits. The ancient Estonians were quite superstitious and very fond
of all kinds of symbols. The Town Hall has a small museum inside with costume attendants to
explain the history. The magnificent building celebrated recently its 700th anniversary.
Soaring Gothic arches, woodcarving, tapestry and paintings reflect the wealth and ideals of the
former Hanseatic town. You're welcome to walk up the narrow spiral steps to the upper level,
where you will see the impressive wood beams that are still holding up the roof, 700 years later.
A scale model shows the extent of the medieval walls going around the upper and lower towns.
The building also functioned as a courthouse from the 13th through the 19th centuries.
It's well worth going to the upper floor because looking out the window,
you have a grand view at the upper town and right down into the marketplace itself. That
little tourist train provides an easy way to get around and see the sights. We're going down
there in a moment to join the fun and listen to more music from those costumed performers,
but first, there are a few more things to show you -- a busy street, another little church
and a modern shopping mall. Church of the Holy Spirit has the oldest clock in Tallinn, made in
1684 and still works. Built in the 14th-century with a wooden interior, the church is one of
the oldest and finest structures in Tallinn. The oldest part of the church is the choir,
and the aisle was added sometime later. This was the first church in Estonia to hold services in
the Estonian language. The main altar has a remarkable wood carving that dates from 1483.
This is one of the widest and busiest streets in town, and it leads to the other major gate
through the medieval wall that heads down towards the waterfront. The crowds here are a reminder of
how popular Tallinn is with the visitors. This street ends at the Viru Gate, with the
cruise ship docks just beyond, and parts of the modern town adjacent, which makes this entrance
a lot more crowded than the north entrance that we came in initially at the beginning of the program.
There's also a lovely green park just beyond the wall next door. We find a real contrast with the
Old Town, this modern Viru shopping mall. There's also a hotel and office buildings attached to it,
and it leads right into the modern part of downtown. From here, it's just a short walk
back over to the cruise ship terminal, which is where we'll be going continuing on our
overnight cruise to Stockholm. As promised, we're going back to the festival in the marketplace,
which also featured some games and festivities of the Middle Ages. (music and chatter)
We
frequently upload new movies, so please subscribe to our channel
and click that little alarm bell so you'll be notified. And if you enjoyed the movie,
how about a thumbs up and we always welcome comments down below. Or if you have questions
about the destination, make note and we'll answer them. Thanks for watching.