Attractions
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The winding, cobbled streets of Tallinn's historic
centre are the focus for most visitors to the city and the hub of
the major tourist attractions, which can all be enjoyed on a
walking tour. The walled old town is divided into two parts:
Toompea Hill was the residential area of the aristocracy and gentry
in days of yore, while the Lower Town operated independently. The
Old Town, much of it dating from the 11th century, is extremely
well preserved and complete, its powerful defensive stone buildings
having ensured that it was not destroyed despite frequent invasions
over the centuries. Visitors revel in Town Hall Square, ringed by
the beautiful Town Hall and its adjacent pharmacy, which is still
operating on the site it has occupied since 1422. The Old Town is
also full of churches, like St Olav's, which was the tallest church
in Medieval Europe, dating from the early 13th century. The old
town walls and its many fortresses made up one of the strongest
defence systems in northern Europe by the 16th century. The
dominating landmark on Toompea is the magnificent Alexander Nevsky
Russian Orthodox Cathedral. The medieval atmosphere is particularly
evident in St Catherine's passage, between Vene and Muurivahe
Streets, where visitors can stroll past the open studios of artists
and craftsmen who have laboured here for centuries.
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The Estonian capital's most popular family attraction
is the zoo, crammed with close on 6,000 animals from Polar bears to
Siberian Tigers, as well as species from warmer climates, like
crocodiles and chimpanzees frolicking in the Tropical House. There
is also a delightful petting zoo.
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Tallinn's magnificent Botanical Garden covers 110
hectares and contains more than 8,000 plant species. The flora
comes from all around the world, displayed in arboretums,
glasshouses, open fields and thematic gardens. In just a few steps
visitors are transported from European meadows to African tundra,
or from desert to rainforest. Specialised exhibits change every
month, and thematic tours are offered all year round, the most
popular being the summer night aroma tours, and the rose days. A
nature trail traverses the different habitats.
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Estonia's largest amusement park provides plenty of
family fun with 18 different rides and more than 100 video and
carnival games. Different shows are scheduled daily with
performances in the main tent. The park is located on the sandstone
banks of the southwestern coast of Tallinn's Kopli Bay, near the
zoo.
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The beautiful pink baroque Kadriorg Palace was the
summer residence of Russian Tsar, Peter 1, and today stands proudly
in the centre of its namesake seaside resort suburb of Tallinn,
where the streets are lined with noble villas and summer estates.
The Palace today houses the Estonian Art Museum's foreign
collection, featuring thousands of western European and Russian
works from the 16th to 20th centuries, ranging from prints and
paintings to sculpture and furniture. The palace is also the venue
for concerts and theatrical performances, lectures and receptions.
The park surrounding the palace is a popular recreational spot for
visitors and locals alike, consisting of formal gardens, the
symmetrical Swan Lake, as well as meadows and forest groves
traversed by paths.
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On a picturesque expanse of forest parkland on Kopli
Bay is preserved a collection of historic Estonian buildings,
transplanted from around the country to represent rural life
through the centuries. Exhibits consist of various farm buildings,
windmills, watermills and other country clutter offering pleasant
and informative escape from the hubbub of the nearby city.
Handcrafts are on sale, horseback rides on offer, and a village inn
caters for visitors keen to sample local fare. Folk music and
dancing displays are scheduled regularly, and most national
holidays are celebrated here in grand style.
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