As a tourist in Tallinn 08.08.09 /Turistina Tallinnas 08.08.09

*I go to Tallinn quite often, several times in the year.But this time was unique, we ( me , my niece Õnne-Mari, my friend Viktoria & her 2 sons Aivo & Janar) decided to take a look around the city as tourists & to see some of the famous sights in our capital.Our main destinations were Kadriorg & Old Town .Me especially having keen interest in churches this time...

*Ma käin Tallinnas suht sageli, ikka mitmeid kordi aasta jooksul.Kuid seekordne reis oli omamoodi.Meie, st mina, minu vennatütar Õnne-Mari, mu sõber Viktoria koos oma kahe poja Aivo ja Janariga, otsustasime seekord minna Tallinna kui turistid & heita pilk peale mõnedele meie pealinna kuulsatest vaatamisväärsustest.Meie peamised sihtkohad olid Kardiorg ja Vanalinn.Minu erilise huvi all olid seekord Tallinna kirikud...
Veel teadmiseks, et seekordse reisitutvustuse juures on rohkem informatsiooni antud objektide kohta just inglise keeles, et rohkem Tallinnat oma välismaa tuttavatele tutvustada ja mitte tüüdata eestlasi infoga, mida sageli niigi teatakse.

Kadriorg palace / Kadrioru loss

Kadriorg palace is one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the whole Estonia.Was built by the Russian Emperor Peter I the Great shortly after Great Northern War (building started in 1718, architect Niccolò Michetti ) & was named by his wife & future-to-be Empress of Russia Catherine I (Kadri is Estonian equivalent to Catherine & "org" means valley as the palace was built next to the hills of Lasnamäe).And it served as a summer residence for Russian Emperors for 200 years. Nowadays it's the main residence of the president of Estonia & part of Estonian Art Museum with the permanent exhibition of the foreign art.At the back side of the palace is a fine example of the baroque time flower garden.And it's also surrounded with a park & several other museums.
*The palace.The photo is taken from the side of the Flower Garden.
*Loss.Pilt on tehtud Lilleaia poolt.

*This & three photos below have some details of the palace.
*Sellel ja järgneval kolmel pildil on mõningad lossi detailid.



*The palace wiht the Flower Garden.
*Loss koos Lilleaiaga.

*The fountain above & the other two photos below show some of the examples of Flower Garden.
*Üleval olev purskkaev ja järgnevad kaks pilti on tehtud Lilleaiast.

"Russalka"

*Not far from the palace is situated the statue " Russalka". In the one earlier entry I have already spoken a little of the statue.But since Viktoria hadn't seen it before we took a walk to watch it.
*Kuna Viktoria ei olnud enne Russalka juures käinud, siis tegima ka väikese jalutuskäigu sinna.



*Me & the statue.
*Mina ja mälestusmärk.
*View to the sea & to the ship coming to the harbor, the same below.
*Vaade merele ja sadamasse tulevale laevale, sama mis alumiselgi pildil.

Kadriorg Park / Kadrioru park

The palace is surrounded with a large park that has many museums, statues, ponds etc.

*Õnne-Mari exploring the sundial in the park.It not only shows you the time but also a month, sign of the zodiac and other things though I couldn't get it 'cos there were really many sign on the stone & which is which staid uncertain to me.
*Õnne- Mari uurib päikesekella.See peaks peale kellaaja näitama ka veel muid asju nagu kuud ja sodiaagimärke jne , aga kuna neid sümboleid oli sellel kivil nii palju jäigi mulle segaseks, mis on mis.


*Swan Pond with the swan ( photo below ).
*Luigetiik koos luigega (alumisel pildil ).


*The statue of the author of Estonian national epos "Kalevipoeg"- Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald.
*Fr. R. Kreutzwaldi kuju.

*Above & below are some examples of the decorations in the park.
*Ülal ja all on mõned näited pargi kaunistustest.



The Statue of Liberty / Vabadussammas.

*It was opened just 1,5 months earlier & already it is notorious- who haven't liked the whole idea of the statue, who finds it should have been a better artwork etc. But all the defects it has had in such a sort time has made it kind of laughing point- either it's getting pink, or the electricity won't work or it just falls apart...When I was there it was standing still & looked pretty impressive although the surrounding wasn't complete yet.
*Mnjah...siis kui mina seda nägin, seisis see ilusasti püsti ja ei olnud roosa:).Aga efektne on ta küll, vaatamata sellele, et kui mina seal käsisin, ei olnud Vabaduse väljak veel valmis ja kõik oli kuidagi ligadi-logadi...Aga sammas tundus asuvat kõigest sellest väljapool...




*A part of the poetry of an Estonian poet Gustav Suits.
*Gustav Suitsu luuletus, mis ilmestab sammast.
Toompea

There has always been two Tallinns, already from the medieval times. The lower parts were the free town of Tallinn with the city law of Lübeck & the upper part called Toompea was the center of the military Tallinn that ruled also other parts of Estonia- residence of different orders etc. And though it isn't medieval anymore it has kind of staid the same- Toompea is the place of the Estonian government & parliament, when below there is the capital city of Estonia.Times not always change:).

*Tallinn has a big part of the medieval city still very well preserved which also includes parts of the old town wall as well as on Toompea so in Old Town, this is the tower called Kiek In De Kök.The name comes from the Saxon language meaning " Watch to the kitchen", cos it was standing above the city & you could see through the medieval mantel chimneys what people were cooking in the neighboring houses:).
*Kiek in de Kök- kiika kööki:).
*Another tower next to the previous one called Neitsitorn ( Virgin Tower).
*Neitsitorn.

*The house of the Estonian parliament Riigikogu.
*Riigikogu hoone.



*Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The central church of the Russian Orthodoxes in Estonia.A really beautiful church as well as outside so also inside ( damn...sorry!...that it wasn't allowed to take any photos inside the churches in Tallinn, this wasn't the only church I would have loved to have some pictures as a memory).
*Aleksander Nevski katedraal.Kahjuks ei olnud üheski Tallinna kirikus sees lubatud pilti teha...
*Dome church or St. Mary's church.It is told to be the oldest church in Estonia & also the main church of Estonian Lutherans. But the real reason to see the church are more than hundred medieval coat of arms that are standing on the walls of the church & also many of the burial tombs of the famous Estonians.
*Toomkirik.

Oleviste church / Oleviste kirik

*Oleviste church (St. Olaf's church) is one of the main symbols of Tallinn along to Vana Toomas.The church goes back to the 13th century though many historians think there has been a church already in the 12th century but at the moment these are only speculations.At the time between 1549 & 1625 it was the highest building in Europe standing at the height of 159 m, probably meant to be not just a holy place but also a beacon to the sea.Because of the height it has been hit by the lightning for many times,the worst fires have been on 1625 ( after what it was restored at the height of 135 m) & on 1820 which gave to the tower the present height- 123,7 m.Today when there are many high buildings built in the modern Tallinn, there is a law that no other building can't be higher than the tower of Oleviste. At the height of 60 meters (just where starts the helmet of the tower) is a watching platform to enjoy the view to the Tallinn.Which I of course had to climb & had to curse myself cos it's really a high climbing, with narrow stairs & many tourists...and the heat that day...Which leads to the best joke that day...After we had climbed all the way up & were in the clock room, the first thing greeting us was a girl selling water...It felt really like selling water in the desert 'cos it was hot & the price was twice of the usual:).But the sights to the city were amazing!

*60 meetri kõrgusel kiriku tornis on suvel avatud külastajatele vaateplatform, kuhu mina muidugi ronima pidin:). Ja sain kiruda nii ennnast kui ka kiriku ehitajaid, sest ilm oli palav, ronimine oli pikk, turiste vooris edas-tagasi ja trepp oli na pagan kitsas:)...Samas on Olevistega seotud ka selle reisi parim nali- olles roninud kogu selle tee ülesse ja astudes kellatorni, siis esimene asi, mis nägid oli... 15 krooniga müüdav vesi...Tõeline kõrbes vee müümine:).Aga see-eest vaated Tallinnale olid fantastilised!








Maritime museum /Meremuuseum.

*Since Viktoria is a big fan of sea & ships we also went to the Maritime museum.It gives you the idea of Estonia as maritime country. And it was very interesting for me as well though climb up from another stairs wasn't really my favourite :).
*Kuna Viktoria on suur mere ja laevade fänn, otsustasime ka meremuuseumist läbi astuda ja oli päris huvitav...Ehkki järgnevatest treppidest üles ronimine ei olnud just eriti lõbus:).


*M/S "Georg Ots".At the Soviet times this ship represented the way to the free world cos it sailed to Finland, our closest neighbor outside the Soviet Union.
*M/L "Georg Ots"
*M/S "Estonia".In 1994, September 28, took place the biggest shipwreck at the Baltic Sea during the peace times, taking more than 800 people to the wet grave...
*M/L "Estonia".
*Some of the things from "Estonia".
*Mõned asjad " Estonialt".
*Copies of the ships that took Kolumbus to the America.
*Kolumbuse laevade koopiad.
*Historical treasure pottery...with the very modern coins in it:).
*Muistne aardepada...koos väga kaasaegsete müntidega selle sees.


*A complex of buildings called "Three Sisters", nowadays hotel.
*"Kolm õde", praegu hotell.
*Niguliste church. This is one of the finest examples of medieval churches in Estonia 'cos it survived the looting of the churches during the reformation since the keeper of the church melted locks full of tin.Now it is part of the art museum holding fragments of the works Berndt Notke including his famous "Death Dance", & also the treasury with the silver & gold treasures of the church & guilds of the medieval Tallinn.
*Niguliste kirik ja selle kuulus " Surmatants " olid peapõhjused miks sinna sai mindud.