In the middle of a month long visit to the UK at the end of 2018, I decided to take another excursion to the Baltic States. In the summer I had visited Latvia and Lithuania, this time it was to be Estonia. The most convenient way for me to get there is from East Midlands Airport to Riga, Latvia followed by a second flight to Tallinn, Estonia. Ryan Air and Baltic Air respectively are quite economical for this sort of trip.
I left early morning Wednesday, 12 December from East Midlands airport and landed in Riga around lunchtime. I then had 3 or 4 hours to kill before my flight to Tallinn so I decided to go into the center of Riga and visit one of the museums that I did not get chance to visit on my previous visit - the Latvian Holocaust Museum. It was an easy bus ride into the city center and then a short walk through the Central Market to the Holocaust Museum. It turned out to be not a very impressive museum - there was a replica of a railway car that transported Jews to the Camps, a renovated house that showed what living conditions were like in the Jewish Ghetto in Riga, some artsy exhibits and that was about it. Just beyond the museum there was a memorial to a fire that took place in a synagogue. Some 300 Jews were chased into the synagogue by Latvians (not Nazis) in 1941, the doors were then boarded up and the synagogue set ablaze. There were no survivors. The foundations of the synagogue are still preserved on the site.
While the short visit to Riga wasn't that rewarding it did pass the time before my Baltic Air flight to Tallinn. I arrived in Tallinn around 5 pm where it was dark already (sunset is just after 3:00 pm) and it was very cold (0 deg C). There is a very good tram service from the airport into the center of town - modern trams, very cheap, and quite well used by the locals.
In Tallinn, I guessed at which tram stop to get off at and luckily I guessed right and alighted just a couple of blocks from my hotel, the Barens Hotel. It isn't a bad hotel; it is in an old building near the Town Hall Square so the location is great but it is showing some signs of wear.
That evening I took a stroll around town. The old part of town is quite compact and I did manage to get around a good part of it - the Town Hall Square with its Christmas Market, the more modern Freedom Square with its lights, the Orthodox Cathedral on the hill, the parliament building, etc. Despite the cold weather, there was no snow on the ground in the town center just the occasional heaps of snow piled up in the parks.
The Tallinn Town Hall Square has the dubious reputation of being the first place to display a decorated Christmas Tree in a public square. They have lot to answer for if that is the case, though the Lithuanians also claim that distinction over in Riga.
For my evening meal I took the guide book's recommendation and had a great meal of meat (pork, the local staple) and potatoes at the Restaurant Vanaeema Jures. The desert was this wonderful stuff called Kamavaht which was a kind of cold porridge made from rye, oats, barley and peas mixed with cream and slightly sweetened. It was so good I bought a couple of bags of the raw material to bring back to the US.
Next morning it didn't get light until around 9:00 am. That makes for a very short day as there is only about 6 hours of daylight this time of year. I set off to follow the Walking Tour in the Lonely Planet Guide Book. It covers most of the highlights in the old town, many of which I had already seen the previous evening.
I started in Freedom Square with its Cathedral and large open space. The location for the many rallies and protests prior to independence from the Soviet Union. Then up to Toompea - which is the name of the hill, the name of the castle situated on it and also to the parliament building which is located in a palace on the hill. Next to the parliament building is the very fine Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral. It is a wonderful structure from the Tsarist Russian period before WWI. While it is perhaps the most impressive structure in Tallinn, it is apparently not well liked as it is a symbol of Russian oppression and occupation.
Just down the street from the Orthodox Cathedral is St Mary's Lutheran Cathedral. A beautiful old spired church with a very nice interior.
The two cathedrals are on the Toompea hilll and a short walk along the street provides an overlook of the city below. You can look out over the old town to the harbour and the sea beyond. A spectacular view even on a grey cold day like it was that day.
Tallinn is a walled city and much of the old wall and its defensive towers are still intact. I walked along the northern edge of the wall towards the harbour and the modern port area. Alas the modern port can now accommodate cruise ships so that explains the proliferation of souvenir shops all over the old town. I imagine when the cruise ships visit the old town is quite overflowing with tourists.
From a gate in the old city wall, I made a diversion to the Kalamaja district of town where there is an old barracks from the Tsarist period. The barracks were converted to a prison at the end of WWI and all manner of nasty things took place inside its confines. It is known as Paterei and I was hoping for a look inside but alas it is now closed to the public. I did walk around the area and it is indeed a sinister and disquieting place. The guide book says the lower floor windows were bricked up so that the locals wouldn't hear what was going on inside the prison.
Beyond the prison is a fine old steamship moored at a dock and a sea plane museum. I decided not to partake of the seaplane exhibit.
Back east towards the current port, there is a Soviet era building called the Linnahall. Originally the V. I. Lenin Palace of Culture and Sports, it was built in 1980 for the Olympics (the sailing events were held in Tallinn). It is now very much derelict and decrepit - graffitied walls, broken glass, rubbish and decaying concrete. There are apparently plans to renovate the building at some point. Is it worth it you may ask.
Returning to the old town there is a memorial to the MS Estonia tragedy of 1994 when 852 people died when the ship sank on its way from Tallinn to Stockholm.
Inside the old town again I visited the KGB Museum. This is in the basement of a beautiful old building where in the Soviet era the KGB got up to nasty things in the basement cells. Now the rest of the building has been renovated into a beautiful apartment building.
Along the same street there are a series of beautiful buildings belonging to various Guilds - the Blackhead's Guild, St Olaf's Guild, St Canute's Guild. All very ornate and wonderful.
From the old town I then went out to the more modern area of town through the Varnu Gate and on to the Opera House, Tammasaare Park (Tammasaare is Estonia's most famous author) and coffee and cake at the very excellent Cafe Lyon. The Opera House has the absolute best parking barriers to their parking lot - conductor's batons.
After warming up with coffee I headed out towards the Central Market. Along the way the modern shops and malls gave way to more dreary and unimaginative Soviet era blocks of apartments. The market was not at all impressive but then the day was cold and damp and not at all conducive to an open air market.
I returned to the Lutheran Cathedral on the Toompea hill where there was a choral concert that afternoon. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was a marvelous concert in a wonderful setting. I was quite moved. A lot of J.S. Bach (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and the Magnificat) but some really nice pieces by Estonian composers too.
Leaving the church it was dark already and it was snowing. The city looked beautiful with all the Christmas lights and the snow coming down.
I walked over to the train station where there was another market - this one a lot better. Most of it was indoors in a renovated industrial building with all sorts of foodstuffs and lots eateries. There was even an extensive antique section with all manner of junk that surely no one would ever want to buy. There was also a great collection of graffiti on the associated walls and I had lots of fun taking pictures.
After dinner (same restaurant, I'm a creature of habit), I went to a jazz club called Philly Joe's (after Philly Joe Jones). Playing that night were Lauri Kadalipp Social Jazz. A four piece Estonian band who were just terrific. Quite an unexpected pleasure.
The next morning, Friday, was much brighter with even glimpses of blue sky, so I walked around the old town again, catching all the same sights again in a better light. It really is a beautiful little city. I did pay a visit to the Tallinn City Museum for a quick visit. It wasn't particularly interesting except on the top floor they had an exhibit and film about the events that lead up to the break from the Soviet Union and achieving Independence. An interesting period that was not that long ago - 1990.
It was then time to head back to the airport for my flight home. While waiting for my tram, I did examine a fine building by Saarinen (Eliel Saarinen that is, not his son Eero who is more famous in the USA). A fine building with lovely art deco ornamentation. All these Baltic cities seem to have great art deco buildings, especially Riga.
It was a short flight back to Riga where, with 3 hours to kill before my flight back to East Midlands, I went into town again. Riga was quite splendid with all its lights and Christmas Markets. That is four separate visits to Riga for me, I feel like quite an expert on the town now.
There are more photos here.
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| Riga with Christmas Decorations |
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| Riga Latvian Ghetto and Holocaust Museum |
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| Tallinn Old City Gate |
That evening I took a stroll around town. The old part of town is quite compact and I did manage to get around a good part of it - the Town Hall Square with its Christmas Market, the more modern Freedom Square with its lights, the Orthodox Cathedral on the hill, the parliament building, etc. Despite the cold weather, there was no snow on the ground in the town center just the occasional heaps of snow piled up in the parks.
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| Town Hall Square Tallinn |
For my evening meal I took the guide book's recommendation and had a great meal of meat (pork, the local staple) and potatoes at the Restaurant Vanaeema Jures. The desert was this wonderful stuff called Kamavaht which was a kind of cold porridge made from rye, oats, barley and peas mixed with cream and slightly sweetened. It was so good I bought a couple of bags of the raw material to bring back to the US.
Next morning it didn't get light until around 9:00 am. That makes for a very short day as there is only about 6 hours of daylight this time of year. I set off to follow the Walking Tour in the Lonely Planet Guide Book. It covers most of the highlights in the old town, many of which I had already seen the previous evening.
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| Freedom Square, Tallinn |
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| Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral |
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| St Mary's Lutheran Cathedral |
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| View of Old Town Tallinn |
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| City Walls Tallinn |
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| Paterei Prison |
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| Paterei Prison |
Beyond the prison is a fine old steamship moored at a dock and a sea plane museum. I decided not to partake of the seaplane exhibit.
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| Linnahall |
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| Linnahall |
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| KGB Prison Cells |
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| KGB Headquarters |
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| Guild Hall Tallinn |
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| Guild Hall Tallinn |
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| Entry to the Opera House Parking Lot |
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| Interior of St Mary's Cathedral |
Leaving the church it was dark already and it was snowing. The city looked beautiful with all the Christmas lights and the snow coming down.
I walked over to the train station where there was another market - this one a lot better. Most of it was indoors in a renovated industrial building with all sorts of foodstuffs and lots eateries. There was even an extensive antique section with all manner of junk that surely no one would ever want to buy. There was also a great collection of graffiti on the associated walls and I had lots of fun taking pictures.
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| Station Market Area Tallinn |
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| Station Market Area Tallinn |
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| Philly Joe's jazz Club |
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| Eliel Saarinen Building |
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| Riga at Christmas Time |
There are more photos here.
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