Next to the
Gulf of Finland stands the city of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The country’s
largest city is on the north coast and is crossed by a limestone cliff. Its
heart is cheerful, but sometimes capable of freezing. Cold prevails, even at
times when temperatures should be milder, justified by the fact that Estonia is
the most northerly of the Baltic countries, hence the near-polar climate. It
was only in 1991 that the country gained its independence from the Soviet
Union, following a heroic history and a tumultuous trajectory.
With a difficult past, Tallinn carries the heart of the country. Founded approximately in 1050, on the shores of the Baltic Sea, the city was known for its important mercantile role. Today, it is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
If you wander through the streets and alleys of Tallinn, you embark on a journey into the past. Let’s start the adventure together, at St. Olaf’s Church. Built in the 13th century, the building was once the tallest in the world, at 160 metres, but was reduced over the years due to the risk of fire. Today, its 124-metre height provides a tourist attraction due to the figure of King Olaf II, strongly related to the church, and the Gothic architecture it displays on the façade. Moving on to another historical site, we come across a prison. It sounds absurd, but this prison has history, as it belonged to the KGB. As the capital was once part of the Soviet Union, one of the headquarters of the secret service organisation was located in this very spot. Operational until 1950, one can only imagine what these walls witnessed, from interrogations to gruesome torture.
With a difficult past, Tallinn carries the heart of the country. Founded approximately in 1050, on the shores of the Baltic Sea, the city was known for its important mercantile role. Today, it is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
If you wander through the streets and alleys of Tallinn, you embark on a journey into the past. Let’s start the adventure together, at St. Olaf’s Church. Built in the 13th century, the building was once the tallest in the world, at 160 metres, but was reduced over the years due to the risk of fire. Today, its 124-metre height provides a tourist attraction due to the figure of King Olaf II, strongly related to the church, and the Gothic architecture it displays on the façade. Moving on to another historical site, we come across a prison. It sounds absurd, but this prison has history, as it belonged to the KGB. As the capital was once part of the Soviet Union, one of the headquarters of the secret service organisation was located in this very spot. Operational until 1950, one can only imagine what these walls witnessed, from interrogations to gruesome torture.
