Sun April 27, 2025
Hi All! We’re docked in Tallinn, Estonia for the next two days. We got to sleep in a little since our tour didn’t start until 10:45 AM so that was nice. And it was warmer than Helsinki which was also nice!
Our tour was called “Historic Tallinn” and described as experiencing the history and architecture of Tallinn during a scenic sightseeing drive thru the city and a walking tour of the Upper Old Town.
We started with a 30 minute drive out of the city to Kadriorg Park, the main recreation area of Tallinn. An Italian architect designed the park for Peter the Great following the Tsar’s conquest of Estonia in the Great Northern War. We then stopped at the grounds where the popular Estonian Song Festival is held every 5 years. We then drove thru the Lasnamae residential area and heard stories about the country’s Soviet period and how different cultures lived side by side.
We then visited the Upper Old Town starting at the “Tall Termann” Tower. We passed by medieval houses, towers and bastions en route to the Upper Town of Toompea Hill. We saw the pseudo-Baroque Toompea Palace, which houses the Estonian Parliament, the Russian Orthodox Church of St Alexander Nevski and the “hate wall” separating the nobility’s and merchants’ towns.
We walked by the oldest school in Estonia, which dates from 1319. Then to the 13th century Dome Church, St Mary’s Cathedral, which dates from 1233 A.D. and features more than 100 coats of arms of former noble families. We then went to the scenic viewpoint for a panoramic view of the Lower Town. We then drove back to the ship.
We got onboard, had a quick lunch and took the shuttle back into town. We walked around the medieval lower town and did a little shopping. We took the shuttle bus back, got onboard and got ready for dinner. I’ll do another update tonight. Happy Sunday to all!
PS: We LOVE Tallinn!!
The Wandering Italian 