16 June 2018, Saturday
Rise and shine, it’s time to move on to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, today! The past two days in Helsinki have been great, but I’m rather excited to go to Tallinn because I’ve read so much about how its Old Town is one of the best preserved and most authentic in Europe, so I’ll like to see for myself if it’s really true.
I checked out of Eurohostel at about 7am and took the tram to Länsiterminaali 2, West Terminal 2, arriving at 7:40am. The Terminal 2 building is more modern than the Terminal 1 building, where I arrived at three days ago. I didn’t have to check in because I already had my boarding card, which I printed at home before embarking on this trip.
The terminal was very crowded because it was a Saturday and many of the locals were making a day trip to Tallinn, or even a short stay over the weekend. Compared to Helsinki, prices are lower in Tallinn, and many Finns take the chance to buy large amounts of beer or alcohol back to Helsinki. My one-way ferry ticket on Eckerö Line (click here) cost only €19 (S$31.64), so a return ticket should cost under €40, making it a very attractive proposition.
I had a quick breakfast of a cinnamon bun and coffee (€5.70/S$9.26) at the café before joining the mass of people queueing to board the cruise ship. I just needed to scan the boarding card to get through. There were no passport checks. Once on board, I paid €4 (S$6.50) to store my big backpack in a large locker so that I could walk freely around the ship during the 2½-hour journey. At 9am sharp, we departed Helsinki.
The M/s Finlandia was a big cruise ship with a passenger capacity of 2,080 persons. The sun deck was already fully occupied as many people quickly seized the opportunity to grab a drink from the bar while basking in the morning sun. Many people also indulged in the buffet, which cost €15 (S$24.38) for adults. There were also several small bars, a few jackpot machines, a small PopUp Shop selling apparel and fashion accessories, and a store selling alcohol, candies and perfumes.
I decided to relax at Bar Nosturi, a large lounge with live music performances. I bought a cup of Earl Grey tea (€2.20/S$3.58) as it was the most economical option and found a seat at the bottom deck, where I had a nice view of the stage and the sea. I sipped on my tea, wrote my journal and enjoyed the music all at once.
The journey took quicker than expected and we arrived at Tallinn ahead of schedule. The doors opened at 11:19am and we disembarked smoothly. There were no passport or security checks here as well.
From the Old City Harbour, Terminal A, it was a 1.5km walk to my accommodation in the Old Town. I considered taking a taxi but decided to walk because I wanted to save money. I had severely busted my daily expenditure budget of S$80 over the past 2½ weeks in the Nordic countries. It turned out to be quite a long and tiring walk because my backpack was getting very heavy by this point. I eventually reached my accommodation at 11:48am.
Tabinoya – Tallinn’s Travellers House
Address: Nunne 1, Tallinn (located in the Old Town)
Room type: 8-bed mixed dorm room
Price: €51 (S$82.88) for 3 nights
Website: www.tabinoya.com
The entrance to the hostel was quite obscured but the owner gave clear directions so I was able to locate it. The reception was on the third floor and my dorm room was located at the attic. I loved Tabinoya the moment I stepped inside. The building had wooden floorboards and you could still see the support beams on the underside of the ceiling. The common kitchen and dining area was very cosy. I felt like I was staying at someone’s house rather than a hostel.
At 12:45pm, I headed out for lunch at Kompressor (click here), a famous pancake pub literally a stone’s throw away from Tabinoya. This “legendary” pancake house claims to serve enormous pancakes at a low price. It was quite crowded when I visited and there was a long queue to order.
I was very surprised when I was served by a horribly rude female cashier. Her service was SO BAD! The other serving staff were fine but the cashier was horrendous. I had not encountered any truly terrible service staff for the past 47 days in Europe so it came as quite a shock. I ordered a pancake with smoked ham and Brie cheese (€5/S$8.13) and a latte (€2.20/S$3.58). Thankfully, the crepe was so good it made up for the bad service.
With lunch settled, I could now explore Tallinn. I realised that Tabinoya was literally located in the heart of Old Town. It had the perfect location. Everywhere I turned, I was surrounded by lovely cobblestoned streets and beautiful old buildings. I first walked to Freedom Square, a plaza on the southern end of Old Town that is being used to hold events and military parades. The large square is surrounded by St. John’s Church and the War of Independence Victory Column.
Throughout its history, Estonia was occupied by Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Poland and Russia. On 24 February 1918, Estonia was proclaimed as an independent republic. However, German troops entered Estonia the following day as Germany did not recognise their declaration of independence. The intervention did not last long as Germany capitulated towards the end of World War I, and power was handed back to the Estonian Provincial Government in mid-November 1918.
The Russians then came back to seize control of Estonia and the Estonian War of Independence was fought. Finally, on 2 February 1920, the Tartu Peace Treaty was signed and Estonia was free and independent once more. The War of Independence Victory Column commemorates the 2,300 Estonians who were killed during the war.
However, Estonia’s independence didn’t last long as the Soviet Union invaded Estonia in June 1940, before Nazi Germany occupied Estonia from 1941 to 1944. After the Second World War ended, the Soviet Union reoccupied Estonia from 1944 until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. On 20 August 1991, Estonia declared formal independence and they were finally free at last. The tumultuous history of a small country like Estonia (population 1.3 million) bears valuable lessons for Singapore – we have to defend our sovereignty at all costs.
Next, I walked to the Kiek in de Kök Museum and Bastion Tunnels (click here) located nearby. The name Kiek in de Kök means “peek in the kitchen” in Low German, a language spoken mainly in Northern Germany, which was mostly low lying. The name apparently came about because of a legend where some soldiers in the tower liked to peek from the top of the tower into the kitchens in the town below.
Today, the four medieval defence towers and underground passages have been converted into a museum, telling the history of the town’s fortifications and history of crime and punishment in old Tallinn. Of the four towers, the Kiek in de Kök tower is the oldest (built in the 1470s) and it was the mightiest artillery tower in the Baltics. I didn’t pay to enter the museum, but I’m sure it would have been an informative and worthwhile visit.
Toompea Castle was just around the corner. The castle was built in the 13th century on top of Toompea hill as a stone fortress overlooking the city. It had been revamped many times throughout the centuries. The late Baroque façade painted in sweet pink came about only in the 18th century. This was the face of the building that I saw, and it did not resemble a castle in any way. But if I had gone to the opposite side to the base of the hill, I would have seen a more medieval appearance. Toompea Castle has always been the seat of power and it is home to the Riigikogu (the Estonian parliament) today.
Directly across Toompea Castle was the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a beautiful Russian Orthodox church. It was built in 1900 when Estonia was part of the tsarist Russian empire. The cathedral was dedicated to Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky, the Prince of Novgorod, and it is the grandest and most opulent Orthodox church in Tallinn. I went in for a look and it was stunning. Sadly, photography is not allowed inside.
I then walked past St. Mary’s Cathedral, a medieval church established before 1233. This is possibly the oldest church in Tallinn.
Soon, I reached Patkuli viewing platform, located on the north side of Toompea hill. From this vantage point, I had a great view of the defensive towers and the Old Town below, and also the harbour beyond.
Located not far away was another viewing platform called Kohtuotsa. Here, you get a slightly different view of the Old Town – the red roofs of the old buildings below and the modern high-rise buildings in the distance.
After making my way down Toompea hill, I went to Old Town Square. I had visited so many Old Towns in the various European cities over the past 47 days but the one here in Tallinn just felt different. It is really true that Tallinn is the best preserved medieval city in Northern Europe. However, it is not just the physical buildings that matter but the atmosphere and the vibe as well. Tallinn is not as crowded as Prague or Český Krumlov, but it’s also not just the amount of people here that makes it different. It is hard to explain but you will know what I mean when you are here in person. Tallinn just feels right. And I love it.
Next, I went to St. Olav’s Church. This unassuming church with its gothic steeple was reportedly once the tallest building in the world during the mid-16th century. According to some accounts, its spire rose to 159m tall, making it not just a good signpost for approaching ships, but also an effective lightning rod. It was struck by lightning and burned down several times in its history. Today, the spire is smaller at 124m tall and it is an icon of Tallinn. I paid €3 (S$4.88) to scale the tower.
After climbing 232 steps, I reached the observation platform. It was very narrow and it could hardly fit two people standing side by side. The view from here was even better than that from Patkuli or Kohtuotsa viewing platform. However, the light was quite harsh when I visited at 3:40pm so it would be better to visit in the morning or in the evening during sunset. Note that opening hours are from 10am to 6pm (last admission before 5:45pm).
After my visit to St. Olav’s Church, I found a shop nearby called Martsipanigalerii (Marzipan Gallery, click here). Marzipan is a sweet and smooth confection made primarily of sugar and finely ground almond. I bought an ice-cream with chocolate and marzipan (€2/S$3.25) and also a tube of marzipan mass with 30% almond. It was so yummy. I love marzipan!
I then popped into a pub called Hell Hunt and ordered a glass of apple cider (€2.90) while I watched a World Cup football match on the big screen. I was really enjoying myself here. No stress, no worries!
After the short break, I wandered around and saw a barber shop so I popped in for a haircut for €10 (S$16.25), much cheaper than my last one in Copenhagen, which cost me S$24.20. I then went to a shopping mall called Viru Keskus.
I found a convenience store called R-Kiosk and bought a pre-paid SIM card from the company Super. The starter pack with the basic SIM card cost only €1. I topped up another €3 and it gave me 1GB of 4G Internet. Just €4 (S$6.50) for a SIM card with mobile data. It was quite affordable. At 8:30pm, I grabbed a quick dinner of spicy fried rice €5.50 (S$8.94). It was so-so but it did the job.
I then headed back to the Old Town through Viru Gate and ended up at Olde Hansa (click here), a medieval-themed restaurant and shop. The restaurant recreates the medieval experience and everything from the décor to the servants’ uniforms to the music to the cuisine are from the 15th century. I didn’t wish to spend too much on a meal so I skipped the restaurant and visited the shop instead.
The shop wasn’t very big but it was filled with fascinating items that were modelled during the 15th century. All items are handmade. I struck up a conversation with the female staff and she was very friendly, unlike the surly cashier at Kompressor. She was very passionate and shared wonderful stories about the items in the shop.
For example, the monk’s bride glasses got their name because monks are not supposed to have brides so they drink liquor to make them feel warm inside. Thus, they treat these glasses as their “brides”.
As for the Römer (Roman) wine glasses, they were used by the rich people, who would smash them after using them just once. It was a way of showing off their wealth as glass was expensive back then. And the more beads there were on the glass, the richer they were, because more material was used to make the glass.
At 9:40pm, I went back to Patkuli viewing platform for the evening view. The sky was still very bright and the sun was far from setting yet. At this hour, the light was much better and it cast a warm and soft glow over the Old Town. This is Tallinn at its most beautiful.
On my way back, I walked past St. Mary’s Cathedral and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral again. It was really much nicer at this time because the cruise ship tourists were long gone so the streets were much quieter and peaceful. In fact, there was hardly anyone around. The sun was less harsh and everything looked even more beautiful at this golden hour.
I got back to Tabinoya at about 10pm. It was only my first day here but I felt like I had covered a lot of ground already. Some places just give you good vibes and I was already in love with Tallinn. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring!